IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finana/v80y2022ics1057521922000278.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The London Whale Scandal under new Scrutiny

Author

Listed:
  • Pilkington, Marc

Abstract

This paper aims to extend the purview of the retro-causality concept, by exploring a complex and under-researched financial accounting scandal, namely the London Whale, a group of traders that operated on account of the London subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co in 2012. We specify the conceptual articulation underlying the discourse on the scandal, between the intentions, the actions and the temporality in which the events have taken place. We then elaborate upon philosophers Elizabeth Anscombe and Donald Davidson. We show the limitations of rationalization as a causal deterministic explanation of actions in light of a methodical review of the JPMorgan Chase Task Force Report in 2013. We put forward the idea that the scandal features flows of awareness, reminiscent of Bergson's duration. The articulation between intentions, actions and causes is performed, by mobilizing quantum macroeconomic theory developed by the economist Bernard Schmitt. We show the relevance of retro-causality for central debates in contemporary accounting (e.g. fair value accounting and the efficient market hypothesis). Our empirical study abundantly draws on Ludwig Wittgenstein's language games, and retro-causality insights borrowed from quantum physics. Our results confirm our theoretical intuitions: there is a common thread and guiding reflection throughout the accounting scandal, namely the idea that the future might influence the past, under certain assumptions. Finally, some groundbreaking consequences are derived for the accounting profession regarding the global crisis in 2008.

