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Friday, February 20, 2015
Did Wal-Mart Prove Me Wrong? Do Boycotts Work?
I have just finished a draft of an article arguing that disclosures don't work because consumers and investors don't read them, can't understand them, don't take any real action when they do pay attention to them, and fail to change corporate behavior when they do threaten boycott. I specifically pointed out the relative lack of success of consumer protests over the years. I also noted that Wal-Mart continues to get bad press for how it treats its employees despite the fact the Norwegian Pension Fund divested hundreds of millions of dollars due to the company's labor practices, prompting other governments and cities to follow. My thesis—it takes a lot more than divestment and threats of boycott to change company behavior. But perhaps I'm wrong. Yesterday, Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon announced a significant wage increase declaring:
We're strengthening investments in our people to engage and inspire them to deliver superior customer experiences… We will earn the trust of all Walmart stakeholders by operating great retail businesses, ensuring world-class compliance, and doing good in the world through social and environmental programs in our communities.
The letter to Wal-Mart associates is here. I don't know which was more striking, the $1 billion dollar move to $9 and then eventually $10 per hour or the fact that he used the word "stakeholders." Wal-Mart also announced changes that would affect health insurance and shift scheduling, but the main headline concerned the wage hike. Main Street may be happy but Wall Street was not, and the stock price fell after the announcement. Others pointed out that the pay raise is still not enough to pull workers out of poverty.
Does this move mean that boycotts and advocacy really do work and that we will see more of them? Do I have to edit my article or will this be an anomaly? Will other big retailers or fast food chains follow? Will socially responsible investors reinvest in Wal-Mart? Is Wal-Mart trying to pre-empt government regulation on the minimum wage? Is Wal-Mart signaling to regulators in foreign countries that it cares about workers so should be allowed to operate there more freely?
I will be teaching a course in transnational business and international human rights in the Fall and Wal-Mart will be a case study. A few years ago, I used the company's CSR report in my corporate governance, compliance, and social responsibility seminar. I asked the students to consider why Wal-Mart's report looked and felt so different from Target's, which essentially has many of the same labor issues. I wanted them to think about the marketing behind CSR from a reputational and regulatory perspective. I posited that Wal-Mart's CSR report was written for regulators. Two weeks later, the company announced its massive and still ongoing bribery investigation. I'm happy for the workers but a bit curious as to what caused the company to make this announcement now. In the meantime, I will be watching the reaction from advocates, the markets, and other companies closely.
February 20, 2015 in Corporate Governance, Corporations, CSR, Current Affairs, Ethics, Financial Markets, International Business, Marcia Narine, Teaching | Permalink | Comments (3)
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Disruption in Dublin
I have just returned from Dublin, which may be one of my new favorite cities. For the fifth year in a row, I have had the pleasure of participating as a mentor in the LawWithoutWalls ("LWOW") program run by University of Miami with sponsorship from the Eversheds law firm. LWOW describes itself as follows:
LawWithoutWalls, devised and led by Michele DeStefano, is a part-virtual, global, multi-disciplinary collaboratory that focuses on tackling the cutting edge issues at the intersection of law, business, technology, and innovation. LawWithoutWalls mission is to accelerate innovation in legal education and practice at the same time. We collaborate with 30 law and business schools and over 450 academics, students, technologists, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, business professionals, and lawyers from around the world. We seek to change how today's lawyers approach their practice and how tomorrow's lawyers are educated and, in so doing, sharpen the skills needed to meet the challenges posed by the economic pressures, technologization, and globalization of the international legal market. We seek to create the future of law, today. Utilizing a blend of virtual and in-person techniques, LawWithoutWalls offers six initiatives: LWOW Student Offerings,LWOW Live, LWOW INC., and LWOW Xed.
I first joined the program as a practitioner mentor and have now served as an academic mentor for two years. Each team has students from law or business school who develop a project of worth addressing a problem in legal education or the legal profession. Mentors include an academic, a practitioner, an entrepreneur, and an LWOW alum.
In the LWOW Live version, the students and mentors meet for the first time in a foreign city (hence the trip to Dublin) and then never see each other in person again until the Conposium, a Shark-Tank like competition in April at the University of Miami, where they present their solution to a venture capitalist, academic, and practitioner in front of a live and virtual audience.
Over the period of a few months the students and mentors, who are all in different cities, work together and meet virtually. Students also attend mandatory weekly thought leader sessions. Past topics have included developments in legal practice around the world and the necessity of a business plan. For many law students, this brings what they learned in Professional Responsibility and Business Associations classes to life. At the Dublin kickoff, audience members watched actual live pitches to venture capitalists from three startups, learned about emotional intelligence and networking from internationally-renowned experts, and started brainstorming on mini projects of worth.
This year, I am coaching a virtual LWOW Compliance team working on a problem submitted by the Ethics Resource Center. My students attend school in London and Hamburg but hail from India and Singapore. My co-mentors include attorneys from Dentons and Holland and Knight. The winner of the LWOW Compliance competition will present their solution to the Ethics Resource Center in front of hundreds of compliance officers. In past years, I have had students in LWOW Live from Brazil, Israel, China, the US, South Africa, and Spain and mentees who served as in-house counsel or who were themselves start-up entrepreneurs or investors. Representatives from the firms that are disrupting the legal profession such as Legal Zoom serve as mentors to teams as well. In the past students have read books by Richard Susskind, who provides a somewhat pessimistic view of the future of the legal profession, but a view that students and mentors should hear.
As I sat through the conference, I remembered some of the takeaways from the AALS sessions in Washington in early January. The theme of that conference was "Legal Education at the Crossroads." Speakers explained that firms and clients are telling the schools that they need graduates with skills and experience in project management, technology, international exposure, business acumen, emotional intelligence, leadership, and working in teams. Law schools on average don't stress those skills but LWOW does. Just today, LWOW's team members were described as "lawyers with solutions." I agree and I'm proud to be involved in shaping those solutions.
January 22, 2015 in Books, Business School, Conferences, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, International Business, Law School, Marcia Narine, Teaching | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, January 5, 2015
Animal Law Is (Or At Least Can Be) Business Law
I just left the Association of American Law Schools annual meeting this morning. I came back to a flat tire at the airport, but let's not dwell on that . . . . The conference was a good one, as these zoo-like mega conferences go.
I presented at the conference as part of a panel that focused on teaching courses and topics at the intersection of animals and the law. (Thanks for the plug, Stefan!) Yes, although it is a little known fact, I do teach courses involving animals and the law. Regrettably, it is a somewhat rare thing for me, since I always have to teach these courses as an overload. However, I also am the faculty advisor to our campus chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and UT Pro Bono's Animal Law Project (which compiled and annually updates a Tennessee statutory resource used by animal control and other law enforcement officers, as well as other animal-focused professionals, in the State of Tennessee). In addition, I coach our National Animal Law Competitions team. These non-classroom activities give me ample time to teach in different ways . . . .
I will not rehash all of my remarks from the panel presentation here. In fact, I want to make a very limited point in this post. While my calling to legal issues involving non-human animals is rooted in large part in being the "animal mom" of a rescue dog and rescue cat, I also participate in educational efforts in this area because I see it as my professional responsibility as a lawyer--and in particular, as a business lawyer.
January 5, 2015 in Business Associations, Conferences, Corporations, Ethics, Joan Heminway | Permalink | Comments (1)
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Can a socially responsible person shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday?
As regular readers know, I research and write on business and human rights. For this reason, I really enjoyed the post about corporate citizenship on Thanksgiving by Ann Lipton, and Haskell Murray's post about the social enterprise and strategic considerations behind a "values" message for Whole Foods, in contrast to the low price mantra for Wal-Mart. Both posts garnered a number of insightful comments.
As I write this on Thanksgiving Day, I'm working on a law review article, refining final exam questions, and meeting with students who have finals starting next week (being on campus is a great way to avoid holiday cooking, by the way). Fortunately, I gladly do all of this without complaint, but many workers are in stores setting up for "door-buster" sales that now start at Wal-Mart, JC Penney, Best Buy, and Toys R Us shortly after families clear the table on Thanksgiving, if not before. As Ann pointed out, a number of protestors have targeted these purportedly "anti-family" businesses and touted the "values" of those businesses that plan to stick to the now "normal" crack of dawn opening time on Friday (which of course requires workers to arrive in the middle of the night). The United Auto Workers plans to hold a series of protests at Wal-Mart in solidarity with the workers, and more are planned around the country.
I'm not sure what effect these protests will have on the bottom line, and I hope that someone does some good empirical research on this issue. On the one hand, boycotts can be a powerful motivator for firms to change behavior. Consumer boycotts have become an American tradition, dating back to the Boston Tea Party. But while boycotts can garner attention, my initial research reveals that most boycotts fail to have any noticeable impact for companies, although admittedly the negative media coverage that boycotts generate often makes it harder for a companies to control the messages they send out to the public. In order for boycotts to succeed there needs to be widespread support and consumers must be passionate about the issue.
