Management Controls Fiasco

When researching corporate fiascos and scandals, you will find a great deal of information online, which can be a good way to get the basics of your selected case study. But remember, to engage in analysis of that fiasco and the management contexts you will need to do further researcher - normally using library resources. 

A few things to keep in mind around researching corporate scandals: 

Getting Started: Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias are a great place to start your research as they can provide basic background information on your organization, provide you with a timeline, help you to define key terms early on in your research, and further locate relevant research that may be contained in the bibliographies at the end of each entry.

• Encyclopedia of White-Collar and Corporate Crime
  • Contains over 500 entries of high-profile white-collar and corporate crimes. The encyclopedia covers definitions, examples, historical perspectives, investigations, prosecutions, evaluations, and references for further study.
• Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society
  • Includes more than 800 entries on topics that discuss the relationship between business, ethics, and society. Coverage on organizations that have experienced a management control fiasco are also included.
• Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World
  • Provides overviews of important business topics of our time including such topics as corruption, corporate governance, bankruptcy, investor protection, and corporate regulations.

Books & eBooks on Corporate Scandals and Fiascos 

Books are a great way to get started on your research or delve deeper into a specific fiasco. Books cover topics quite broadly, and therefore they are a great way to understand the context and background of your organization, to locate specific details, and to also find exhibits such as organizational charts.

Note: You will often find books written specifically about different corporate fiascos/scandals, these are excellent to research your organization and situation as well as add to your analysis. 

Search the OMNI (the Library Catalogue) for both print and electronic books. You are able to order books from many other libraries through OMNI. 

Alternatively, you can search for e-books in these three e-book collections:

• ProQuest Ebook Central
• eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost)
• Scholars Portal Books
• Sage Knowledge

Recommended Titles: 

• Greed and Corporate Failure: the lessons from recent disasters
  • Includes case histories for Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Parmalat, and others.
• Cases in Corporate Governance
  • Includes case studies on 9 different management fiascos.
• Enron and other corporate fiascos : the corporate scandal reader
  • Includes examples and discussions of various case studies
• A Financial History of Modern U.S. Corporate Scandals: From Enron to Reform
  • Reference book on the major failures of American corporate governance at the start of the 21st century with examples

When researching corporate fiascos, one of the most important resources you will need are business articles. Articles can provide you with overviews, critical perspectives and insight into the fiasco that you may not find elsewhere. Depending on the type of article, you might find both real-time breakdowns of the fiasco or in-depth analysis of it.

Incorporate all types of articles: 

• Popular Articles (e.g., The Globe & Mail, New York Times, The Economist) are excellent resources to see public reaction to a fiasco and getting a sense of what happened and can go into discussion of management. They can also give you a historical perspective from articles published from the time of the fiasco.
• Trade Articles (e.g., Forbes, Harvard Business Review) are written by members working within an industry and can provide excellent insight into a fiasco from that insider perspective. These are good tools to find  information about your fiasco, but also from a management perspectives.
• Academic Articles (e.g., Journal of Management, Journal of Corporate Law Studies, Business Ethics & Leadership) are an essential resources for this assignment. These articles explore fiascos, impacts, and ramifications on a variety of industries, individuals, and bodies. Will often take up management issues and and can give incredible insights.

Tips: When searching for articles, you should develop a range of search terms that include your selected company and any terms that reference the fiasco. For example:

• Enron AND "accounting fraud" or "insider trading"
• "Canadian Red Cross" and "tainted blood scandal" 

Key Article Databases

Several databases will help you start researching your selected company and fiasco. The majority of them includes content for public companies only, but you may find interesting case studies or discussions of your company and its fiasco. 

You can find further information on the Company Research guide. 

Organizational Charts 

To find current or historical org charts for different companies, there are a number of resources you will want to investigate. 

• Company websites: there may be an “HR” or “About Us” section that can shed light on the key players and job titles.
• Annual Reports: these reports often feature descriptions of the company's struture
• LinkedIn: You may find organizational charts on profiles of larger companies, or you can try to piece together who is in charge when you search for “people” under a certain company’s name. (Note: Infomation may be incomplete or out of date).
• Search the name of the company AND organizational structure in ProQuest One Business, Business Source Complete, or Nexis Uni. You may find articles discussing the internal structure of the company.

Annual Reports & Company Filings 

Finding annual reports can be quite useful in researching (public) companies and associated fiascos. It is often advisable to look up annual reports for the period just before, during, and just after the situation you're exploring. 

• SEDAR: Canadian filings back to 1997 when available.
  • Under Search SEDAR+, select Documents and search by company name
• EDGAR: US Securities and Exchange Commission filings from 1996 to present (some from 1994).
  • Select Search Files and search by your company's name
• ProQuest Historical Annual Reports: A database of full-text historical annual reports.
• Market Atlas: Database containing company information, including filings
  • Select Filings and search by company name, make sure to change date range to one year or custom. 

Company Profiles & SWOT Analysis 

Researching company profiles, including SWOT Analysis or other analysis are important to get a good sense of your company, management and organizational structure, and impacts of the fiasco you're examining. 