Suggested Citation

  • Pilkington, Marc, 2022. "The London Whale Scandal under new Scrutiny," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:80:y:2022:i:c:s1057521922000278
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2022.102050
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057521922000278
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.irfa.2022.102050?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Armin Falk & James J. Heckman, 2009. "Lab Experiments are a Major Source of Knowledge in the Social Sciences," Working Papers 200935, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    2. Laurent L Jacque, 2015. "Global Derivative Debacles:From Theory to Malpractice," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number 9520, January.
    3. Tiago Cardao-Pito & João Silva Ferreira, 2018. "Demystifying fair value accounting: rejoinder to Baker and Markarian," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 199-202, September.
    4. Bayou, Mohamed E. & Reinstein, Alan & Williams, Paul F., 2011. "To tell the truth: A discussion of issues concerning truth and ethics in accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 109-124, February.
    5. Tiago Cardao-Pito & João Silva Ferreira, 2018. "‘Fair Value’ accounting as the normative Fisherian phase of accounting," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 149-179, September.
    6. Packham, N. & Woebbeking, C.F., 2019. "A factor-model approach for correlation scenarios and correlation stress testing," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 92-103.
    7. Metrick, Andrew, 2019. "JPMorgan Chase London Whale E: Supervisory Oversight," Journal of Financial Crises, Yale Program on Financial Stability (YPFS), vol. 1(2), pages 103-115, March.
    8. Tony Lawson, 2012. "Ontology and the study of social reality: emergence, organisation, community, power, social relations, corporations, artefacts and money," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 36(2), pages 345-385.
    9. Fama, Eugene F, 1970. "Efficient Capital Markets: A Review of Theory and Empirical Work," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 25(2), pages 383-417, May.
    10. Arnold, Patricia J., 2009. "Global financial crisis: The challenge to accounting research," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(6-7), pages 803-809, August.
    11. Anthony Hopwood, 1989. "Accounting and the Pursuit of Social Interests," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Wai Fong Chua & Tony Lowe & Tony Puxty (ed.), Critical Perspectives in Management Control, chapter 8, pages 141-157, Palgrave Macmillan.
    12. Ahrens, Thomas & Chapman, Christopher S., 2006. "Doing qualitative field research in management accounting: Positioning data to contribute to theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 819-841, November.
    13. Joel S. Demski, 1985. "Accounting research: 1985," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(1), pages 69-75, September.
    14. Joerg-Markus Hitz, 2007. "The Decision Usefulness of Fair Value Accounting - A Theoretical Perspective," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 323-362.
    15. Natalie Packham & Fabian Woebbeking, 2018. "A factor-model approach for correlation scenarios and correlation stress-testing," Papers 1807.11381, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2019.
    16. Alan Sangster, 2010. "Using accounting history and Luca Pacioli to put relevance back into the teaching of double entry," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 23-39.
    17. Metrick, Andrew, 2019. "JPMorgan Chase London Whale H: Cross-Border Regulation," Journal of Financial Crises, Yale Program on Financial Stability (YPFS), vol. 1(2), pages 146-156, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pucci, Richard & Skærbæk, Peter, 2020. "The co-performation of financial economics in accounting standard-setting: A study of the translation of the expected credit loss model in IFRS 9," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Filusch Tobias & Mölls Sascha H., 2017. "„(Lifetime) Expected Credit Losses“ im Rahmen der IFRS-Rechnungslegung: Ein anwendungsorientierter Problemaufriss für Banken und Versicherungen im genossenschaftlichen Umfeld," Zeitschrift für das gesamte Genossenschaftswesen, De Gruyter, vol. 67(4), pages 245-262, December.
    3. Aigner, Philipp & Schlütter, Sebastian, 2023. "Enhancing gradient capital allocation with orthogonal convexity scenarios," ICIR Working Paper Series 47/23, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).
    4. N. Packham & F. Woebbeking, 2021. "Correlation scenarios and correlation stress testing," Papers 2107.06839, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2022.
    5. Packham, Natalie & Woebbeking, Fabian, 2021. "Correlation scenarios and correlation stress testing," IRTG 1792 Discussion Papers 2021-012, Humboldt University of Berlin, International Research Training Group 1792 "High Dimensional Nonstationary Time Series".
    6. Roberts, Robin W. & Wallace, Dana M., 2015. "Sustaining diversity in social and environmental accounting research," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 78-87.
    7. Braun Eduard, 2019. "The Ecological Rationality of Historical Costs and Conservatism," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-30, March.
    8. Gendron, Yves & Smith-Lacroix, Jean-Hubert, 2015. "The global financial crisis: Essay on the possibility of substantive change in the discipline of finance," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 83-101.
    9. Bryan Lim & Stefan Zohren & Stephen Roberts, 2020. "Detecting Changes in Asset Co-Movement Using the Autoencoder Reconstruction Ratio," Papers 2002.02008, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2020.
    10. Robert Bloomfield & Mark W. Nelson & Eugene Soltes, 2016. "Gathering Data for Archival, Field, Survey, and Experimental Accounting Research," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 341-395, May.
    11. Abraham, Santhosh & Bamber, Matthew, 2017. "The Q&A: Under surveillance," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 15-31.
    12. Chibane, Messaoud & Gabriel, Amadeus & Giménez Roche, Gabriel A., 2022. "Credit booms and crisis-emergent asset comovement: The problem of latent correlation," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 270-279.
    13. Gerrit Brosel & Martin Toll & Mario Zimmermann, 2012. "Lessons learned from the financial crisis - unveiling alternative approaches within valuation and accounting theory," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2012(4), pages 87-107.
    14. Fabian Woebbeking, 2021. "Cryptocurrency volatility markets," Digital Finance, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 273-298, December.
    15. Packham, N. & Woebbeking, F., 2023. "Correlation scenarios and correlation stress testing," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 55-67.
    16. Ehalaiye, Dimu & Tippett, Mark & van Zijl, Tony, 2017. "The predictive value of bank fair values," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 111-127.
    17. Kym Fraser & Benedict Sheehy, 2020. "Abundant Publications but Minuscule Impact: The Irrelevance of Academic Accounting Research on Practice and the Profession," Publications, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-36, October.
    18. Y. Biondi & P. Giannoccolo & A. Reberioux, 2010. "Financial disclosure and the Board: A case for non-independent directors," Working Papers 689, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    19. Pascal Traccucci & Luc Dumontier & Guillaume Garchery & Benjamin Jacot, 2019. "A Triptych Approach for Reverse Stress Testing of Complex Portfolios," Papers 1906.11186, arXiv.org.
    20. Barker, Richard & Hendry, John & Roberts, John & Sanderson, Paul, 2012. "Can company-fund manager meetings convey informational benefits? Exploring the rationalisation of equity investment decision making by UK fund managers," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 207-222.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:80:y:2022:i:c:s1057521922000278. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620166 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.