{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7091708994","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","title":"WorldCom and the collapse of ethics: A case study in accounting fraud and corporate governance failure","display_name":"WorldCom and the collapse of ethics: A case study in accounting fraud and corporate governance failure","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-05-31","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7091708994","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17355980","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210223820","display_name":"World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews","issn_l":"2581-9615","issn":["2581-9615"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4383735917","host_organization_name":"GSC Online Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4383735917"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["GSC Online Press"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"JournalArticle"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"hybrid","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"A, Aror Tina","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I142823887","display_name":"St. John's University","ror":"https://ror.org/00bgtad15","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I142823887"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"A, Aror Tina","raw_affiliation_strings":["Peter Tobin School of Business, St. John's University, New York"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Peter Tobin School of Business, St. John's University, New York","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I142823887"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5115992620","display_name":"Munashe Naphtali Mupa","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I180507712","display_name":"Hult International Business School","ror":"https://ror.org/01wttbg53","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I180507712"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210106913","display_name":"Hult International Business School","ror":"https://ror.org/01my2ss20","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210106913"]}],"countries":["GB","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Naphtali, Mupa Munashe","raw_affiliation_strings":["Hult International Business School"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Hult International Business School","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I180507712","https://openalex.org/I4210106913"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.45745255,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":true,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13957","display_name":"Corporate Governance and Financial Management","score":0.7148000001907349,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13957","display_name":"Corporate Governance and Financial Management","score":0.7148000001907349,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10081","display_name":"Auditing, Earnings Management, Governance","score":0.22990000247955322,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1402","display_name":"Accounting"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13509","display_name":"Accounting and Financial Management","score":0.021199999377131462,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1402","display_name":"Accounting"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/accounting-fraud","display_name":"accounting fraud","score":0.9700000286102295},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/corporate-governance-failure","display_name":"corporate governance failure","score":0.9419999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/earnings-manipulation","display_name":"earnings manipulation","score":0.9430000185966492},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/bad-debt-provision","display_name":"bad debt provision","score":0.9480000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/arthur-andersen","display_name":"Arthur Andersen","score":0.8949999809265137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/auditor-failure","display_name":"auditor failure","score":0.6119999885559082},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/sarbanes-oxley-act","display_name":"Sarbanes-Oxley Act","score":0.9829999804496765},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/internal-control","display_name":"internal control","score":0.847000002861023},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/business-ethics","display_name":"business ethics","score":0.7120000123977661}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39389867","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380767","display_name":"Corporate governance","level":2,"score":0.7253000140190125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C121955636","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4116214","display_name":"Accounting","level":1,"score":0.6823999881744385},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144133560","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4830453","display_name":"Business","level":0,"score":0.5849999785423279},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C83009810","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11204","display_name":"Legislature","level":2,"score":0.46880000829696655},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2985140798","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28813","display_name":"Financial fraud","level":2,"score":0.4609000086784363},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781009383","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15995636","display_name":"Earnings management","level":3,"score":0.45159998536109924},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777639076","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4215744","display_name":"Accounting scandals","level":3,"score":0.4381999969482422},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C151392489","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5419946","display_name":"Executive compensation","level":3,"score":0.39070001244544983},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120527767","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3196867","display_name":"Debt","level":2,"score":0.3898000121116638},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C143910263","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q750458","display_name":"Capital market","level":2,"score":0.38109999895095825},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C10138342","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43015","display_name":"Finance","level":1,"score":0.37209999561309814},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779103253","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q878070","display_name":"Duty","level":2,"score":0.36640000343322754},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199728807","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2578557","display_name":"Equity (law)","level":2,"score":0.3555999994277954},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.3528999984264374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780257311","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2563977","display_name":"Senior management","level":2,"score":0.34610000252723694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778300220","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114380","display_name":"Financial crisis","level":2,"score":0.3158999979496002},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C163867264","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4672792","display_name":"Accounting information system","level":2,"score":0.3156999945640564},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781426361","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5326940","display_name":"Earnings","level":2,"score":0.31189998984336853},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C25253098","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2609670","display_name":"Corporate law","level":3,"score":0.3107999861240387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778813691","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1369832","display_name":"Purchasing","level":2,"score":0.30889999866485596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C172497479","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q302208","display_name":"Capital expenditure","level":2,"score":0.3070000112056732},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80515813","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134763","display_name":"Corporate finance","level":2,"score":0.3027999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779538965","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1020013","display_name":"Share