• Marketline Advantage: Global coverage of public and private companies, including SWOT analyses, top competitors, etc.
  • Search by company name and then limit to date range
• Business Source Complete: Locate older company profiles and SWOT analyses.
  • Type company name into the search box > then select 'Company Report' under 'Document Type' > click 'Search'.
• Market Atlas: Offers a wealth of detail on company financials, ratios, business segments, descriptions, sustainability, officers and directors.
  • Enter company name or ticker symbol in the search box, and click "Company Search", or set search criteria for selected variables, and click on "View Results".

Other Resources 

• US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): Litigation Release Archives
  • Includes links to litigation releases concerning civil lawsuits brought by the Commission in U.S. federal court.
• US Department of Justice: Archives
  • Trial exhibits and releases: for such companies as Enron
• C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network)
  • Archived webcasts of congressional committee investigative hearings into Enron, Worldcom, Bernard L. Madoff, and others.

To research fiascos involving governments at any level, you will need to look at key government websites, such as the Privy Council Office (for federal) and different ministries or civic council websites. These sites might include reports that will guide you in the right direction. it is also recommended that you use article research in researching fiascos of this nature. 

Another good starting point is The Canadian Encyclopedia, which includes articles and other multimedia items charting Canada’s history, events, culture, and landscape.

Recommend, make use of the Library's Government Information guide. 

Canadian Government 

Federal 

• Privy Council Office: Scroll down to locate Commissions of Inquiry: reports that provide the findings of investigations of national importance. Select 'Commissions of Inquiry' (bottom right) > Use the "Filter items" box to search the name of the commissioners who lead the investigation.
• Auditor General of Canada: Provides independent audits and special examinations of federal government operations. Conduct a search in the top-right corner search bar.
• Government of Canada Publications: A searchable catalogue of the over 275 000 Government of Canada publications and reports.
• Parliament of Canada: Includes a wide range of research publications that provide analysis on historical and current key issues, legislation, and major public policy topics.

Provincial 

• Ontario.ca: Official website of the Ontario government; contains research and publications.

United States Government 

• United States Government Manual: The official handbook of the US federal government; provides annual information on departments and agencies of legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
• USA.gov A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies: An index of all U.S. Government Departments and Agencies.
• Federal Register: The official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

Fiascos within the non-profit sector are often best research through articles, as well as books. There are books published on many major fiascos (Canadian tainted blood scandal, the Enron fiasco, Heenan Blaikie). 

Make sure, when researching this sector, you incorporate search terms that capture the variety of ways people talk about non-profits: 

• non-profits
• not for profit
• charity or charities 

There are a number of other resources that will be useful to explore as you research this sector: 

• Conference Board of Canada: E-LIBRARY:
  • Research reports on public policy, economics, management, and organizational performance.
  • Explore the Publications section or search for non-profit, charity, or the organization's name.
• Privy Council Office:
  • Scroll down to locate Commissions of Inquiry: reports that provide the findings of investigations of national importance. Select 'Commissions of Inquiry' (bottom right) > Use the "Filter items" box to search for the name of the commissioners who lead the investigation.
• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) – Charities Listings
  • A search tool to find registered or revoked charities, and their annual information returns.
• GuideStar: Database of Nonprofit Organizations
  • Data and reports on Canadian and US nonprofit organizations. Register for a free account. 

A key book that can assist in your work is: The management of nonprofit and charitable organizations in Canada

Doing legal research about your chosen company and fiasco is an important element of this assignment. These resources are your best bets to find legal cases, court documents/decisions, or other legal information regarding your company and fiasco. 

Best Bet: 

• Lexis Advance Quicklaw
  • Canadian court decisions and legal commentary. Search for a company name in the top search box, and click 'Search: Everything'. Under Content Type, select 'Cases'.
  • You can also browse down to the Explore Content section on its main page and select Court Decisions. Then search with a company name.

Other resources: 

• Nexis Uni
  • Find company legal cases; coverage limited to recent years.
  • In the 'Guided Search' section select 'Cases'. Select Federal Cases or State Cases. Enter company name or keywords, then click 'Search'.
• Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLii)
  • Provides access to court judgments, tribunal decisions, statutes and regulations from all Canadian jurisdictions.
• US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
  • Coverage includes US company cases and legal news. Click on "Rules, Enforcement & Compliance", then click "Litigation Releases". Search with keywords or company name in the middle search box > then click "Submit".

You can also find more information and resources on the Legal Information guide. 

Ensuring you provide proper citations for all your research, including any use of Generative AI, is a required component of your fiasco assignment. Use the links below to help with citation. 

• Laurier Library Citation Guide
  • The Laurier Library provides guidance on citing in different styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) and by subject including government publications and data and statistics.
• Citing Generative AI
  • If using AI, always verify the information and sources generated. AI tools generate false or inaccurate information (hallucinate) and make up or cite non-existent sources. Use these tools to help cite AI properly.
• York University Business Citation Guide
  • Developed by business librarians at Bronfman Business Library at York University, this guide provides great examples of citing business resources including industry reports, company reports, analyst reports from databases.