In this age of "hashtag activism" or "slacktivism," I'm not sure that a large number of people will sustain these boycotts. Furthermore, even when consumers vocalize their passion, it has not always translated to impact to lower revenue. For example, the CEO of Chick-Fil-A's comments on gay marriage triggered a consumer boycott that opened up a platform to further political and social goals, although it did little to hurt the company's bottom line and in fact led proponents of the CEO's views to develop a campaign to counteract the boycott.
Similarly, I'm also not sure of the effect that socially responsible investors can have as it relates to these labor issues. In 2006, the Norwegian Pension Fund divested its $400 million position (over 14 million shares in the US and Mexico operations) in Wal-Mart. In fact, Wal-Mart constitutes two of the three companies excluded for "serious of systematic" human rights violations. Pension funds in Sweden and the Netherlands followed the Fund's lead after determining that Wal-Mart had not done enough to change after meetings on its labor practices. In a similar decision, Portland has become the first major city to divest its Wal-Mart holdings. City Commissioner Steve Novick cited the company's labor, wage and hour practices, and recent bribery scandal as significant factors in the decision. Yet, the allegations about Wal-Mart's labor practices persist, notwithstanding a strong corporate social responsibility campaign to blunt the effects of the bad publicity. Perhaps more important to the Walton family, the company is doing just fine financially, trading near its 52-week high as of the time of this writing.
I will be thinking of these issues as I head to Geneva on Saturday for the third annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, which had over 1700 companies, NGOs, academics, state representatives, and civil society organizations in attendance last year. I am particularly interested in the sessions on the financial sector and human rights, where banking executives and others will discuss incorporation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights into the human rights policies of major banks, as well as the role of the socially responsible investing community. Another panel that I will attend with interest relates to the human rights impacts in supply chains. A group of large law firm partners and professors will also present on a proposal for an international tribunal to adjudicate business and human rights issues. I will blog about these panels and others that may be of interest to the business community next Thursday. Until then enjoy your holiday and if you participate in or see any protests, send me a picture.
November 27, 2014 in Ann Lipton, Conferences, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Corporations, CSR, Current Affairs, Ethics, Financial Markets, Haskell Murray, International Business, Marcia Narine, Securities Regulation, Social Enterprise | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Better Teaching Idea: Try to Notice When the Wind Is at Your Back
About four years ago, despite decades of actively avoiding the idea, I started running. I am no Forrest Gump, but I run 3.5 miles on a reasonably regular basis– usually four or five times a week, sometimes more, and rarely less. My primary running locations, North Dakota and then along the Monongahela River in West Virginia, are both quite windy. The North Dakota winds so are significant, that they can mimic hills, which is what allowed cyclist Andy Hampsten to train for hills in "one of the flattest areas in the world."
I do a lot of out-and-back runs – out 1.75 miles and back along the same route. During such runs, I often notice a similar phenomenon: I may not have any idea it's windy if the wind is at my back when I start running. When I get to my turnaround, though, I find a stiff wind in my face. This happens enough that I should probably figure out it is windy before I get to the turnaround, especially since it can lead to a faster pace on the way out, but I still rarely notice. I just think I'm having a good pace day.
In contrast, it's pretty hard to miss when the wind is in your face. Everything feels hard. Everything feels sluggish and slow. And it feels like, all of a sudden, you have barriers in your way.
During these runs, it often makes me think about how many other places (in the figurative sense) this happens. We all have our challenges, and we often have much to overcome. But some have more challenges than others. Because our individual challenges are real, it can be easy to miss that we may have fewer challenges than other people have.
The things that are barriers to our goals are sometimes obvious to us. For example, as those in the current job hunt for a law professorship likely know, a lack of a top-14 law degree can be a significant limit on the number of options one might have entering the legal academy. It certainly felt like a barrier to certain jobs when I was on the market, anyway.
Because of that, it would be easy to discount other benefits I have because of who I am. I grew up in a safe neighborhood with good schools. I am a white male, which means people have expectations for me that are different than others. There is a level of presumed competence. And, comparatively, presumed authority and ability. If there's no more text visible, please click below to read the whole post.
November 11, 2014 in Ethics, Joshua P. Fershee, Law School, Teaching | Permalink | Comments (2)
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Two More Professor Postings
I have updated my list of law professor positions at business schools with recent postings by Stephen F. Austin State University (legal studies) and DePaul University (ethics).
Details about both positions are available after the break.
November 1, 2014 in Business School, Ethics, Haskell Murray, Jobs | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, October 24, 2014
What do Jeremy Bentham and Norway's Pension Fund Have in Common?
I used to joke that my alma mater Columbia University's core curriculum, which required students to study the history of art, music, literature, and philosophy (among other things) was designed solely to make sure that graduates could distinguish a Manet from a Monet and not embarrass the university at cocktail parties for wealthy donors. I have since tortured my son by dragging him through museums and ruins all over the world pointing spouting what I remember about chiaroscuro and Doric columns. He's now a freshman at San Francisco Art Institute, and I'm sure that my now-fond memories of class helped to spark a love of art in him. I must confess though that as a college freshman I was less fond of Contemporary Civilization class, ("CC") which took us through Plato, Aristotle, Herodotus, Hume, Hegel, and all of the usual suspects. At the time I thought it was boring and too high level for a student who planned to work in the gritty city counseling abused children and rape survivors.
Fast forward twenty years or so, and my job as a Compliance and Ethics Officer for a Fortune 500 company immersed me in many of the principles we discussed in CC, although we never spoke in the lofty terms that our teaching assistant used when we looked at bribery, money- laundering, conflicts of interest, terrorism threats, data protection, SEC regulations, discrimination, and other issues that keep ethics officers awake at night. We did speak of values versus rules based ethics and how to motivate people to "do the right thing."
Now that I am in academia I have chosen to research on the issues I dealt with in private life. Although I am brand new to the field of normative business ethics, I was pleased to have my paper accepted for a November workshop at Wharton's Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research. Each session has two presenters who listen to and respond to feedback from attendees, who have read their papers in advance. Dr. Wayne Buck, who teaches business ethics at Eastern Connecticut State University, presented two weeks ago. He entitled his paper "Naming Names," and using a case study on the BP Oil spill argued that the role of business ethics is not merely to promulgate norms around conduct, but also to judge individual businesspeople on moral grounds. Professor John Hasnas of Georgetown's McDonough School of Business also presented his working paper "Why Don't Corporations Have the Right to Vote?" He argued that if we accept a theory of corporate moral agency, then that commits us to extending them the right to vote. (For the record, my understanding of his paper is that he doesn't believe corporations should have the right.) Attendees from Johns Hopkins, the University of Connecticut, Pace and of course Wharton brought me right back to my days at Columbia with references to Rawls and Kant. My comments were probably less theoretical and more related to practical application, but that's still my bent as a junior scholar.
In a few weeks, I present on my theory of the social contract as it relates to business and human rights. In brief, I argue that multinational corporations enter into social contracts with the states in which they operate (in large part to avoid regulation) and with stakeholders around them (the "social license to operate", as Professor John Ruggie describes it). Typically these contracts consist of the corporate social responsibility reports, voluntary codes of conduct, industry initiatives, and other public statements that dictate how they choose to act in society, such as the UN Global Compact. Many nations have voluntary and mandatory disclosure regimes, which have the side benefit of providing consumers and investors with the kinds of information that will help them determine whether the firm has "breached" the social contract by not living up to its promise. The majority of these proposals and disclosure regimes (such as Dodd-Frank conflict minerals) rest on the premise that armed with certain information, consumers and investors (other than socially responsible investors) will pressure corporations to change their behavior by either rewarding "ethical" behavior or by punishing firms who act unethically via a boycott or divestment.
I contend in my article that: (1) corporations generally respond to incentives and penalties, which can cause them to act "morally;" (2) states refuse to enter into a binding UN treaty on business and human rights and often do not uniformly enforce the laws, much less the social contracts; (3) consumers over-report their desire to buy goods and services from "ethical" companies; and (4) disclosure for the sake of transparency, without more, will not lead to meaningful change in the human rights arena. Instead, I prefer to focus on the kinds of questions that the board members, consumers, and investors who purport to care about these things should ask. I try to move past the fuzzy concept of corporate social responsibility to a stronger corporate accountability framework, at least where firms have the ability to directly or indirectly impact human rights.
As a compliance officer, I did not use terms like "deontological" and "teleological" principles, but some heavy hitters such as Norway's Government Pension Fund, with over five billion Kronos under management, do. The 2003 report that helped establish the Fund's recommendations on ethical guidelines state in part:
One group of ethical theories asserts that we should primarily be concerned with the consequences of the choices we make. These theories are in other words forward-looking, focusing on the consequences of an action. The choice that is ethically correct influences the world in the best possible way, i.e. has the most favourable consequences. Every choice generates an infinite number of consequences and the decisive question is of course which of the consequences we should focus on. Again, a number of answers are possible. Some would assert that we should focus on individual welfare, and that the action that has the most favourable consequences for individual welfare is the best one. Others would claim that access to resources or the opportunities or rights of the individual are most important. However, common to all these answers is the view that the desire to influence the world in a favourable direction should govern our choices.
