Corporate governance failures and the road to crime
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide enhanced insights on corporate governance failures which contributed to various financial crimes in major banking institutions and whether those involved have been held sufficiently accountable in the USA and the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
This interdisciplinary doctrinal research relies on primary and secondary data and is complemented by the case study approach.
Findings
Case insights demonstrate that a few major banks and isolated numbers of bankers at the lower echelons were held accountable in the USA but to a lesser degree in the UK. This contrasts sharply with the earlier Enron-type corporate financial reporting scandals or the much earlier Savings and Loans Crisis; but recent criminal charge practices against mega banks suggest a policy shift.
Research limitations/implications
The paper findings suggest the need for further research in this under-researched area, while the banking communities in the USA and the UK may be prompted to review their corporate governance practices.
Originality/value
This interdisciplinary research uses corporate law and criminological research to provide enhanced insights on financial crimes perpetuated in major banks in the USA and the UK.
Keywords
Citation
Yeoh, P. (2015), "Corporate governance failures and the road to crime", Journal of Financial Crime, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 216-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-10-2014-0044
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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