For each of the three cases presented, indicate whether there were actions contrary to the code of ethics and which standards (Competence, Confidentiality, Integrity and Credibility) were violated.

Case A Leston Corporation has experienced serious financial difficulties in recent years. John Young, the company's chief financial officer, has just learned that a major competitor was likely to file for bankruptcy; However, I have failed to disclose this information at a board meeting held later that day when a plant closure decision was being discussed. The board evaluated several proposals during the session that focused on improving Leston's financial position.

Case B QBX Company manufactures fertilizer from various raw materials, including a raw material known as Felstar. Paul Kelly, the firm's purchasing manager, purposely acquired a lower grade of Felstar than normal because of a very attractive price. The lower-grade product resulted in increased usage during the manufacturing process but had no effect on the fertilizer's overall quality. An end-of-period report showed that QBX profited from Kelly's actions, with the overall savings in purchase price more than offsetting the cost of added consumption.

Case C Central Distributing has a participative budgeting process, allowing employees to have a say in projected sales targets for the upcoming period. These targets are reflected in a series of performance reports that compare actual sales achieved against targeted amounts. Hillary Baxter submitted very low sales targets because, as she confided in a colleague, "I always want to look good in terms of meeting targets, even if anticipated sales and closures don't materialize."