Another group of ethical theories focuses on avoiding breaching obligations by avoiding doing evil and fulfilling obligations by doing good. Whether the results are good or evil, and whether the cost of doing good is high, are in principle of no significance. This is often known as deontological ethics.
In relation to the Petroleum Fund, these two approaches will primarily influence choice in that deontological ethics will dictate that certain investments must be avoided under any circumstances, while teleological ethics will lead to the avoidance of investments that have less favourable consequences and the promotion of investments that have more favourable consequences.
Recently, NGOs have pressured firms to speak on out human rights abuses at mega-events and have published their responses. The US government has made a number of efforts, some unsuccessful, to push companies toward more proactive human rights initiatives. These issues are here to stay. As I formulate my recommendations, I am looking at the pension fund, some work by ethicists researching marketing principles, writings by political and business philosophers, and of course, my old friends Locke, Rousseau, Rawls and Kant for inspiration. If you have ideas of articles or authors I should consult, feel free to comment below or to email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. And if you will be in Philadelphia on November 14th, register for the session at Wharton and give me your feedback in person.
October 24, 2014 in Books, Business School, Call for Papers, Conferences, Corporate Governance, Corporate Personality, Corporations, CSR, Current Affairs, Ethics, Financial Markets, Marcia Narine, Securities Regulation | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Law and Ethics of Big Data│Bloomington, IN│April 17-18, 2015
Below is a call for papers that I received by e-mail earlier today.
Law and Ethics of Big Data
April 17 & 18, 2015
Indiana University- Bloomington, IN.
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 17, 2015
A research colloquium, "Law and Ethics of Big Data," co-hosted by Professor Angie Raymond of Indiana University and Janine Hiller of Virginia Tech, is sponsored by the Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics in the Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech; the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University; and the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions at Indiana University.
Up to six invitations for research presentation slots will be extended based on this call for papers. In order to receive consideration, researchers are invited to submit an abstract by January 17, 2015.
October 21, 2014 in Business Associations, Call for Papers, Conferences, Ethics, Haskell Murray | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Comment from the Student Archives- the Real Housewives Make an Appearance in Business Associations
I plan to write a more traditional blog post later if I have time, but I am in the midst of midterm grading hell. I was amused today in class when a student compared the drama of the Francis v. United Jersey Bank case with the bankruptcy, bank, and mortgage fraud convictions of husband and wife Joe and Teresa Guidice from the reality TV hit the Real Housewives of New Jersey.
I had provided some color commentary courtesy of Reinier Kraakman and Jay Kesten's The Story of Francis v. United Jersey Bank: When a Good Story Makes Bad Law, and apparently Mrs. Pritchard's defenses reminded the student of Teresa Guidice's pleas of ignorance. Other than being stories about New Jersey fraudsters, there aren't a lot of similarities between the cases. Based on my quick skim of the indictment I don't think that Teresa served on the board of any of the companies at issue--Joe apparently had an LLC and was the sole member, and the vast majority of the counts against the couple relate to their individual criminal conduct. In addition, Teresa is also going to jail, and no one suffered that fate in United Jersey. But luckily, she may see a big payday from a purported book deal and reality TV show spinoff after she's out, possibly disproving the adage that crime doesn't pay.
October 16, 2014 in Business Associations, Corporations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Law School, LLCs, Marcia Narine, Teaching, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
March of the Benefit Corporation: So Why Bother? Isn't the Business Judgment Rule Alive and Well? (Part III)
(Note: This is a cross-posted multiple part series from WVU Law Prof. Josh Fershee from the Business Law Prof Blog and Prof. Elaine Waterhouse Wilson from the Nonprofit Law Prof Blog, who combined forces to evaluate benefit corporations from both the nonprofit and the for-profit sides. The previous installments can be found here and here (NLPB) and here and here (BLPB).)
In prior posts we talked about what a benefit corporation is and is not. In this post, we'll cover whether the benefit corporation is really necessary at all.
Under the Delaware General Corporation Code § 101(b), "[a] corporation may be incorporated or organized under this chapter to conduct or promote any lawful business or purposes . . . ." Certainly there is nothing there that indicates a company must maximize profits or take risks or "monetize" anything. (Delaware law warrants inclusion in any discussion of corporate law because the state's law is so influential, even where it is not binding.)
Back in 2010, Josh Fershee wrote a post questioning the need for such legislation shortly after Maryland passed the first benefit corporation legislation:
I am not sure what think about this benefit corporation legislation. I can understand how expressly stating such public benefits goals might have value and provide both guidance and cover for a board of directors. However, I am skeptical it was necessary.
Not to overstate its binding effects today, but we learned from Dodge v. Ford that if you have a traditional corporation, formed under a traditional certificate of incorporation and bylaws, you are restricted in your ability to "share the wealth" with the general public for purposes of "philanthropic and altruistic" goals. But that doesn't mean current law doesn't permit such actions in any situation, does it?
The idea that a corporation could choose to adopt any of a wide range of corporate philosophies is supported by multiple concepts, such as director primacy in carrying out shareholder wealth maximization, the business judgment rule, and the mandate that directors be the ones to lead the entity. Is it not reasonable for a group of directors to determine that the best way to create a long-term and profitable business is to build customer loyalty to the company via reasonable prices, high wages to employees, generous giving to charity, and thoughtful environmental stewardship? Suppose that directors even stated in their certificate that the board of directors, in carrying out their duties, must consider the corporate purpose as part of exercising their business judgment.
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September 23, 2014 in Business Associations, Corporate Governance, Corporate Personality, Corporations, Ethics, Joshua P. Fershee, Religion, Social Enterprise | Permalink | Comments (4)
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Is it time to repeal the Dodd-Frank conflict minerals rule? Maybe, but not so fast
As I predicted in 2011 here and here, in 2012 here, in 2013 in amicus brief, and countless times on this blog, the SEC Dodd-Frank conflicts minerals law has had significant unintended consequences on the Congolese people and has been difficult to comply with. Apparently the Commerce Department, which has a role to play in determining which mines are controlled by rebels so that US issuers can stay away from them, can't actually figure it out either. In the past few days, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and other experts including seventy individuals and NGOS (some Congolese) who signed a memo, have called this misguided law into question. In my view, without the "name and shame" aspect of the law, it is basically an extremely expensive, onerous due diligence requirement that only a few large companies can or have the incentive to do well or thoroughly. More important, and I as I expected, it has had little impact on the violence on the ground and has hurt the people it purported to help.
I had hoped to be wrong. The foundation that I work with helps medical practitioners, midwives, and traditional birth attendants in eastern Congo and many of their patients and neighbors are members of the artisanal mining community. I won't go as far as Steve Bainbridge has in calling for the law's repeal because I think that companies should do better due diligence of their supply chains, especially in conflict zones. This law, however, is not the right one for Congo and the SEC is not the right agency to address this human rights crisis. Frankly, I don't know that the EU's voluntary certification is the right answer either. I hope that Canada, which is looking at a similar rule, pays close heed and doesn't perpetuate the same mistake that the US Congress made and that the SEC exacerbated. In the meantime, I will stay tuned to see how and if the courts, Congress, and the SEC revisit the rule.
September 11, 2014 in Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Corporations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Financial Markets, Marcia Narine, Securities Regulation | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
A Trip to the Bakken: Day 3
We covered a lot of ground today, driving up from Medora, ND, to Williston, ND, through Watford City. The traffic was not terrible for us, though the truck traffic and the road construction was slow going for a while. We're told we missed the worst of the traffic because our timing was good. It still felt like big city traffic in what is not a big city.
Watford City has been a prime example of a place where the oil boom has caused significant growing pains. A recent article in The Atlantic asked, What If Your Small Town Suddenly Got Huge?, and explained:
The Bakken oil boom has brought rapid growth to many towns and cities in western North Dakota, including Williston, north of the Missouri River, and Dickinson, alongside Interstate 94. But Watford City, where the population has jumped from just 1,400 people six years ago to more than 10,000 today, has experienced a particularly dramatic shift in character.
There is dirt being moved everywhere: for roads, for housing, and, of course, for oil. Driving this region you see very few homes, rolling hills, a few small buttes, and some abandoned farm homes. Oil wells blend in surprisingly well in many spots, as the sites are often small, and they look like small farms, without the farm house or barn. The colors of the sites blend in with the landscape, and are often easy to miss if they are far from the road, other than the flicker (and sometimes blaze) of flared natural gas that comes up with the oil and has no where else to go.
It continues to be striking to me that here in oil country, that gas is burned rather than saved, when back in West Virginia and the rest of the Marcellus Shale play (and in Texas's Barnett Shale), millions of dollars are spent per well to pull that exact commondity from the ground. Efforts to gather the gas here in North Dakota are underway, but it's not an easy undertaking. There is little immediate need here for natural gas, as there is abundant electricity already available because of lignite coal, and even some wind and hydro power in the state. The crew camp we visited on Tuesday is completely electric (no natural gas)-- even for heat, because the prices are so low.