price","level":3,"score":0.3009999990463257},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776007630","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2798912","display_name":"Accountability","level":2,"score":0.2992999851703644},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C92956704","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5164493","display_name":"Constructive fraud","level":2,"score":0.29670000076293945},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C4577558","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q384475","display_name":"Accrual","level":3,"score":0.2921999990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138170105","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1337949","display_name":"Issuer","level":2,"score":0.28790000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778873167","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59434791","display_name":"Payroll","level":2,"score":0.28790000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780299701","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q475000","display_name":"Stock market","level":3,"score":0.2874000072479248},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C35138590","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1081659","display_name":"Common stock","level":3,"score":0.28700000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777764128","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189539","display_name":"Loan","level":2,"score":0.2799000144004822},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206217203","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134378","display_name":"Earnings per share","level":3,"score":0.27810001373291016},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18296254","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1395219","display_name":"Skepticism","level":2,"score":0.27549999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C83646750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q193893","display_name":"Capital (architecture)","level":2,"score":0.2750000059604645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778348171","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q167037","display_name":"Corporation","level":2,"score":0.2685000002384186},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C186027771","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4008379","display_name":"Valuation (finance)","level":2,"score":0.26649999618530273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204036174","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q909380","display_name":"Stock (firearms)","level":2,"score":0.2574999928474426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74734477","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1479274","display_name":"Cost of capital","level":3,"score":0.2565999925136566},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C163428354","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1047513","display_name":"Cash flow","level":2,"score":0.2547999918460846},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C147007100","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3344190","display_name":"External auditor","level":4,"score":0.25369998812675476}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17355980","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210223820","display_name":"World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews","issn_l":"2581-9615","issn":["2581-9615"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4383735917","host_organization_name":"GSC Online Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4383735917"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["GSC Online Press"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"JournalArticle"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17355981","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355981","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355981","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210223820","display_name":"World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews","issn_l":"2581-9615","issn":["2581-9615"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4383735917","host_organization_name":"GSC Online Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4383735917"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["GSC Online Press"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"JournalArticle"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17355980","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17355980","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210223820","display_name":"World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews","issn_l":"2581-9615","issn":["2581-9615"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4383735917","host_organization_name":"GSC Online Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4383735917"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["GSC Online Press"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"JournalArticle"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","display_name":"Peace, justice, and strong institutions","score":0.8999999761581421}],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","display_name":"Peace, justice, and strong institutions","score":0.8206400275230408}],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"WorldCom":[0,16,234,244,312],"fraud":[1,64,82,225,278,318],"case":[2,313],"is":[3,319],"a":[4,204,320,328],"good":[5],"example":[6],"of":[7,12,19,29,118,164,193,206,232,287,294],"corporate":[8,101,119,317],"malfeasance":[9],"and":[10,14,55,75,93,111,121,130,162,195,221,271,276,291,324],"delinquency":[11],"governance":[13],"controls.":[15],"was":[17,34,83,99,104,208],"one":[18],"the":[20,26,51,58,115,127,131,138,143,165,191,196,209,227,233,249,252,258,260,285,292,311],"world's":[21],"largest":[22],"telecommunication":[23],"companies":[24],"facing":[25],"biggest":[27],"scandal":[28,235],"earning":[30],"manipulation,":[31],"where":[32],"it":[33,158],"alleged":[35],"to":[36,126,146,167,180],"have":[37],"inflated":[38],"its":[39],"earnings":[40],"by":[41,114],"more":[42],"than":[43],"$11":[44],"billion.":[45],"The":[46,95,134,199,230,307],"top":[47],"management,":[48],"Bernie":[49],"Ebbers,":[50],"chief":[52,59],"executive":[53],"officer,":[54,61],"Scott":[56],"Sullivan,":[57],"financial":[60,87,148,171,280],"conducted":[62],"this":[63],"through":[65,86],"manipulations":[66],"such":[67,181],"as":[68,72,155,246,248],"identifying":[69],"operating":[70],"expenses":[71],"capital":[73],"expenditure":[74],"fiddling":[76],"with":[77,142,310],"bad":[78],"debt":[79],"provisions.":[80],"This":[81,189],"first":[84],"masked":[85],"scheming":[88],"that":[89,137,150,202,255,299,316,325],"deceived":[90],"investors,":[91],"regulators,":[92],"auditors.":[94,198],"scandal's":[96],"essence":[97],"here":[98],"lax":[100],"governance,":[102],"which":[103,183,242],"based":[105],"on":[106],"business":[107,323],"management":[108],"goals":[109,149],"oriented":[110],"driven":[112],"solely":[113],"excessive":[116],"growth":[117],"profits":[120],"stock":[122],"price":[123],"without":[124],"regard":[125],"legal":[128],"concerns":[129],"shareholders'":[132],"interest.":[133],"acquisition":[135],"policy":[136],"Company":[139,166],"adopted,":[140],"together":[141],"high":[144],"tendency":[145],"meet":[147],"could":[151,222],"easily":[152],"be":[153],"described":[154],"unsavory,":[156],"made":[157,243],"easy":[159],"for":[160,187,297],"executives":[161],"employees":[163],"indulge":[168],"in":[169,217,226,239,274,279,322,331],"unethical":[170],"practices":[172,290],"(Eliel":[173],"et":[174],"al.,":[175],"2025).":[176],"They":[177,263],"contributed":[178],"significantly":[179],"fraud,":[182],"took":[184],"place":[185],"unnoticed":[186],"years.":[188],"includes":[190],"Board":[192],"directors":[194],"external":[197],"other":[200],"party":[201],"became":[203],"subject":[205],"discussion":[207],"auditors,":[210],"namely":[211],"Arthur":[212],"Andersen,":[213],"who":[214],"lacked":[215],"skepticism":[216],"handling":[218],"their":[219],"duty":[220],"not":[223,265],"detect":[224],"accounting":[228],"department.":[229],"impact":[231],"also":[236,283],"manifested":[237],"itself":[238],"organizational":[240],"repercussions,":[241],"bankrupt,":[245],"well":[247],"changes":[250],"at":[251],"legislative":[253],"level":[254],"occurred":[256],"after":[257],"scandal,":[259],"Sarbanes-Oxley":[261],"Act.":[262],"should":[264],"forget":[266],"internal":[267],"controls,":[268],"ethical":[269],"approaches,":[270],"professional":[272],"standards":[273],"fighting":[275],"preventing":[277],"organizations.":[281],"It":[282],"raises":[284],"issue":[286],"outdated":[288],"audit":[289],"absence":[293],"adequate":[295],"measures":[296],"organizations":[298],"can":[300],"help":[301],"prevent":[302],"embezzlement":[303],"before":[304],"losses":[305],"accumulate.":[306],"features":[308],"associated":[309],"clearly":[314],"illustrate":[315],"reality":[321],"ethics":[326],"plays":[327],"critical":[329],"function":[330],"any":[332],"business.":[333]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-10-16T09:59:22.235173","created_date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00"}