US and UK prosecutors promise leniency for errant companies that have tried hard to comply and cooperated with investigators. When does a thumb on the scales do justice? Rethinking Collective Punishment for Individual Wrongdoing Regulators and prosecutors in the U.S. and U.K. face a quandary. Does justice require harsh penalties against a company (and its …
When Does A Thumb On The Scales Of Justice Do Justice? Read More »
In a process as secretive as a papal conclave, involving only slightly less mystique, McKinsey’s senior partners refused Kevin Sneader a second term as CEO. Shareholder democracy has spoken. But what did it say? A Rare “One And Done” McKinsey & Company operates as unified global partnership. The firm’s approximately 650 senior partners elect the …
Shareholder Democracy: McKinsey Partners Oust CEO Kevin Sneader Read More »
Some day soon, computers may convincingly mimic human empathy. Will this lead to ethical artificial intelligence, or synthetic sociopathy? A Turing Test for Ethical Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Technologists and ethicists have started to explore the form and meaning of a Turing Test for Ethical AI. The Original Imitation Game — Can Machines Think? 20th century …
Will Artificial Intelligence Produce Synthetic Sociopaths? Read More »
Warren Buffett tells his managers: “There’s plenty of money to be made in the center of the court. If it’s questionable whether some action is close to the line, just assume it is outside and forget it.” But what do you do when the lines shift? Who’s Sorry Now? McKinsey & Company, the world’s premier …
McKinsey To Buffett: ‘When Lines Shift, Where’s The Center Of The Court?’ Read More »
The new Administration’s commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (”ESG”) issues begs the question of a business’s end goals. We deserve an open and honest debate. Will we get one? Contending Theories of Corporate Purpose What should be a business’s end goal? Over the last 50 years, two competing approaches have duked it out. Dualism: …
Riding The ESG Juggernaut: Whose Business Is It, Anyway? Read More »
De-platformed within a 24-hour span by Amazon, Apple, and Google, social-media service Parler tries to rise from the dead. What’s the direct and collateral damage of success or failure? Framing In setting norms, how an issue is framed goes a long way towards deciding it. Whoever wins the framing battle often wins the policy war. …
Parler: The Business Ethics Of Framing And De-Platforming Read More »
It’s been said that “you get justice in the next world, in this world you get law.” Does Boeing’s $2.5 billion settlement over 737 MAX crashes bear this maxim out? Boeing Cops A Plea — And Throws Two Ex-employees To The Wolves Last week’s column described the design and training decisions that caused two, Boeing …
Boeing’s $2.5 Billion Near Miss: A Faulty-To-The-Max Update Read More »
Upgraded Boeing 737 MAX commercial jets have returned to the skies. The blame game, however, goes on. Can we find a principle that cuts through the spin? Accidents Happen; Catastrophes Take Effort A total of 346 people died in two separate crashes of Boeing 737 MAX jets in October 2018 and March 2019. The crashes …
Faulty To The Max: Boeing And The FAA’s 737 Debacle Read More »
In a free market, when companies fight over customers, it’s the customers who should win. Will that happen here? The Apple-Facebook fight over user privacy heated up last week, with Facebook taking out full-page advertisements in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. The ads proclaimed that Facebook was “standing up to Apple for …
What Are Apple And Facebook Fighting Over? — You Read More »
By a 13-1 vote, an “independent expert” panel of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (”CDC”) just recommended who should enjoy priority for rollout of COVID vaccines. What would we do without experts? Two drug companies, Pfizer and Moderna, have requested and expect emergency approval of their COVID-19 vaccines. These companies estimate having …
The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: Who’s Getting Stuck? Read More »