Re: [CANSLIM] Andersen - what happens to new recruits

From: "Tom Worley" <stkguru@bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: [CANSLIM] Andersen - what happens to new recruits
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 15:08:20 -0400
Next Article (by Subject): [CANSLIM] Had to share this "Duke Miller"
Previous Article (by Subject): Re: [CANSLIM] Andersen - what happens to new recruits Spencer48@aol.com
Top of Thread: [CANSLIM] Andersen - what happens to new recruits Dave Cameron
Articles sorted by: [Date] [Author] [Subject]
jans,

I didn't get the impression that Dave was trying to excuse or allow
unethical or illegal conduct by Andersen employees. Rather, I took his post
to provide more background on how these "fresh from the classroom training
environment" people could be convinced to do things differently, and against
what they had been taught. I clearly remember studying celestial navigation
at sea, and having to produce a position accurate to within 2 nautical
miles. When I asked why such accuracy in deep open waters, I was told simply
that they (the instructors) realized that in the real world I would get
sloppy, so if they started me at 2 miles, even with slop I still could put
the ship within 5 miles of where it really was, and that would still be
acceptable.

The guidance given by Andersen auditors to major corps, or the false or
misleading bookkeeping that they signed off on, goes to corporate practice
and policy of Andersen, starting right at the partners level. Probably for
some distance down in the organization, people clearly knew (or at least
were questioning if) they were doing wrong. But further down in the
organization, people may have been confused, but accepted that it was ok
because it was directed by people they trusted, and who had been auditing
many more years than they had.

Accountability must start at the very top, they can't be allowed to escape
the damage done, not just with the Worldcoms and Enrons and Sunbeams and
Waste Managements and Global Crossings, but to the entire financial
institution and its accounting system. The pattern is clear, and has been
clear for some years. It would be false, tragic even, if the partners escape
by claiming lack of knowledge of what was going on, it is obvious to me that
what was happening was normal corporate policy, directed right from the top
of the organization.

- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Spencer48@aol.com>
To: <canslim@lists.xmission.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2002 2:38 PM
Subject: Re: [CANSLIM] Andersen - what happens to new recruits


David:

     Although this is not Canslim, since your remark was posted on the
CANSLIM forum, I feel I should post my answer here:

     Those poor little boys and girls.  My heart bleeds for them.  It is not
their fault that they do something unscrupulous (no more than it was the
fault of those who taught them the "Anderson" way-after all the tutors were
themselves taught to be unethical by their own unscrupulous Anderson
teachers-and no doubt they were as impressionably callow as the 1987-year
people.  Of course, this could go on ad infinitum).

     So long as you allow people to be unethical and unlawful by excusing
their unethical and illegal behavior, you are going to get more of
it-especially if the crime costs less than the probability that the crime
will be punished through condemnation and jail time.

     After all, a baby isn't born good; he/she has to be taught to do the
right thing.  However, apparently, all this learning falls by the wayside
once Anderson-like training centers get their diabolical hands on the
"kids".
 Those poor impressionable youngsters-as a result of the training they've
received from the demon Anderson guys-cannot remember the difference between
right and wrong.  What Balderdash.

     These are NOT children.  If one continues to treat adults like children
by making excuses for their unethical behavior, then this population will
become nothing but a nation of whining miscreants.  Just, by the way, what
we
need now to fight terrorists and terrorism.

jans

In a message dated 6/29/2002 10:53:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
dfcameron@yahoo.com writes:

<< In 1987, I started my professional career in Chicago.   I was 24
 years old, new to Chicago.   I wanted to learn my way around, make
 some new friends, etc.... much like young people new to an area will.
   My company was located close to Arthur Andersen's training center
 (which is really about 40 miles west of Chicago - but in the Chicago
 metro area).   I had the chance to meet several Andersen recruits.
 These were young men and women who were (usually) fresh out of
 school, eager to make their mark, and new to the ways of business.
 Their story (told independently by several people over the next
 several months) told of a boot camp like environment, with 70+ hour
 weeks, continual indoctrination in "the Andersen way" and even
 lodging together during stretches.

 The company I worked for had no such thing.   Only years later did I
 realize that Andersen's approach was to get these people out of
 college before they knew what other companies did, work them very
 hard, and get them well indoctrinated.   Many left once they got some
 experience, but many stayed on - only knowing what Andersen taught as
 THE way business should be run.

 In retrospect, I suspect that some of the shady dealings by senior
 members of Andersen were just drummed in to young impressionable
 people as "that's the way things are done in business".

 Again, take this for what its worth.   I didn't go through it.  I
 have a friend who I still keep in touch with who worked for Arthur
 Andersen Co. in Chicago.   This was also 15 years ago.   But... maybe
 it sheds some light on how things got they way they are.
  >>

- -
- -To subscribe/unsubscribe, email "majordomo@xmission.com"
- -In the email body, write "subscribe canslim" or
- -"unsubscribe canslim".  Do not use quotes in your email.



- -
- -To subscribe/unsubscribe, email "majordomo@xmission.com"
- -In the email body, write "subscribe canslim" or
- -"unsubscribe canslim".  Do not use quotes in your email.
Go to Jeff Salisbury LWGate Home Page.