Brianna Moore is an accountant for New World Pharmaceuticals. Her duties include tracking research and development spending in the new product development division. Over the course of the past six months, Brianna noticed that a great deal of funds have been spent on a particular project for a new drug. She hears through the grapevine that the company is about to patent the drug and expects it to be a major advance in antibiotics. Brianna believes that this new drug will greatly improve company performance and will cause the company's stock to increase in value. Brianna decided to purchase shares of New World in order to benefit from this expected increase.

What are Brianna's ethical responsibilities, if any; with respect to the information she has learned through her duties as an accountant for New World Pharmaceuticals? What are the implications to her planned purchase of New World shares?

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As an accountant for New World Pharmaceuticals, Brianna Moore has ethical responsibilities regarding the information she has learned through her duties. These responsibilities are guided by professional standards and ethical principles, which include maintaining confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and acting in the best interest of the organization.

In this case, Brianna has learned information about a new drug development project and its potential impact on the company's performance and stock value. It is important for Brianna to consider the following ethical responsibilities:

1. Confidentiality: Brianna should not disclose or share any confidential information she has learned regarding the new drug development project, especially with external parties. This duty of confidentiality protects the company's interests and ensures fair treatment for all investors.

2. Avoiding conflicts of interest: Brianna needs to evaluate her own potential conflict of interest. If she purchases shares based on the confidential information she gained through her job, it may give her unfair personal advantage and undermine the integrity of the market. This situation could be seen as a conflict between her personal financial interests and her professional duties.

3. Acting in the best interest of the organization: Brianna should consider how her actions might affect the overall reputation and integrity of New World Pharmaceuticals. Making a personal investment based on insider information could lead to legal and ethical consequences, as well as damage the company's credibility.

Implications to her planned purchase of New World shares:

If Brianna purchases shares of New World Pharmaceuticals based on the confidential information she obtained as part of her job, it would likely be considered insider trading. Insider trading is generally illegal and unethical as it allows an individual to profit from non-public information.

In many jurisdictions, including the United States, insider trading is regulated by securities laws and can result in civil and criminal penalties. Brianna could face fines, imprisonment, and potential loss of her job if she engages in insider trading.

It is essential for Brianna to consult with the company's legal and compliance departments or seek guidance from an ethical advisor to ensure she acts in accordance with legal requirements and ethical principles.

Brianna Moore, being an accountant for New World Pharmaceuticals, has certain ethical responsibilities regarding the information she has learned through her duties. As an accountant, she has a professional duty to maintain confidentiality and not disclose any non-public information about the company, especially information that could potentially impact the company's stock value.

In this scenario, Brianna is aware of information about the new drug and its potential impact on the company's performance, which could lead to an increase in the company's stock value. It is important for her to remember that trading based on non-public material information, also known as insider trading, is generally illegal and unethical.

Insider trading involves trading securities based on material non-public information, giving an unfair advantage to the individual trading on that information, and potentially harming other investors in the market. If Brianna were to proceed with her planned purchase of New World shares based on the non-public information she possesses, it could be seen as insider trading.

Therefore, it is advisable for Brianna to refrain from trading shares of New World Pharmaceuticals based on the information she learned through her duties. Instead, she should consult with legal or compliance departments within her company to understand the company's policies and rules regarding trading and any specific restrictions related to insider trading. It may be necessary for her to avoid trading for a certain period of time until the information becomes public and no longer considered material non-public information.

Furthermore, Brianna should consider reporting her concerns to the appropriate channels within the company. This can include raising the issue with her supervisor, ethics hotline, or compliance department, allowing the company to handle the situation appropriately. By doing so, Brianna fulfills her ethical responsibilities and ensures that she does not engage in any unlawful or unethical behavior.