Category: business ethics

Why Business Is Hollywood’s Go-To Villain, Especially Now (via BNET)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

BNET has an interesting essay complete with clips about the corporation as the villian of choice. It’s a fun read and the film clips alone are enough reason to view the article.

James Pilant

Corporations and their leaders are seldom cast as movie heroes.

But in the movies of 2010, whether you were at the multiplex or the art house, the go-to bad guy was the American corporation.

Even the adorable Despicable Me has super villains who need to finance their nefarious schemes and pay a visit to the Bank of Evil, or, as the posted sign indicates, the former Lehman Brothers. From Tron: Legacy to Inception, the choice of evildoer was so consistent it was a relief …. Read More.

Buying Your Child Into A College!

On By southwerkIn business ethics, Capitalism, ethics, Government Failure, monopoly, Teaching2 Comments

From the Huffington Post –

Dr. Michael Bardwil donated $40,000 to his alma mater, a Jesuit school in Houston, Texas, after a school administrator advised it would guarantee his son admission. So when his son was rejected earlier this year, Bardwil was upset.

ABC reports that a school administrator asked that Bardwil donate $100,000 to the school, and in return the prestigious college preparatory would offer admission to his son. When Bardwil pledged $50,000 over a five year period, he assumed it was a sure thing.

The elite colleges and universities admit about 1/3 of their students based on parental giving, another 1/3 based on legacy enrollments (their parents went there) and the last 1/3 on merit. This is one of the most significant reasons that the upper classes have solidified. It’s very difficult to move up in the world without going to one of these school. With only 1/3 of the enrollment based on merit, your children and mine have little chance of getting in. The open spots are so few, a student can’t get in on high scores but only with almost superhuman scores. That’s not fair.

We like to think this country is a meritocracy where you get ahead becaue you’re smart or hard working. But most of us understand the truth and that truth is that having good contacts, going to good schools and having upper class mannerisms are the basic requirements for success. These people live in a bubble world where no amount of incompetence, poor conduct or even criminal acts can knock them down. Now, I’m sure you can remind me of Madoff or some other corporate malefactor. But let me remind you that the world economy was savaged by the geniuses on Wall Street back in 2007 and not one has paid any penalty for their criminal acts or simple incompetence.

The middle class lives in a world where any failure can doom your career. They live in a world where you can do everything, absolutely everything they taught you in high school or college would gurantee you success and still everything can be taken from them, their jobs, their homes, their insurance, their benefits, their pensions, their investments – everything. The children of the middle class are thrown out into a world of diminishing opportunity and low paying jobs.

Let me repeat, one of the key factors is the difficulty of the children of the middle class to get into prestigious schools.

I see nothing on the horizon that will change those rules.

You see this is the hardcore, the never changing affirmative action, the big quota system. The guaranteed access to the best spots to those who already have money or status is a vicious assault on the concept of merit.

It is astonishing considering the amount of federal aid these institutions gobble up that they are not required to admit based on merit.

James Pilant

Second Chances? Barack Obama to Michael Vick – Have We become a Compassionless Country? (via Motivational Speaker – Chuck Gallagher Business Ethics and Choices Expert)

On By southwerkIn business ethics, ethics, President Obama11 Comments

I don’t follow any sports whatever but I do follow crime stories. Thus, I am aware of Michael Vick. I did not like what he did. Nevertheless, he paid the penalty and should be judged by his actions now. I teach my class that America is the land of the second chance. Apparently Chuck Gallagher shares my opinion. I hope others see the world the way I do in this respect. After all, a nation that imprisons such an enormous part of its population might need to find some mercy and compassion to make these people part of society once again.

James Pilant

Second Chances? Barack Obama to Michael Vick - Have We become a Compassionless Country? Well, for a guy who believes in Second Chances (hence the title of my new book – Second Chances) I was shocked and saddened at the media storm or fire related to Barack Obama's comments praising giving folks – namely Michael Vick – a "Second Chance."  As a nation have we become so full of hate and intolerance that we no longer can tolerate the idea that "Second Chances" are worth aspiring toward? So this past Monday the following was reported by … Read More

via Motivational Speaker – Chuck Gallagher Business Ethics and Choices Expert

Business Ethics Roundup 1/1/11!

On By southwerkIn business ethics, Capitalism, Corporate Social Responsibility, ethics, Government Failure, Philosophy of Business, White Collar Crime1 Comment

Let’s start with a small disclaimer here. I have 42 business ethics web sites (by my definition which is broad) listed on my favorites in that single category. I have 56 business ethics “related” sites on my favorites. So, I ‘m never going to to get more that a partial glimpse at what’s going on. With that out of the way, let’s start the new year rolling!

