By David Gebler on July 5, 2011
The Wall St. Journal reported today that Western companies including Cisco Systems Inc. have been contracted to build an ambitious new surveillance project in China —a citywide network of as many as 500,000 cameras that officials say will prevent crime but that human- rights advocates warn could target political dissent. Should companies be responsible for how […]
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By David Gebler on June 11, 2011
Today’s Wall Street Journal published an excerpt from the forthcoming book by former Chrysler and GM exec Bob Lutz. Lutz says that in the auto industry a knowledgeable autocrat is the successful model for a leader. In critiquing the bureaucracy for which GM has been famous for, Lutz says that the autocrat is the model for leadership […]
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By David Gebler on March 18, 2011
A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine offers insights into what distinguishes high-performing and low performing with regard to deaths of heart attack patients under their care. It’s not the training of the doctors or the investment in high-tech equipment. It’s the organizational culture that makes the greatest difference. As Dr. Pauline […]
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By David Gebler on March 14, 2011
It’s ironic that a word like “transparency” can have several confusing meanings, even in a business context. While transparency as a concept is often most visible in the realm of social responsibility and compliance, its real benefit is when it’s seen as a business priority. Transparency is about information. It is about the ability of […]
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By David Gebler on February 27, 2011
It’s ironic that Charlie Sheen played the character with the ethical conscience in the 1987 film “Wall Street.” Now he’s at the center of a titillating Hollywood scandal that has lessons to teach us about business ethics and the business of Hollywood. As has been widely reported in the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere, CBS […]
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By David Gebler on February 1, 2011
Today’s Wall Street Journal reported the story of the progress BP is making in re-characterizing its culture in the aftermath of the April 2010 Gulf Oil Spill. According to the Journal, new CEO Bob Dudley has created a new global safety division at BP, a company that also suffered a 15-fatality refinery explosion in Texas […]
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By David Gebler on January 26, 2011
Today’s NY Times reports the story of Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche, who was contractually entitled to $12 million in compensation for 2011, but instead forfeited the money by retiring. As reported by Tyler Kepner, Meche was contractually entitled to the money if he showed up to spring training next week, even if he […]
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By David Gebler on January 25, 2011
I’m not intentionally picking on Johnson and Johnson. But their current ethical challenges couldn’t be a better case study for the financial impact of not living one’s values. As reported this morning, Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest health products company, said fourth-quarter profit fell 12 percent, hurt by product recalls and declining sales. The […]
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By David Gebler on January 16, 2011
The window is closing for Johnson & Johnson to retain realistic hopes of regaining its trusted position with customers. Customers are moving away from the brand and are increasingly finding suitable substitutes. Today’s New York Times offers an update on what is happening with J&J. But what is most striking to me is how this […]
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By David Gebler on December 22, 2010
Today’s business press reports that a lawsuit filed last week on behalf of Johnson & Johnson shareholders accused the company’s directors of ignoring “red flags” foreshadowing product recalls and government probes of manufacturing defects and marketing practices. The lawsuit alleges that while J&J once set “the gold standard for integrity and excellence,” the directors’ “utter […]
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Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, provides organizational development, consultant training and Action Learning services, and is developer of the Free Management Library. [Read more ...]