Enron, board governance and moral failings

The failure of the Enron Corporation has brought attention to the roles played by the chief executive officer and other executives of the modern corporation. Its failure has also produced discussion of further regulations that will, it is hoped, prevent another collapse similar to that of Enron. This article argues that the central reason for Enron’s crash was not a lack of regulations or the deceptions of executives but rather a failure of the board of directors of Enron to function in a morally and ethically responsible manner.