Category Archives: Analysis

Citi and Satyam: Stunning Contrast

Posted on January 10, 2009 by mmjdiary

Two days after B. Ramalinga Raju, co-founder and now former chairman of Satyam Computer Services, Ltd, admitted that he had cooked the books for years, Indian authorities arrested him and his brother and fired the company’s board.  On the same … Continue reading →

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A New Low: Cheating on a Personality Test

Posted on January 9, 2009 by mmjdiary

The Wall Street Journal ran a story that finds even the jaded Barometer shaking its head.  Many employers, lured in by consultants, have their job applicants take personality tests.  The tough questions on this test?  “You have to give up on … Continue reading →

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Blago and Loopholes

Posted on January 8, 2009 by mmjdiary

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his coiffure appointed former Illinois attorney general, Roland Burris, to fill the Illinois Senate seat vacated by president-elect Barack Obama.  Illinois’s Secretary of State said he would not certify the appointment.  Harry Reid et al. threatened … Continue reading →

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When Bob Nardelli Is the Most Sensitive Guy in the Room

Posted on November 22, 2008 by mmjdiary

On November 17, 2008, when the CEOs of Chrysler, Ford, and GM scurried from their private jets to ask Congress for a bail-out, they were asked if they would be willing to follow the Lee Iacocca model and take $1 in … Continue reading →

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On Caring, Graciousness, and Apologies to Nancy Reagan

Posted on November 10, 2008 by mmjdiary

The late scholar, Robert Solomon, had a list of 33 admirable characteristics of those who are really trying to live the ethical way, or as it was known in days of yore, the examined life.  The list was published in his book, A … Continue reading →

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The Ethical Breaches of the 2008 Election

Posted on November 10, 2008 by mmjdiary

There were ethical lapses during the eternal 2006-2008 presidential election.  And those lapses were aplenty on both sides of the aisle. The Barometer does not grapple with ideology.  Reasonable minds can differ; this country was founded amidst passionate disagreement among the … Continue reading →

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Beware the Golf Tournament

Posted on November 1, 2008 by mmjdiary

Ah, the tension between the need for “face time” and those ethics policies that prevent managers and employees from accepting “stuff” from vendors.  We’ve tried it all.  First, we put limits on gifts:  $25, $100.  The questions then sprung up: Is … Continue reading →

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Starbucks and Leases and Social Responsibility

Posted on October 17, 2008 by mmjdiary

The terms are quite nearly synonymous:  Starbucks and social responsibility.  Fair-trade coffee beans.  Health care for employees.  Happiness all around.  However, like msot businesses in this economic downturn, Starbucks must cut back on its planned expansion.  The company has placed … Continue reading →

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The GMAT Questions in Advance

Posted on September 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

The Graduate Management Admissions Council announced that it was canceling the GMAT scores of 84 applicants and students.  The Council found that the students were active users of a now shut-down website, scoretop.com, a site with origins in China that … Continue reading →

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The Dangers of Mixing Business, Government, and Good Intentions: Remembering Uncle Milton

Posted on September 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

Milton Friedman is mocked in the world of ethics for his unwavering conviction that the primary responsibility of business is to make money. Mix good intentions, i.e., social responsibility, with profit motives, Dr. Friedman warned, and you tinker with market … Continue reading →

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Pharma Consulting Fees for Docs: No Matter How Great Your Research or Noble the Cause, It’s Still a Conflict

Posted on September 10, 2008 by mmjdiary

Dr. Joesph Biederman and Dr. Timothy Wilens are members of the psychiatry department at Harvard Medical School.  The two scholars reported, in hindsight, $1.6 million they received from drug makers between 2000 and 2007.  The two are known for their … Continue reading →

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