Two professors from Western Carolina University, Thomas D?Angelo and Marco Lam, Ph.D., have won the 2021 Carl Menconi Ethics Case Writing Competition.
The competition?jointly sponsored by the IMA? (Institute of Management Accountants) Committee on Ethics and IMA Professor-in-Residence Raef Lawson, Ph.D., CMA, CSCA, CPA, CAE?works to develop and distribute teaching cases focused on business ethics. Submissions must focus on business ethics, with specific application to management accounting and finance issues, and reference the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice. The competition is open to academics as well as practitioners, and joint submissions are encouraged.?
D?Angelo and Lam?s winning entry was titled ?Disclosure Strategy: A Case of Ethics in Financial Reporting.? It describes the fictitious dilemma of Nick Alexander, a CFO and one of the first employees hired in the early stages of Logistics Exchange Market (LEXM) Corporation, which has experienced explosive growth since its IPO five years ago. Nick feels a deep responsibility for LEXM?s continued success and, in particular, its reputation as a trustworthy and transparent discloser of financial information. With the 180-day lockup period (during which employees and other company insiders are prohibited from selling stock) about to expire, Nick is under more pressure than ever to report strong results for the three-month period that just ended. The case explores how Nick navigates pressure from the company?s CEO to follow a ?selective disclosure policy? as he prepares the quarterly financial statements.
The team?s case study will be featured in the July 2021 issue of IMA?s flagship publication, Strategic Finance. D?Angelo and Lam also will receive a $500 cash prize and be recognized by IMA.
Next year?s Carl Menconi Ethics Case Writing Competition will open in the fall. Stay tuned for additional information or see full submission details here.?
For questions or additional information about the competition, please contact research@imanet.org.?