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Worldcom Debacle: Betty Vinson's Argument

1068 Words5 Pages

During the WorldCom debacle, for every opportunity Betty Vinson was given to be courageous, the fear of rebelling against an authority figure as well as the fear of losing her job discredited her authenticity. My analysis concludes with applying selected self-reflection questions to Vinson’s case and my own journey on becoming authentic. Although Vinson told Yates that the transfer of $828 million violated accounting “ethics,” the fear of an autonomy figure caused her to be submissive. First, Yates offered Vinson reassurance that this type of situation would by no means happen again. Yates builds trust with Vinson by sympathizing with her to the extent that he tells her he also feels doubtful about the adjustment. In this scenario, Yates and …show more content…

Yates held a high position in WorldCom, whereas Vinson was simply the accountant. As the company controller and Vinson’s boss, Yates had the authority to fire Vinson, re-consider her promotion, and begin to dislike her if Vinson decided not to comply with the task. Additionally, Vinson does not question Sullivan’s authority. Since Sullivan was regarded as one of the top Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), Vinson rationalizes her decision by assuring herself that if Sullivan thought making misleading journal entries was okay, it must be the right way. Besides, Sullivan had the most expertise and knew the best financial plan for the company. Vinson was just an employee, not one of grand authority. Lastly, Vinson was persistently noted as a loyal employee who would “do anything you told her,” so she felt obligated to complete every task she was given. Vinson had built a reputation for being accountable, loyal, and reliable for her actions. For Vinson to disconnect from those honorable qualities might have tarnished her reputation in the company by not being respected by her superiors and co-workers as well as being perceived as an employee negligent in her

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