The Crane and Matten Blog explain why business ethics is more significant culturally than CSR.

Here’s a quote – CSR is also, as might be expected, a lot more business-friendly than business ethics. In fact, people often tend to use CSR when they’re talking about the good things companies are doing, and business ethics (or a lack of them) when talking about the bad things they do.

The Ruder Finn Ethics Blog discusses ethics and giving while providing some fascinating statistics.

Here’s a quote – We give for many different reasons. We may give as an expression of friendship and love or just reciprocate. Retailers, economists and Wall Street eagerly all hope that people will spend much this year are and thus sustain the slow recovery of our economy. The National Retail Federation expects an increase in 2010 Holiday sales of 2.3% to $447.1 billion. (Gifts from the rich to the rich.)

From the web blog, Business Ethics Training, we have a review of the book, Ship of Fools: How Corruption and Stupidity Sank the Celtic Tiger.

Here’s a quote – With all the talk of toxic assets (real estate) and the resulting fallout in the States – its easy to overlook what happened in Ireland. Particularly the situation with NAMA (National Asset Management Agency), that holds the toxic assets.

From the web site, Ethix: Business Technology Ethics, we have a book review of After the Fall: Saving Capitalism From Wall Street—and Washington by Nicole Gelinas

Here’s a quote – Gelinas key message is that capitalism needs clear rules in order to flourish, and that must include allowing bad businesses to fail. Bail outs only encourage further bad behavior, and what we have seen in the recent financial meltdown is simply a lesson forgotten from what happened in the 1920s and ’30s.

David Yamada’s Minding the Workplace has several posts. I recommend you read his year end closing, but the one I discussing is the next to the last. He explains what one should do if bullied at work.

Here’s a quote – There’s a lot of cheap and sometimes dangerous “one size fits all” advice out there on how to handle workplace bullying situations, especially in newspaper work advice columns. These resources are no substitute for understanding the dynamics of workplace bullying and how they relate to one’s specific circumstances.

Good Business Ethics (via Technologies For Business)

On By southwerkIn business ethics, ethics5 Comments

Technologies for Business presents its concept of business ethics, which I am happy to call your attention to. (I ask you to please click on the link and read the whole article.)

James Pilant

Good Business Ethics Business ethics is the behavior that the company complies in their daily relationships with the world. The ethics of a given society may be different. Not only apply to how the company interacts with the world, but also to his head to business with a customer. Many companies have gained a bad reputation just by being in the business. For some people, the companies are interested in making money, and that's the bottom line. It could be called capi … Read More

via Technologies For Business

The Costs Of Corporate Crime

On By southwerkIn business ethics, Capitalism

Steven Mintz
Steven Mintz, the Ethics Sage, has a post on a subject dear to my heart, “How much damage does corporate crime do to the United States?” Each year in my ethics class I ask my students to estimate the damage and comment on it. He has filled out that damage estimate with some new information. I am very appreciative and next Fall my students are going to be reading this post.

Professor Mintz’s post is entitled, Business Fraud. Most of the first paragraph is below but I want you to go to his site and read the whole thing. This subject is a critical factor in whether or not we should do more about business ethics or not. If his figures (or mine) are in anyway correct, our nation is being crippled.

In my last blog I wrote about the ever-increasing cost to society of criminal fraud that targets investors. Fraud in business organizations also seems to be on the rise despite all efforts to reduce it following well-publicized accounting frauds at Enron and WorldCom. According to research conducted by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) in 2008, U.S. organizations lose an estimated 7 percent of annual revenues to fraud. Based on the projected U.S. Gross Domestic Product this percentage indicates a staggering estimate of losses around $994 billion among organizations, despite increased emphasis on anti-fraud controls and recent legislation to combat fraud. Also, the median dollar loss caused by fraud schemes was $175,000. More than one-quarter of the frauds involved losses of at least $1 million. …

The costs may be 994 billion dollars, 7 percent of annual revenues, lost to corporate fraud. That doesn’t include corporate crime like dumping pollutants, evading taxes, killing or maiming workers by evading safety regulations, etc.

Is that enough reason to put business ethics as a primary legal and economic concern in every governing body from the cities to the federal government?

James Pilant

Let’s Make The Armed Forces Eat Gulf Seafood!

