More Trickle

Posted on January 18, 2009 by mmjdiary

Medtronic disclosed yesterday that it had paid former Army surgeon, Dr. Timothy Kuklo, who is accused of falsifying research done at Walter Reed Army Hospital, more than $800,000 as consulting fees for product development, training for doctors, and speeches at company events.Â

The information about the company’s relationship with the doctor has trickled out slowly, with each announcement confirming stronger ties with the doctor.Â First, outrage over the medical journal’s accusation of falsified research and the release of, “We have ended our relationship.”Â The implication was, of course, that Medtronic would have no part of such shenanigans.Â Then came the disclosure that Medtronic had been paying the doctor,Â but only after he left the Army.Â Then . . .

Well, the next release revealed payments by Medtronic to the doctor whilst Army service was in progress. C’mon, though, let’s be clear:Â Consulting arrangements with physicians are critical for them and us, i.e., everybody does this sort of thing.Â Then, well,Â came yet another disclosure that they payments ran for a bit longer than we originally thought, but we are not sure how much. Then, well, $800,000 later . . .Â

Take your pain.Â Let it rip when it comes to bad news.Â The trickle hurts credibility.Â If you don’t know, sit tight until you do and explain the reason for the delay.Â TheÂ Barometer commends Medtronic for its voluntary release of the recently discovered amount of compensation, but hopes that other companies learn fromÂ Medtronic’sÂ suffering.Â The trickle can be miserable.Â Four stories vs. one?Â Take the latter.Â Â Â

About mmjdiary

Professor Marianne Jennings is an emeritus professor of legal and ethical studies from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, retiring in 2011 after 35 years of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics and the legal environment of business. During her tenure at ASU, she served as director of the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics from 1995-1999. In 2006, she was appointed faculty director for the W.P. Carey Executive MBA Program. She has done consulting work for businesses and professional groups including AICPA, Boeing, Dial Corporation, Edward Jones, Mattel, Motorola, CFA Institute, Southern California Edison, the Institute of Internal Auditors, AIMR, DuPont, AES, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Motorola, Hy-Vee Foods, IBM, Bell Helicopter, Amgen, Raytheon, and VIAD. The sixth edition of her textbook, Case Studies in Business Ethics, was published in February 2011. The ninth edition of her textbook, Business: lts Legal, Ethical and Global Environment was published in January 2011. The 23rd edition of her book, Business Law: Principles and Cases, will be published in January 2013. The tenth edition of her book, Real Estate Law, will also be published in January 2013. Her book, A Business Tale: A Story of Ethics, Choices, Success, and a Very Large Rabbit, a fable about business ethics, was chosen by Library Journal in 2004 as its business book of the year. A Business Tale was also a finalist for two other literary awards for 2004. In 2000 her book on corporate governance was published by the New York Times MBA Pocket Series. Her book on long-term success, Building a Business Through Good Times and Bad: Lessons from Fifteen Companies, Each With a Century of Dividends, was published in October 2002 and has been used by Booz, Allen, Hamilton for its work on business longevity. Her latest book, The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse was published by St. MartinÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Press in July 2006 and has been a finalist for two book awards. Her weekly columns are syndicated around the country, and her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Reader's Digest. A collection of her essays, Nobody Fixes Real Carrot Sticks Anymore, first published in 1994 is still being published. She has been a commentator on business issues on All Things Considered for National Public Radio. She has served on four boards of directors, including Arizona Public Service (1987-2000), Zealous Capital Corporation, and the Center for Children with Chronic Illness and Disability at the University of Minnesota. She was appointed to the board of advisors for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators in 2004 and served on the board of trustees for Think Arizona, a public policy think tank. She has appeared on CNBC, CBS This Morning, the Today Show, and CBS Evening News. In 2010 she was named one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Business Ethics by Trust Across America. Her books have been translated into four different languages. She received the British Emerald award for authoring one of their top 50 articles in management publications, chosen from over 15,000 articles. Personal: Married since 1976 to Terry H. Jennings, Maricopa County AttorneyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Office Deputy County Attorney; five children: Sarah, Sam, and John, and the late Claire and Hannah Jennings.

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