Meet the Street: More Enrons Could Be Lurking

While Enron's(ENRNQ Quote) accounting methods were shady, its goals were the same as those of many other respected companies: amping up quarterly profits and bolstering its stock price, says a George Washington University professor.

Lawrence Mitchell, Law Professor, George Washington University

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In that sense, the worst-case scenario at Enron highlights a worrisome trend among U.S. corporations, says Lawrence Mitchell, a law professor and author of Corporate Irresponsibility: America's Newest Export. The problem, says Mitchell, is that executives are so obsessed about keeping stock prices up, they may end up taking shortcuts that sabotage a company's long-term health.

Mitchell explains how the corporate fixation with quarterly numbers came to be -- and what could be done to improve things. ...