Later in the day discussed traffic issues in the area with the state Department of Transportation, landowner issues with a landowner group, and air and water quality with a state health department official. I plan to write more on each of these issues in the next few weeks, so for now I'll just note that, as you'd expect, traffic is bad; landowners without mineral rights are sometimes not happy; and the health department has some challenges.
We also had the chance to speak with a geologist in the area, who explained the basics of the formation and how it works. It was interesting, but I'll leave that to the geology folks, as there are plenty of sources discussing that (PDF). The thing I wanted to note now was her explanation of the North Dakota's library of core samples. A recent Bismarck Tribune article explains:
In the early 1950s when the oil activity began, then-North Dakota State Geologist Wilson M. Laird, Ph.D., went to the legislature and lobbied to preserve the rocks of the producing zones and store them into a library. They bought Laird's concept, created a law based on the Model Act drafted by the Legal Committee of the Interstate Oil Compact Commission and the archives began.
This collection of rocks may be the most valuable rocks on the planet as they hold the secrets to the Bakken. Those secrets are being unlocked everyday as new technologies are created in response to the publicly-owned core samples of North Dakota.
Some states have adopted similar libraries, some have not. Looking across state lines at Montana where the Bakken crude also roams underfoot, less production is occurring. According to many in the industry, the historical shared data within the Wilson Laird library is one of the key reasons.
"In 2013, industry and academia examined 79,000 feet of core, an all-time record in the core library." Ed Burns, North Dakota State Geologist said. "More specifically, we had 28 companies and nine separate universities use the library."
In the past sharing data was not as common due to the large amounts of information, intellectually property rights and competition. North Dakota was the exception to that rule.
Apparently core samples are required about every 30 feet (horizontally or vertically) once the well gets below 8,000 feet vertically. (There are some exceptions when things get going quickly, but even then samples are needed about every 90 feet.) Because so much of North Dakota's information is publicly available, this information can help companies figure out what to look for in the drilling process, which can help maxmize production from wells.
This kind of forced data sharing is rather remarkable in that it's not something we usually see among competitors. That said, in an industry with a depleteable resource where virtually every state has a law outlawing "waste," it does makes some sense. See, e.g., the North Dakota Century Code:
43-02-03-06. Waste prohibited. All operators, contractors, drillers, carriers, gas distributors, service companies, pipe pulling and salvaging contractors, or other persons shall at all times conduct their operations in the drilling, equipping, operating, producing, plugging, and site reclamation of oil and gas wells in a manner that will prevent waste.
The industry would be well served to share such information and show a similar commitment to avoiding waste in all aspects of the process (not just oil and gas). We'd probably see less water use, better environmental protection, and faster clean up where things go wrong. There's some indication that at least the best of the industry are doing so, and I sincerely hope that continues. Stay tuned for Day 4.
September 10, 2014 in Current Affairs, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Joshua P. Fershee, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Is the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Law Working?
Two news articles about the Dodd-Frank whistleblower law caught my eye this week. The first was an Op-Ed in the New York Times, in which Joe Nocera profiled a Mass Mutual whistleblower, who received a $400,000 reward—the upper level of the 10-30% of financial recoveries to which Dodd-Frank whistleblowers are entitled.
Regular readers of this blog may know that I met with the SEC, regulators and testified before Congress before the law went into effect about what I thought might be unintended effects on compliance programs. I have blogged about my thoughts on the law here and here.
The Mass Mutual whistleblower, Bill Lloyd, complained internally and repeatedly to no avail. Like most whistleblowers, he went external because he felt that no one at his company took his reports seriously. He didn't go to the SEC for the money. As I testified, people like him who try to do the right thing and try resolve issues within the company (if possible) deserve a reward if their claims have merit.
The second story had a different ending. The Wall Street Journal reported on the Second Circuit opinion supporting Siemens' claim that Dodd-Frank's anti-retaliation protection did not extend to its foreign whistleblowing employees. In that case, everything-- the alleged wrongful conduct, the internal reporting, and the termination--happened abroad. The employee did disclose to the SEC, but only after he was terminated, and therefore his retaliation claim relates to his internal reports. The court's reasoning about the lack of extraterritorial jurisdiction was sound, but this ruling may be a victory for multinationals that may unintentionally undermine the efforts to bring certain claims to internal compliance officers.
I proudly serve as a "management representative" on the Department of Labor's Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee with union members, outside counsel, corporate representatives, and academics. Although Dodd-Frank is not in our purview, two dozen other laws, including Sarbanes-Oxley are, and we regularly hear from other agencies including the SEC. I will be thinking of these two news articles at our next meeting in September.
I will also explore these issues and others as the moderator of the ABA 8th Annual Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference, which will be held in Los Angeles, November 5-8, 2014. Panelists include Sean McKessey, Chief of the SEC's Office of the Whistleblower, Mike Delikat of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, and Jordan A. Thomas of Labaton Sucharow LLP.
The program is as follows:
Program Title: Whistleblower Rewards: Trends and Emerging Issues in Qui Tam Actions and IRS, SEC & CFTC Whistleblower Rewards Claims
Description: This session will explore the types of claims that qualify for rewards under the False Claims Act and the rewards programs administered by the Securities & Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Internal Revenue Service, the quantity and quality of evidence needed by the DOJ, IRS, SEC, and CFTC to investigate a case successfully, and current trends in the investigation and prosecution of whistleblower disclosures. The panel also will address, from the viewpoint of in-house counsel, the interplay between these reward claims and corporate compliance and reporting obligations.
If you can think of questions or issues I should raise at either the DOL meeting in DC next month or with our panelists in November, please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com or leave your comments below.
August 21, 2014 in Business Associations, Corporate Governance, Corporations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Financial Markets, Marcia Narine, Securities Regulation | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Call for Abstracts - Normative Business Ethics Workshop Series at Wharton
Below is a call for abstracts from Professor Amy Sepinwall (Wharton).
Call for Abstracts for the Normative Business Ethics Workshop Series of the Carol and Lawrence Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research:
Over the 2014-2015 academic year, the Carol and Lawrence Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, will be convening a regular works-in-progress series for scholars working in normative business ethics (NBE).
Workshop Objectives:
The series is part of an effort to foster, and increase the prominence of, normative business ethics in the academy and the public sphere. This particular initiative has two key objectives: First, it endeavors to provide a regular forum for scholars working on business ethics from a normative perspective. The community of such scholars is relatively small, and dispersed across numerous institutions, and there are few opportunities for these individuals to convene and share work. This series is an effort to connect these scholars, and enrich their shared intellectual life. Second, the series aims to be especially valuable to junior faculty, by providing them with feedback from, and opportunities to interact with, more established members of the normative business ethics community. To that end, we hope to have one junior author and one senior author at each session.
Workshop Format:
The workshop will meet roughly once a month over the academic year, for a total of 6 sessions per year. Anyone with an interest in normative business ethics is invited to attend the sessions. Faculty interested in having their paper discussed at the workshop should submit an abstract and list, in order of preference, the date(s) they could present from those listed below. (Further information about submission can be found under the "Call for Abstracts" below.) Two draft papers will be selected for each session. Complete draft papers will be circulated at least one week in advance of each session and participants will be expected to have read them carefully, and to arrive at the workshop prepared to offer constructive feedback.
The sessions will be structured so as to maximize the opportunity for paper improvement through the comments of a community of scholars committed to normative business ethics. To that end, authors will not present at the session for which their paper has been assigned. Instead, those gathered will go around the table and each participant will offer a few points of feedback on the paper.
An author whose paper is selected for presentation in a given semester will bear an obligation to attend the other two sessions that semester or to send feedback via email to the authors whose papers are presented at any session that she is unable to attend. In this way, each author will be assured of a good number of responses to her paper.
The Zicklin Center will provide the room and refreshments for each session. Attendees will be asked to pay for their own travel expenses. Some travel funding is available for paper authors for the session at which their paper will be discussed.
For Fall 2014, the workshop will be held on the following dates:
Friday, October 10, 2014, 2:00-4:30 PM.
Friday, November 14, 2014, 2:00-4:30 PM.
Friday, December 5, 2014, 2:00-4:30 PM.
Call for Abstracts
We invite individuals interested in workshopping a paper in normative business ethics to submit a paper abstract. The abstract should be a maximum of 500 words, and the accompanying email should indicate preferred dates of presentation from those listed above. Please send these to Lauretta Tomasco, firstname.lastname@example.com, by September 1, 2014. Individuals will be notified about whether their paper has been selected for presentation by September 15, 2014.
Please address all questions to Amy Sepinwall, email@example.com.
August 9, 2014 in Business Associations, Business School, Call for Papers, Conferences, Ethics, Haskell Murray | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Was Dov Charney too hot for the American Apparel Board to handle?
Warning- do not click on the first link if you do not want to see nudity.