On By southwerkIn business ethics, ethics

This is from Washington’s Blog. The original title is Secretary of the Navy Hatches Brilliant Plan to Sell More Gulf Seafood and Transport Oil to the War Zone.

From the Times-Picayune –

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who doubles as President Barack Obama’s point man on Gulf Coast oil spill recovery, is pressing America’s armed services to consume as much Gulf seafood as possible.

Navy Capt. Beci Brenton said Monday that Mabus has talked with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the secretaries of the Air Force and Army, and his staff has talked to the Defense Commissary Agency, which operates a worldwide chain of stores for military personnel, making the point “that we should be buying Gulf Coast seafood.”

In a meeting Monday with Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Mabus reaffirmed his commitment to using the tools at his disposal to help the Gulf seafood industry recover from the damage the BP oil spill has done in reality and perception. The board is gearing up for a large-scale national marketing campaign, with $30 million in BP money and millions more in federal dollars, to reassure restaurants and markets across the country that Gulf seafood is safe.

Okay, they are having trouble selling seafood that may be (or is) contaminated with oil or chemical dispersant and the armed services are being pressured to buy some. Since the fellow in question is Secretary of the Navy, we should probably put the word, pressured, in quotation marks and note that the armed services (at least the navy) are going to buy gulf coast sea food.

Is this wise?

In about twenty years, when we can get some good data on the long term health effects, we will have a clear picture of whether or not this was a good idea.

In my mind, if there is choice between seafood from the gulf and somewhere else, that really isn’t a choice. I don’t like oil in my food. I’m just weird that way.

Thanks to the anonymous guys at Washington’s Blog for bringing this to my attention.

James Pilant

We are in a War of Ideology (via Chink In The Armor)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

The web site, Chink in the Armor, is not for the faint hearted. The outrage bubbles. The anger seethes.

Fairly often, my rage bubbles up when I am writing about these business ethical lapses. He has more anger than I have and I have a lot.

I am just putting down the first sentence and then the first paragraph of this gentleman’s post –

I am pissed. I am seriously pissed. And here are some of the things I am seriously pissed about

1) My daughter will probably NEVER see her 87 year old grandfather again because we live on the left side of this country and he lives on the right side. What with the implementation of the Gestapo/Stasi/TSA Fascist Police State, we will NEVER travel on the airlines again. It is my responsibility to protect my child from evil and she will NOT be subjected to her first cavity search by the Goons of the TSA. Feel the Love.

Go here for the rest.

I think that is a fair representation of the writing. I want you to read it. I like anger. I don’t think there is enough out there.

James Pilant

P.S. I have looked over this web site for some more information about the writer, you know, the kind of stuff you find on the back of a book. I didn’t come up with any. If the author would like to let me know about this, I will be happy to expand this blog entry to include or create a brand new post.

U.S. Urges Requirement To Keep Mortgage Records (via Chink In The Armor)

On By southwerkIn business ethics, Capitalism

From Reuters through the blog, Chink In The Armor –

The U.S. Justice Department urged Congress on Wednesday to require mortgage companies to retain records for 10 years to make it easier to prosecute fraud.

Rita Glavin, acting head of the department’s criminal division, told a hearing of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee that mortgage settlement statements and other loan documents are critical to investigating or prosecuting fraud.

But they can be hard to get from lenders, brokers and title companies that provide loan services. “All too often, such entities go out of business, and their records are either abandoned or destroyed,” Glavin said in testimony submitted to the committee.

She said half of the top 10 U.S. subprime mortgage originators in the second half of 2006 had either gone out of business or been sold a year later.

Kuttner: The Fix Is In, The End of Social Security (via Dissenting Democrat)

On By southwerkIn business ethics, Capitalism

Social Security is definitely an ethical matter. Millions of Americans pay taxes on their wages with the expectation that they will some day get benefits. Now, our “leaders” in Washington says it is too expensive and we can’t afford it. Nonsense.

I like this blog. There is a lot of passion. However, it’s mainly political so I don’t get too much business commentary out of it. However it may very well be to your taste.

New Plan for Seniors' Retirement? Soylent Green Robert Kuttner in a recent issue of Politico had this to say: "Obama is finally getting the bipartisanship he craved — but entirely on Republican terms. Republicans win three ways. They have a Democratic president doing their work for them, destroying the Democratic capacity to use affirmative government to address dire national problems and annihilating his own party. " http://www.pubtheo.com/page. … Read More

via Dissenting Democrat