WorldCom Case Study Update 20061 by Edward J. Romar, University of Massachusetts-Boston, and Martin Calkins, University of Massachusetts-Boston In December 2005, two years after this case was written, the telecommunications industry consolidated further. Verizon Communications acquired MCI/WorldCom and SBC Communications acquired AT&T Corporation, which had been in business since the 19th Century. The acquisition of MCI/WorldCom was the direct result of the behavior of WorldCom's senior managers
Words: 1991 - Pages: 8
Abstract Ebbers began his business career running a chain of motels in Mississippi then transformed a small discount phone business he started into the telecommunications giant WorldCom. After he resigned he was convicted of one of the largest accounting scandals in the United States that had happened while he was the CEO. As a defense Ebbers tried to say that he was unknowing and don't know about technology or finance and accounting. The jury did not buy into his theory and convicted him.
Words: 1406 - Pages: 6
* From year 1999 to 2002, the company under Ebbers (CEO) and Sullivan (CFO)) used fraudulent accounting methods to cover its declining earnings by painting a false picture of financial growth and profitability to prop up the price of WorldCom’s stock. * The fraud was accomplished primarily in two ways: * Underreporting which is interconnection expenses with other telecommunication companies by capitalising these costs on the balance sheet rather than properly expensing them. * Inflating
Words: 442 - Pages: 2
Use the Fraud Triangle and Fraud Scale to critically analyse the actions of Bernie Ebbers and Scott Sullivan during the WorldCom saga/ What does your analysis suggest? Dennis Greer’s fraud triangle is a key framework in analysing the ‘factors that cause someone to commit occupational fraud’ (ACFE-The Fraud Triangle, Association of Certified Fraud, Examiners Available from:http://www.acfe.com/fraud-triangle.aspx [January 2014]). The three elements that make up the model are perceived
Words: 3980 - Pages: 16
track record of financial performance and to meet Wall Street’s expectations. This leads to one of the largest accounting fraud in US history between 1999 and 2002. The driving factor for his fraud was the business strategy of WorldCom's CEO, Bernie Ebbers. Ebbers was clearly focused on achieving impressive growth through acquisitions. However, once WorldCom acquired the new companies, it was not easy to properly integrate the systems and policies together. Due to the fast paced acquisitions and management
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
our discussion of the WorldCom scenario on the material found in the 2003 case study as presented by Dennis Moberg and Edward Romar. To help us examine the elements of this case, we will look at the actions of four key figures within it, Bernie Ebbers (the WorldCom CEO), Scott Sullivan (the WorldCom CFO), Jack Grubman
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
Assignment I: Tainted Baby Powder Milk 1. Yes, I believe there has been some damage to Baidu.com’s reputation because there was a significant stock price drop from $308 to $110. Stock price drops usually are the result of a lack of confidence by the stakeholders in the future performance of the company. Lack of confidence can often be attributed to actions by a company that are revealed to the stakeholders. 2. Future reputational damage could be reflected by a lack of confidence of the stakeholders
Words: 1339 - Pages: 6
AVOIDING INVESTMENTS IN FRAUDULENT COMPANIES: THE WORLDCOM FRAUD Introduction The purpose of this report is to investigate and discuss the accounting fraud that occurred at WorldCom in order to recommend improved strategies to Berkshire Hathaway’s management for avoiding investments in companies with fraudulent financials. Accounting fraud is a crime committed by high level employees at an organization to manipulate the organization’s financial statements and intentionally disguise company
Words: 3453 - Pages: 14
Who is WorldCom? The company began as Long Distance Discount Services, Inc. (LDDS) in 1983, based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In 1985, LDDS selected Bernard Ebbers to be its CEO. The company went public in 1989 through a merger with Advantage Companies Inc. The company name was changed to LDDS WorldCom in 1995, and later just WorldCom. The company’s growth under WorldCom was fueled primarily through acquisitions during the 1990s and reached its apex with the acquisition of MCI in 1998. Among
Words: 1790 - Pages: 8
Table of Contents 1.0 Abstract 2 2.0 Introduction 2 3.0 Questions and Answer 3 4.0 SWOT Analysis 12 5.0 Recommendation 13 6.0 References 14 1.0 Abstract In December 2005, two years after this case was written, the telecommunications industry consolidated further. Verizon Communications acquired MCI/WorldCom and SBC Communications acquired AT&T Corporation, which had been in business since the 19th Century. The acquisition of MCI/WorldCom was the direct result of the
Words: 4613 - Pages: 19