Dov Charney founded retailer American Apparel in 1998 and it became an instant sensation with its 20-something year old consumer base. He mixed a "made in America- sweatshop free" CSR focus with a very sexy/sexual set of ads (hence the warning- - when I first created the link, the slideshow went from a topless "Eugenia in disco pants in menthe" (seriously) to a shot of adorable children's clothing in about 10 seconds). No wonder my 18-year old son, who leaves for art school in two weeks, appreciates the ad campaigns. Most of his friends do too- both the males and females. In fact, he indicated that although they all know about the "sweatshop free" ethos, because "it's in your face when you walk in the stores," that's not what draws them to the clothes. As a person who blogs and writes about human rights and supply chains, I almost wish he had lied to me. But he's no different than many consumers who over-report their interest in ethical sourcing, but then tend to buy based on quality, price and convenience. I am still researching this issue for my upcoming article on CSR, disclosure regimes and human rights but see here, here, here and here for some sources I have used in the past. My son's friends--the retailer's target demographic-- appreciate that the clothes are "sweatshop free" but don't make their buying decisions because of it. They buy because of the clothes and to a lesser extent, the ads.
The first time I ever really thought about the store was after a 2005 20/20 expose about Charney, who was accused of, among other things, sexually harassing and intimidating numerous employees. At the time I was a management-side employment lawyer and corporate compliance officer and thought to myself "what a nightmare for whomever has to defend him." It's pretty hard to shock an employment lawyer, but the allegations, which continued until his ouster last month, were pretty egregious. After over 10 years of lawsuits, the company terminated him for breaching his fiduciary duty, violating company policy, and misusing corporate assets.
Recently, American Apparel's employment practices liability insurance rose from $350,000 to $1 million, I can only assume, because of his actions and not due to the other 10,000 company employees. The company has been sued repeatedly by the EEOC and not just for sexual allegations. Purportedly, the company, which has never traded above $7.00 a share and today is a steal at $.97, could not get financing from some sources as long as Charney was at the helm.
My son and his friends did not know about the termination or the harassment allegations over the years, but he says that the nature of the allegations could have caused some of his friends to stop and think about whether they wanted to patronize the stores. I have some 30-something friends who refuse to shop there. Could this be why the store chose to add a female director? As I explained to a reporter last week, the company shouldn't need a female perspective to realize that the founder is, to put it mildly, a risk. And in fact, as studies cited by my co-blogger Josh Fershee noted earlier this week, being the "woman's voice" may minimize her perceived effectiveness. Yes, it's true that American Apparel took more decisive action than the NFL last week, as Joan Heminway observed, but what took them so long? Is it too little too late? Where was the general counsel when Charney allegedly refused to take his sexual harassment training, which is required by law in California every two years? Where were the other board members who allowed the settlement of case after case involving Charney? I have often found that some of the most vigilant supporters of women in the workplace, especially in harassment matters, are older males who have daughters and wives and who know what it's like for them. When did the board worry about whether the CEO's well-publicized alleged attacks on employees contradicted the heavy corporate responsibility branding? Did the board meet its Caremark duties?
Ironically, the company's 10-K filed two months before his termination indicated that, "In particular, we believe we have benefited substantially from the leadership and strategic guidance of Dov Charney. The loss of Dov Charney would be particularly harmful as he is considered intimately connected to our brand identity and is the principal driving force behind our core concepts, designs and growth strategy."
So at what point between April and June did Charney's actions go off the scale on the enterprise risk management heat map? COSO, the standard bearer for ERM, encourages boards to focus on: what the firm is willing to accept as it pursues shareholder value; a knowledge of management's risk management processes that have identified and assessed the most significant enterprise-wide risks; a review of the risk portfolio compared to the risk appetite; and whether management is properly responding to the most significant risks and apprising the board of those risks. Could such an objective risk assessment have even occurred with Charney (the risk) in the room? How could the company have the right tone at the top when the founder/CEO failed to comply with Code of Ethics Rule #2 --"service to the Company never should be subordinated to personal gain and advantage"? The stock price has been falling for years and the company has been struggling. Did the high rates to insure Charney's conduct finally become too hot to handle? On the other hand, would the directors have made the same decision if the shares were trading at $97 instead of .97? Some shareholders are raising concerns too about why any of the original board members remain given the appalling financial performance.
The board now has a "suitability committee," which will review the results of an independent investigation into Charney's actions. Even if the report clears Charney and he's brought back, the new independent directors will have a lot of questions to answer. The question of whether there is a woman on the board seems to be almost irrelevant given the history. For the record, even though the literature is mixed on the financial benefits of gender and racial diversity, I am a strong proponent of the diversity of viewpoints, particularly those that the underrepresented can bring to the table.
But this board needs to re-establish trust among its investors and funders and then focus on what any retailer should- potential supply chain disruptions, the impact of any immigration reform, currency fluctuations, and keeping their customer base happy and out of competitors H & M and Forever 21. The last thing they need to worry about is how to pay off the victims of their founder's latest escapades.
July 31, 2014 in Corporate Governance, Corporations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Joan Heminway, Joshua P. Fershee, Marcia Narine, Securities Regulation, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Dodd-Frank Grows Up- Or Does It?
As many have celebrated or decried, Dodd-Frank turned four-years old this week. This is the law that Professor Stephen Bainbridge labeled "quack federal corporate governance round II" (round I was Sarbanes-Oxley, as labeled by Professor Roberta Romano). Some, like Professor Bainbridge, think the law has gone too far and has not only failed to meet its objectives but has actually caused more harm than good (see here, for example). Some think that the law has not gone far enough, or that the law as drafted will not prevent the next financial crisis (see here, for example). The Council on Foreign Relations discusses the law in an accessible manner with some good links here.
SEC Chair Mary Jo White has divided Dodd-Frank's ninety-five mandates into eight categories. She released a statement last week touting the Volcker Rule, the new regulatory framework for municipal advisors, additional controls on broker-dealers that hold customer assets, reduced reliance on credit ratings, new rules for unregulated derivatives, additional executive compensation disclosures, and mechanisms to bar bad actors from securities offerings.
Notwithstanding all of these accomplishments, only a little over half of the law is actually in place. In fact, according to the monthly David Polk Dodd-Frank Progress Report:
As of July 18, 2014, a total of 280 Dodd-Frank rulemaking requirement deadlines have passed. Of these 280 passed deadlines, 127 (45.4%) have been missed and 153 (54.6%) have been met with finalized rules. In addition, 208 (52.3%) of the 398 total required rulemakings have been finalized, while 96 (24.1%) rulemaking requirements have not yet been proposed.
Many who were involved with the law's passage or addressing the financial crisis bemoan the slow progress. The House Financial Services Committee wrote a 97-page report to call it a failure. So I have a few questions.
1) When Dodd-Frank turns five next year, how far behind will we still be, and will we have suffered another financial blip/setback/recession/crisis that supporters say could have been prevented by Dodd-Frank?
2) How will the results of the mid-term elections affect the funding of the agencies charged with implementing the law?
3) What will the SEC do to address the Dodd-Frank rules that have already been invalidated or rendered otherwise less effective after litigation from business groups such as §1502, Conflict Minerals Rule (see here for SEC response) or §1504, the Resource Extraction Rule (see here for court decision)?
4) Given the SEC's failure to appeal after the proxy access litigation and the success of the lawsuits mentioned above, will other Dodd-Frank mandates be vulnerable to legal challenge?
5) Will the whistleblower provision that provides 10-30% of any recovery over $1 million to qualified persons prevent the next Bernie Madoff scandal? I met with the SEC, members of Congress and testified about some of my concerns about that provision before entering academia, and I hope to be proved wrong.
Let's wait and see. I look forward to seeing how much Dodd-Frank has grown up this time next year.
July 24, 2014 in Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Corporations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Financial Markets, Marcia Narine, Securities Regulation | Permalink | Comments (1)
Thursday, July 10, 2014
What can lawyers, professors and students learn from a corporate idealist?
In last week's post about the business of the World Cup, I indicated that I would review Christine Bader's book, The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil. I have changed my mind, largely because I don't have much to add to the great reviews the book has already received. Instead I would like to talk about how lawyers, professors and students can use the advice, even if they have no desire to do corporate social responsibility work as Bader did, or worse, they think CSR and signing on to voluntary UN initiatives is really a form of "bluewashing."
Bader earned an MBA and worked around the world on BP's behalf on human rights initiatives. This role required her to work with indigenous peoples, government officials and her peers within BP convincing them of the merits of considering the human rights, social, and environmental impacts. She then worked with the UN and John Ruggie helping to develop the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, a set of guidelines which outline the state duty to protect human rights, the corporate duty to respect human rights, and both the state and corporations' duty to provide judicial and non-judicial remedies to aggrieved parties. She now works as a lecturer at Columbia University, where she teaches human rights and business and she also advises BSR, which focuses on making businesses more sustainable. Her book tells her story but also quotes a number of other CSR professionals and how they have navigated through some of the world's largest multinationals.
