Final answer:
The Goldman Sachs-Galleon Group insider trading scandal involved the misuse of non-public information for trading, highlighting the consequences of failed corporate governance and the need for mechanisms to address information asymmetry.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Goldman Sachs-Galleon Group insider trading scandal is a clear example of exploitation of information asymmetry. In this scandal, the egregious act was that certain individuals had access to non-public information about upcoming earnings reports and mergers, which they used to trade stocks for significant profits. This represents a violation of trust and fairness in the market, where corporate governance failed to prevent executives and key employees from misusing inside information.
Corporate governance is supposed to protect against these types of unethical behaviors by creating checks and balances. When this governance is ineffective, information asymmetry can result in significant market manipulations, harming the integrity of financial markets and the interests of uninformed investors. Mechanisms to bridge the information gap are essential so that all market participants can have confidence in market transactions, without the fear of being misled.