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Corporate Governance
« Previous EntriesMaybe Wall Street needs actuaries
Thursday, May 17th, 2012As the story at JPMorgan Chase continues to unfold, I’m increasingly struck by how badly the bank’s sophisticated investment gurus seem to have underestimated the risks associated with their losing trades. $2 billion is a sizeable chunk of change even in the investment world, and one has to go out of one’s way to [...]
Shouldn’t Wal-Mart’s behavior affect its stock price?
Monday, May 7th, 2012For those of us who think and write about business ethics, Wal-Mart can be an absolute godsend. Most companies behave pretty well most of the time, leaving commentators with precious little to say. Wal-Mart, on the other hand, can be counted upon to provide plenty of material for those of us who like [...]
Happy Valentine’s Day, McDonald’s!
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012Writing about business ethics can get pretty depressing sometimes. There are so many situations where corporations make the news by behaving badly in one way or another that it sometimes seems it isn’t even possible to catalogue them all. Consequently, I’m excited to have the opportunity to praise McDonald’s for teaming up with [...]
Can we afford corporate tax breaks?
Friday, January 27th, 2012President Obama’s State of the Union has stirred up a hornet’s nest in Washington. It’ll be awhile before the dust settles enough to know who’s coming down where on his various proposals. However, I want to focus on one aspect of his speech that seems to me to be very relevant to business [...]
The supercommittee failed - now what?
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011Well, all the dire predictions came true. Despite many hours of meetings and negotiations, the Congressional supercommittee that was supposed to come up with a plan to cut the national deficit wasn’t able to deliver on deadline. It’s not a surprise, really. After all, if Congress as a whole couldn’t come up [...]
Thanksgiving first, please!
Monday, November 21st, 2011Okay, I know that times are tough and retailers are scrambling to make a little money this holiday season, but my trip to the mall this afternoon was really disheartening. Glitzy red and green decorations abound, special sale prices are posted everywhere, the radio is blaring Christmas music, and the pressure to buy, buy, [...]
Economic woes reduce highway safety
Friday, August 5th, 2011Continuing my Friday series on how to keep your business out of legal trouble, let’s take a look at a recent survey report published by AAA. (That’s right, the nice people who come and tow you when your car breaks down in the middle of the night.) According to AAA, about one in [...]
Would you do business with Congress?
Monday, August 1st, 2011So, we allegedly have a deal on the debt ceiling (unless, of course, the Congress votes it down between now and tomorrow). As usual, press reports are treating the whole mess like a horse race. All they seem to care about is who won, who lost, and who’s upset about it.
But wouldn’t it [...]
News Corporation’s problems are reflected in its code of ethics
Thursday, July 28th, 2011Okay, we’ve taken a break … now, back to the scandals plaguing Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation. When a major company stands accused of ethical lapses, it’s always interesting to take a look at its culture. And no, I’m not necessarily talking about watercooler conversations or what happens at the annual holiday party. [...]
What business can learn from Ebay
Thursday, July 21st, 2011In the interests of not becoming a one-note Charlene, I’m going to turn away from the hacking scandal in the U.K. to look at something a little less serious. Friends know I’m an afficionado of Ebay, that wonderful, world-wide marketplace where you can buy practically anything if you’re imaginative enough to look for it. [...]
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