Bader's book has some important takeaways for all of us.
1) In order to have influence, we have to learn to speak the language that our audience understands and appreciates- I tell my students that when they write exams for me, it's all about me. Other professors want their exams written with certain catchphrases using the IRAC method, and I may want something different. One size does not fit all. Attorneys learn (or get replaced) that some clients want long memos, others want executive summaries and bullet points and all want plain English. Talking to a venture capitalist is different than talking to a circuit court judge. Similarly, many law professors are behind the curve. If we only talk to each other in the jargon of the academy and insulate ourselves, the rest of the world won't have the benefit of our research because they won't understand or want to read it. Academics have a lot to contribute, but we need to adapt to our audience whether it's policymakers, judges, our peers or law students.
2) Sometimes we have to be less passionate in making our arguments and appeal to what's important to our audience- This point relates to Point 1. Bader regularly met with a number of constituencies and was understandably zealous in trying to convince others, internally and externally, about her positions. She and other "corporate idealists" from other firms often learned the importance of language- making a business case to certain internal stakeholders meant talking in terms of the bottom line rather than using the maxim "it's the right thing to do" or "doing well by doing good." Good attorneys know how to represent their clients without taking things personally because sometimes the passion can actually dilute effectiveness. As law professors, we need to teach our students to be more effective so that they know how and when to modulate their tone, and how to pivot and change the way they frame their arguments when they can't convince the recipient of their message.
3) Almost everything comes down to risk management- Bader often had to focus on risk management and mitigation when her moral arguments fell on deaf ears. Those who teach business should make sure that students have a basic understanding of the pressure points that business people face. For some it may be tax liability. For others it may be the appropriate exit strategy. In essence, it all comes down to understanding the client's risk profile and being able to advise accordingly. Litigators should also understand risk profiles so that they can develop an appropriate settlement strategy and help their client's work their way through some of the unexpected pitfalls that may arise over the course of the case.
4) Building relationships is a critical skill- Bader learned that social interactions with her peers at BP and the external stakeholders after hours greatly increased her effectiveness in dealing with thorny issues that arose during business hours. Lawyers often believe that if they have the substantive knowledge, they are the smartest people in the room. Law firms don't teach young associates about the importance of emotional intelligence and building relationships with peers, opposing counsel, and clients. In fact, many law students and lawyers believe that having the reputation as a "shark" is the best way to represent clients. We need to teach our students that it's better to be respected than feared or hated, and that they can disagree without being disagreeable. Those of us in the academy should model that behavior more often.
5) We must learn to compromise and recognize that incremental changes are important too- Bader and other corporate idealists often want to change the world but quickly learn that internal and external stakeholders aren't ready to move that fast. She discussed "nudging" her client toward the right direction. Law school and law-related television shows lead students to believe that the end game is to win and to win big. In the business world, sometimes there are no big wins. Lawyers and business advisors often take two steps forward and one step back, and that's ok. Students and attorneys who take classes in alternative dispute resolution learn this valuable skill. Bader and other corporate idealists also realized that you have to work with people on the opposite side who feel just as strongly that their position is on the side of the angels. Lawyers who know how to build relationships and refocus their messaging can influence those on the other side if they are willing to listen, and when necessary compromise and accept small victories.
6) We can compromise but shouldn't compromise our values- When Bader felt that her work was no longer fulfilling, she looked for other positions that aligned with her world view. With rising student debt and many lawyers living beyond their means, it's difficult for lawyers to walk away from a job or client that they don't like. That's understandable. It's more problematic to stay in a situation where there is criminal or ethical misconduct without speaking up or leaving because of the financial handcuffs. It's also unacceptable to remain in a culture that stifles a lawyer's ability to raise issues. In some cases, as alleged with some of the GM lawyers, failure to speak up could literally be a matter of life and death.
I enjoyed this quick read because it reminded me so much of my years in corporate life. Bader's story can teach all of us, even the non corporate-idealists, valuable lessons about coping and thriving in the business world.
July 10, 2014 in Business Associations, Books, Corporate Governance, Corporations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Law School, Marcia Narine, Negotiation, Teaching | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, July 4, 2014
A Corporate Idealist's Conflict About Going to Brazil for the World Cup (Twice)- Part One
The title of this post refers to the thought-provoking book by former BP executive, Christine Bader, The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil. I will save a review for next week in Part 2 of this post. Briefly, Bader discusses the internal and external struggles that she and other "corporate idealists" face when trying to provide practical, culturally appropriate, innovative ways to implement corporate social responsibility and human rights programs around the world. Much of what she said resonated with me based upon my years as a compliance and ethics officer for a multinational corporation and as a current consultant on these issues.
Like comedian/TV commentator John Oliver, I am torn about the World Cup and the significant power that soccer/futbol's international governing body FIFA has over both Brazil and its residents. His hilarious but educational rant is worth a close watch, and I experienced the conflict he describes firsthand during my two recent trips to Salvador, Brazil. I went to watch what the rest of the world calls "the beautiful game" in a country where soccer is a religion. That's not an exaggeration by the way-- I bought a statuette of a monk holding a soccer ball in a local cathedral. The monk had a place of honor in the display case right next to the rosaries. The Cup has political consequences as well -- if Brazil doesn't win the Cup at home, politicians will feel it in Fall's election.
Trip one to Brazil was purely for pleasure with sixteen aficionados to experience one of the world's most diverse and beautiful cultures while catching two matches. Because I have spent the last couple of year's researching and writing on business and human rights, when the US team advanced to the quarter finals, I took advantage of my frequent flyer miles, hastily organized some meetings with human rights activists that I had never met, snagged a ticket to the US v. Belgium match, and spent three days mixing business with pleasure.
I had done my homework of course (see e.g. this on the money aspect, this petition to vote for the worst sponsor, this on police response to protestors, and this from David Zirin on Brazil's actions with the World Cup and Olympics). I also knew that FIFA, the nonprofit with a one billion dollar reserve, pays no taxes to the host country. Indeed, while FIFA will earn several billions in profit from the 2014 Cup, Brazil will have spent over ten billion to host. Luckily Brazil loves soccer, but as you may have seen on the news, protests have erupted in the major cities about the perceived broken promises from the government to the people. The infrastructure, schools, hospitals and other projects have not materialized as promised. And while FIFA only requires eight stadiums for a World Cup, Brazil inexplicably built twelve. The Manaus Stadium in the middle of the Amazon cost $250 million and there is no soccer team there. At least the Salvador stadium, which cost $350 million to tear down and rebuild, can host its two teams as well as some of the soccer for the 2016 Olympics. The favelas where the poorest residents live are in clear view of the luxurious new facility in Salvador because they are within walking distance.
For the privilege of hosting the Cup, Brazil agreed to suspend its 2003 law banning alcohol in stadiums so that Budweiser could sell beer; institute World Cup courts to fast track convictions; exempt sponsor companies from some taxes; and establish exclusion zones 2 kilometers around FIFA-designated areas so that no local vendors can sell their wares—this in a country that is at the bottom 10% on the world for income inequality.
A few hours after I landed, I met with an organizer of the some of the protests in Salvador, Brazil's third largest city. The next day I met with an activist for the homeless in the office of the Public Defender for Human Rights. Despite government funding, the Public Defender and activist communities in Salvador work closely together to address human rights abuses. I learned the following, among other things. Over 250,000 people throughout Brazil were displaced for the games, many with no compensation. Salvador, a city with over 4,000 homeless, only developed housing for 200 families despite knowing about the games for seven years. Homeless people who did not move when told were harassed by the police. If the harassment didn't work, police confiscated their documentation and/or clothing and destroyed them. If that didn't work, street cleaning trucks bombarded them with soap and water as though they were trash. Through the joint efforts of the Public Defender and activists, this activity, which started last September, largely stopped.
I also learned that religious groups can protest against abortion and drug use in exclusion zones but those protesting against FIFA must secretly hand out pamphlets in groups smaller than three people to avoid detection, arrest and jail time (sometimes charged as "terrorists."). FIFA established almost a dozen agencies to ensure that the Cup went smoothly but most locals have experienced nothing but serious disruption. Hundreds of vendors who had eagerly staked out spaces to sell to tourists were banned and the government gave them no place else to go. People have died and suffered serious injury as FIFA has pressured the Brazilian government to complete projects on time. Although protestors have not focused on them, others have raised questions about the environmental impact of the Cup.
Sony, Johnson & Johnson, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's -- all key sponsors paying upwards of a minimum of $10 million-- tout their corporate social responsibility programs so I have the following ten questions about the business of the World Cup.
1) Is FIFA, the nonprofit corporation, really acting as a quasi-government and if so, what are its responsibilities to protect and respect local communities?
2) Does FIFA have more power than the host country and will it use that power when it requires voters to consider a bidding country's human rights record when awarding the 2026 Cup as it has suggested?
3) If Qatar remains the site of the 2022 Cup after the various bribery and human rights abuse investigations, will FIFA force that country to make concessions about alcohol and gender roles to appease corporate sponsors?
