In a word, all that was wrong with American capitalism at the start of the 21st century. Until late 2001, Enron, an energy company turned financial powerhouse based in Houston, Texas, had been one of the most admired firms in the United States and the world. It was praised for everything from pioneering energy trading via the internet to its innovative corporate culture and its system of employment evaluation by peer review, which resulted in those that were not rated by their peers being fired. However, revelations of accounting fraud by the firm led to its bankruptcy, prompting what was widely described as a crisis of confidence in American capitalism. This, as well as further scandals involving accounting fraud (WorldCom) and other dubious practices (many by Wall Street firms), resulted in efforts to reform corporate governance, the legal liability of company bosses, accounting, Wall Street research and regulation.
- Part of Speech: noun
- Industry/Domain: Economy
- Category: Economics
- Company: The Economist
Creator
- summer.l
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