Audit - Solutions for Chapter 2
* Solutions for Chapter 2 *
Corporate Governance
Review Questions:
2-1. Corporate governance is defined as:
“a process by which the owners and creditors of an organization exert control and require accountability for the resources entrusted to the organization. The owners (stockholders) elect a board of directors to provide oversight of the organization’s activities and accountability back to its stakeholders.”
The key players in corporate governance are the stockholders (owners), board of directors, audit committees, management, regulatory bodies, and both internal and external auditors.
2-2. In the past decade, all parties failed to a certain extent. For detailed analysis, see exhibit 2.2 in the chapter and repeated here:
Corporate Governance Responsibilities and Failures
Party | Overview of Responsibilities | Overview of Corporate Governance Failures | Stockholders | Broad Role: Provide effective oversight through election of Board process, approve major initiatives, buy or sell stock. | Focused on short-term prices; failed to perform long-term growth analysis; abdicated all responsibilities to management as long as stock price increased. | Board of Directors | Broad Role: the major representative of stockholders to ensure that the organization is run according to the organization charter and there is proper accountability. Specific activities include: * Selecting management. * Reviewing management performance and determining compensation. * Declaring dividends * Approving major changes, e.g. mergers * Approving corporate strategy * Overseeing accountability activities. | * Inadequate oversight of management. * Approval of management compensation plans, particularly stock options that provided perverse incentives, including incentives to manage earnings. * Non-independent, often dominated by management. * Did not spend sufficient time or have sufficient expertise to perform duties. *
Corporate Governance
Review Questions:
2-1. Corporate governance is defined as:
“a process by which the owners and creditors of an organization exert control and require accountability for the resources entrusted to the organization. The owners (stockholders) elect a board of directors to provide oversight of the organization’s activities and accountability back to its stakeholders.”
The key players in corporate governance are the stockholders (owners), board of directors, audit committees, management, regulatory bodies, and both internal and external auditors.
2-2. In the past decade, all parties failed to a certain extent. For detailed analysis, see exhibit 2.2 in the chapter and repeated here:
Corporate Governance Responsibilities and Failures
Party | Overview of Responsibilities | Overview of Corporate Governance Failures | Stockholders | Broad Role: Provide effective oversight through election of Board process, approve major initiatives, buy or sell stock. | Focused on short-term prices; failed to perform long-term growth analysis; abdicated all responsibilities to management as long as stock price increased. | Board of Directors | Broad Role: the major representative of stockholders to ensure that the organization is run according to the organization charter and there is proper accountability. Specific activities include: * Selecting management. * Reviewing management performance and determining compensation. * Declaring dividends * Approving major changes, e.g. mergers * Approving corporate strategy * Overseeing accountability activities. | * Inadequate oversight of management. * Approval of management compensation plans, particularly stock options that provided perverse incentives, including incentives to manage earnings. * Non-independent, often dominated by management. * Did not spend sufficient time or have sufficient expertise to perform duties. *