4) Will/should corporate sponsors feel comfortable supporting the Cup in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 given those countries' records and the sponsors' own CSR priorities?
5) Does FIFA's antidiscrimination campaign extend beyond racism to human rights or are its own actions antithetical to these rights?
6) Are the sponsors commenting publicly on the protests and human right violations? Should they and what could they say that has an impact? Should they have asked for or conducted a social impact analysis or is their involvement as sponsors too attenuated for that?
7) Should socially responsible investors ask questions about whether companies could have done more for local communities by donating to relevant causes as part of their CSR programs?
8) Are corporations acting as "bystanders", a term coined by Professor Jena Martin?
9) Is the International Olympic Committee, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, taking notes?
10) Do consumers, the beneficiaries of creative corporate commercials and viral YouTube videos, care about any of this?
I have thoughts but no answers to my questions and will spend my summer on these corporate responsibility issues. I definitely don't envy the corporate idealists working for any of these sponsors.
July 4, 2014 in Business Associations, Corporate Governance, Corporations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Marcia Narine, Television, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Lawyers: Be Careful with Email
Goldman Sachs provides a reminder why lawyers should be very careful when they send email (Thanks to Boing Boing for the link).
July 3, 2014 in C. Steven Bradford, Ethics | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, June 27, 2014
Easterly on The Tyranny of Experts
On Steve Bradford's recommendation, I chose William Easterly's (NYU) The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor (2014) as the book for my annual beach trip with the in-laws and cousins. (Last year was Daniel Kahneman's (Princeton) Thinking, Fast and Slow – and yes, my wife's side of the family makes fun of my beach reading material). Easterly is an author I have wanted to read for a while now, and I still need to read some of his earlier books.
More after the break.
June 27, 2014 in Books, Ethics, Haskell Murray, Social Enterprise | Permalink | Comments (0)


text:
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3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray
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0.04 oz Vial (sample)
Item #467835
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3.4 oz Eau De Toilete Spray (Tester)
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Gift Set - 1.7 oz Eau De Toilette Spray + 1.7 oz Shower Gel + 1.7 oz Body Cream
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All as promised, delivered safely and quickly! Thanks!
L. Fargo (Scottsville, VA)
by PowerReviewsPros
- Great smell (25)
- Sensual (23)
- Great value (17)
- Draws compliments (14)
- Sexy (14)
- Doesn't hold (6)
Best Uses
- Anytime (23)
- Daily use (10)
- Special occasions (10)
- Evening (9)
- Signature fragrance (4)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Adventurous style (11), Classic style (9), Natural style (8)
- Fragrance Type:
- Oriental/spicy (12), Citrus/fruity (11), Powdery (7), Woody/earthy (7), Floral (6)
Most Liked Positive Review
Sweet and sassy, sexy and bold. It it not too strong right off the bat. I really love this fragrance, however it doesn't hold very long. I don't usually go for the...Read complete review
Sweet and sassy, sexy and bold. It it not too strong right off the bat. I really love this fragrance, however it doesn't hold very long. I don't usually go for the sweet ones, but this is delicious!
Most Liked Negative Review
Sugary and vanilla, young fragrance
I enjoy this fragrance, its a little too musky for me, though every time I sprayed it before I bought it, I loved it, but when I received it, I thought it...Read complete review
I enjoy this fragrance, its a little too musky for me, though every time I sprayed it before I bought it, I loved it, but when I received it, I thought it smelt a whole lot like a bathroom deodorizer. Anyway, I determined to like it, and now think it smells like gummy bears and rich vanilla at other times. It had to grow on me. I don't think its very sensual though. That's just me. It's not something I can't live without.
its definitely a younger girl's fragrance and too potent to wear out, with that being said, it also does not have good sillage or lasting power either though. i think i might be embarrassed to wear this in the office, maybe for more casual get togethers though. it smells like something that would be at a *young* teenagers store.
Reviewed by 33 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-5
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- Long-Lasting
- Sensual
- Sexy
- Sweet smell
Best Uses
- Anytime
- Daily Use
Comments about Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual Perfume:
i used it daily, morning and night, it was good, sweet and hold alot of hours but i am not into sweet and oriental spicy mixtures!still i liked it alot.
- Fragrance Type:
- Oriental/Spicy, Sweet Smels
- Draws Compliments
- Great Smell
- Great Value
- Long-Lasting
- Not Overpowering
- Sensual
Best Uses
- Anytime
Comments about Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual Perfume:
Did a lil research and heard about this perfume and web site from Coach Rob,who did a video on top fragrance for woman. Perfume arrived quickly and packaging nice and secure.It smells sensual,sexy especially if you like sweet scent. It also last all day. I put a lil water in my hands and spary 2 sprays, rub hands together and put all over. Like when I'm standing in kitchen cooking and hubby stands behind me and sniffs my neck and says,'umph!umph! umph!,' and walks away.Will definitely buy again
- Fragrance Type:
- Citrus/Fruity, Floral, Fresh/Aquatic, Powdery
- Delicious
- Draws Compliments
- Great Smell
- Long-Lasting
- Sensual
- Sexy
Best Uses
- Anytime
Comments about Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual Perfume:
I just want to congratulate Fragrance X for such great perfumes. I am really enjoying my Pink Sugar Sensual. It makes me feel sexy everyday..My husband loves the perfume.. I think it is graet
- Fragrance Type:
- Citrus/Fruity, Floral, Herbal, Powdery
- Great Smell
- Long-Lasting
- Sensual
Best Uses
- Daily Use
Comments about Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual Perfume:
Wow. This stuff is heavenly. I cannot stop smelling my arm!!! I bought the pink sugar sensual a blind buy after hours of reading reviews.The pink sugar sensual has blown me away. This stuff is incredible all the way from the first spritz to the delicious dry down. Very comparable to B'S fantasy but sensual far outshines. Will definitely buy again!
- Great Smell
- Great Value
- Not Overpowering
- Sensual
Best Uses
- Anytime
Comments about Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual Perfume:
Read the reviews and decided to give it a chance. So glad I did cause it was worth it and I can't stop wearing it. Purchased the sampler bottle it was completely FULL! Was wrapped with care and arrived within 3 days of the shipping email. Currently I'm awaiting my second order. The prices are so great!
Displaying reviews 1-5
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Antenna locations at a premium By: David Winzelberg September 3, 2010 Comments Off Driven by an increasing demand for wireless communication, the proliferation of wireless antennas on Long Island that began 15 years ago continues to change neighborhood skylines. And while there may have been a lull after the four major carriers built most of their network infrastructure in the late 1990s, some new players have recently entered the ... Subscribe Login Email Address: Password: Already a paid subscriber but not registered for online access yet? For instructions on how to get premium web access, click here.Forgot your password? Print, Digital & Mobile1 Year$129 Digital & Mobile Only1 Month Intro Rate$2.99----------1 Year$99 Digital & Mobile Only1 Month Intro Rate$2.99----------1 Year$99 Print, Digital & Mobile1 Year$129 Print, Digital & Mobile1 Year$129----------Digital & Mobile Only1 Month Intro Rate$2.99----------1 Year$99 Share this:EmailPrintFacebookTwitterGoogle +1 cell phone towers Hempstead Long Island Ronkonkoma wireless antennas 8:03 am Fri, September 3, 2010 Long Island Business News David Winzelberg


text:
Hand in the cookie jar huh!Submitted by Guest pookie (not verified) on Fri, 05/27/2011 - 7:30pm.
Hand in the cookie jar huh! What is the difference in the Jon David / Jerry Jolly thingy when Dennis Worley's brother A.J. works as magistrate and their cousin is Judge Jolly. What about Judge Sherry Tyler's husband happens to be the Columbus County Court Administrator. The Conflict of Interest doesnt stop there, it is just a huge cluster. So, stop yacking about Jon David, he is no dummy------he knows what is going on. »
Reply |


text:
Simon Cowell Grants Young Girl's Final Wish
Simon Cowell fulfilled five-year-old Bethany Fenton's final wish before she lost her battle with a brain tumor. She achieved her dream of singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' for Cowell when she visited the 'Britain's Got Talent' studios in North London ahead of Saturday's finale on June 5 and even met some of the finalists in the competition. Following her exciting day, the young girl told UK's Daily Mail, "I loved them all, especially Kieran, who asked for my wristband to give us both luck ... Simon let me sing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' to him. He's so nice and I love him."
Last year, she was diagnosed with a grade three to four anaplastic astrocytoma brain tumor. A second MRI scan last year revealed the tumor had grown and began seriously affecting her. The youngster fought the illness for over a year and had been through radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She passed away Tuesday afternoon, June 8, at the Helen House Hospice in Oxford after a sudden deterioration in her condition at home.
Following her death, Cowell's spokesman Max Clifford said, "He is really upset, he said what a beautiful little girl she was. He is just so sad, and sad for the whole family. She was a very special little girl and Simon was so touched when she sang for him. He was happy that he was able to do a special something on Saturday night to give her a few precious moments but it is so sad and his heart goes out to Bethany's mum and dad and he is thinking of them."
A spokesman for the family said the young girl was doing fine on Sunday after singing for Cowell and "was absolutely over the moon with what happened."
"Her dad said that she had done what she always wanted to do, meet Simon Cowell and sing to him. She had achieved her big ambition and was now ready to depart this earth," the spokesman said.
- Filed under:
- Good News -
- Gut Reactions -
- Movie News -
- TV News -
- American Idol
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy lilacsnh
I have always loved Simon because of his truthfulness. He has a very true heart and is an overall nice guy. I don't think I'll watch AI if he is not on it. The only other person I'd watch in his place is Howard Stern. He is genuine as well.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy gibi1950
That act of kindness to Bethany by Simon Cowell Tells me a lot about the person deep down. You made a little girl happy before she died you prove that there is a little angel inside us all.
- Thursday 10 June
This story brought tears to my eyes. Simon has a heart of gold, and I am so sorry for her family. She will be missed.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy Kenny
Bethany - You are an "angel" and you are with God and at peace. Seeing Bethany's picture today with this story meant so much to me as person. To everyone (including myself) whoever you are: next time you think you have it that bad in life with no job, no money, or no home then look at what this little 5 year old went through. She obtained her wish and Simon - your are an "idol for this angel" and it was such a wonderful and touching thing to do for Bethany.
God bless angel and I will say a prayer tonight for you.
Kenny (Jersey) - Wednesday 09 JuneBy Chere'
See Simon is a great guy - He knows talent but people would rather bash him then listen to him - He didnt make the money he has not knowing - Go Simon - Bless that little child!
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy kimHigh Rank Vote downVote upReport this
That was a sweet thing to do for that very special girl. GOD BLESS YOU .
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy rick feldman
BRAVO Simon BRAVO. Condolences to the little angels family.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy jbrock52
you're ok simon this is the real you, you are a good hearted person.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy DanHighest Rank Vote downVote upReport this
Perhaps a recording of the song this little girl sang to Simon could be sold to help raise money for medical research that could possibly save lives of other children.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy Jennifer
What a beautiful little girl. How in the HELL do you cope with a childs death?? This just breaks my heart.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy Amy
My condolences to the parents of this beautiful little girl and God Bless Simon Cowell, many thanks for your kind and worthwhile attention to the needs of this child. You have achieved much in your life and this adds to it in a very meaningful way. Good luck with your new show. Your fan
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy Nancy K.
My prayers are with the family and blessings to Simon for such a wonderful spirit to let a little angel be happy in her transformation waiting for Jesus return.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy Maria
Kudos to you Simon....I always knew you were a teddy bear at heart!!!
- Wednesday 09 June
Simon you are one in a million, you will be sorely missed.
- Saturday 12 JuneBy Arline
Simon what a hero you are. God Bless.
- Thursday 10 JuneBy Sherwoodb66
These are the types of stories we need more of, rather than dwelling on negative things in the world today. My thoughts go out to the family during this hard time.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy daff0026
What kind of crack head are you? are you for real?? - Wednesday 09 JuneBy Hi Todd
I'm glad Simon did such a nice thing, I hope he helped the family and others with his vast wealth of money.
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy Tammy
May Bethany rest in peace...Simon Kudos to you for allowing this little girl to fufil her wish..I new you always had a good heart...Idol is no good without you and I am no longer watching it!!
- Wednesday 09 JuneBy Tyler
Ihad him all wrong. The moment i started reading the article i started crying. You are such a good man Simon. That little girl touched your heart like this article touched mine. all of america is going to miss you. god bless you.
Jennifer Aniston
Is it Brad(ley) and Jen take 2? Jen was spotted out on the town with dreamboat ...
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After Fairly Legal actress, Sarah Shahi, laid into Paris via Twitter for almost...
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Shift to recovery mode: Administrators, companies plan THS fire cleanup
With its students back in class, the response to the Trinity High School fire shifted into recovery mode this week.
ServiceMaster Recovery Management, which specializes in "commercial catastrophe," has been on-site for a week, cleaning the Knights of Columbus Activities Center gymnasium and organizing personal belongings to be picked up.
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text:
"I love the aqua color of this labels, it's perfect! I love sending letters so this one is the best compliment to those boring white envelopes. Recommended buy."
"I love this address labels, they look so pretty and I always get compliments when sending a letter. Would recommend 100%"
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"Recently moved so order these pretty address labels. Was very pleased with them. The labels I ordered are simple, elegant, modern, traditional but everyday useful. Delivery was very quick, arrived 3 days after I ordered. Will be ordering from Tiny Prints again in the near future."
"Arrive before the delivery date..They are so pretty and elegant. Great quality paper I will continue to purchase my labels from here."


text:
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Approaching Comet Set To Outshine The Moon Next Year By David Martinez 10/1/12
They are one of the most spectacular views a human could hope to see and next year a comet that will outshine the moon is due to fly by the Earth. Comet ISON is visiting the inner solar system and is set to put on spectacular views for the Northern Hemisphere across November and December next year as it heads towards the sun. It may prove to be brighter than any comet of the last century, visible even in broad daylight, and this may end up being its one and only trip to the solar system, as its trajectory may see it plunge into the sun in a fiery death. It is currently moving inwards from beyond Jupiter, and as it approaches the Earth, the "dirty snowball†could produce a dazzling display, burning brighter than the moon and potentially being visible in broad daylight. The comet, discovered by astronomers using the International Scientific Optical Network telescope in Russia, will pass within two million miles of the sun's surface making it s sun-grazing comet. It is on a parabolic orbit, which means it probably originated from the outer skirts of the solar system, perhaps from the Oort cloud, a mass of icy debris which lies 50,000 times further from the sun than the Earth does. If comet ISON survives the encounter, it could take thousands, potentially millions, of years before the comet passes back through the inner solar system. The comet will begin brightening once it gets within Jupiter's orbit, as the sun's heat begins boiling the ice locked within the comet, converting it directly into gas. It is likely to recall the excitement of Comet Hale-Bopp, which sailed past the Earth in 1997, appearing as a static-looking smear in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere. It is also set to outshine the greatest comet of the last century Comet McNaught, which shone brighter than Venus as it passed above the southern hemisphere in 1965. Comets are known as "dirty snowballs,†although technically a better definition would be snowy dirtballs, as comets are generally rocky at the surface, with chemical-laden ice within the interior. As the ice and chemicals heat up, they erupt as brilliant jets which can form tails lasting hundreds of thousands of kilometers in length. The comet is expected to be bright throughout late November and early December. Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: "This is a very exciting discovery. Our members will be eagerly following it as it makes its first trip around the Sun and hoping to see it shining brilliantly and displaying a magnificent tail as it releases powerful jets of gas and dust." Source: Sky News
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text:
Search for Anti-Aging information and Medical News in Stroke within the Longevity and Age Management section
The ability to balance on one leg for 20 seconds or more may correlate to better cognitive function and reduced stroke risk.
Continue reading…Found in strawberries, apples, and grapes, malonate esters stop the build-up of succinate and the resulting release of destructive molecules.
Continue reading…Healthy diet, along with regular physical activity and blood pressure management, can markedly lower a person's risk of a first-time stroke.
Continue reading…People genetically predisposed to develop atrial fibrillation, can be identified by a blood test.
Continue reading…Eating a healthy diet and generally following a healthy lifestyle may cut a woman's risk of stroke by more than half.
Continue reading…Potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, may reduce stroke risk, among older women.
Continue reading…A stroke therapy using stem cells extracted from patients' bone marrow has shown promising results in the first trial of its kind in humans.
Continue reading…Adverse memory and learning changes associate with increased risk of stroke.
Continue reading…Stress at work may raise your risk of heart attack and stroke, particularly among those employed in the service industry or blue-collar jobs.
Continue reading…Stress-prone, hostile, and/or depressed people may be at greater risk of stroke.
Continue reading…


text:
This script is Copyright (C) 2013-2015 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
Synopsis :
The remote Amazon Linux AMI host is missing a security update.
Description :
Multiple integer overflow flaws, leading to stack-based buffer
overflows, were found in glibc's functions for converting a string to
a numeric representation (strtod(), strtof(), and strtold()). If an
application used such a function on attacker controlled input, it
could cause the application to crash or, potentially, execute
arbitrary code. (CVE-2012-3480)
See also :
Solution :
Run 'yum update glibc' to update your system.
Risk factor :
Medium / CVSS Base Score : 4.6


text:
Hey guys.
And I love the Customization.
But can anyone answer my question?
You know the stuff you can buy in the Customization store? Can you unlock MORE stuff to buy? If so, how? Because in Scenario Campaign so far all I've got from the little chests is stuff I can already buy.. And I've seen these lists of all things buyable for characters, and some are missing from my shop.
Anyone know how to unlock extra stuff to buy for customization?
Thanks, -DreadAlert.-
Posted by DreadAlert
(57 posts)
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