An online repository of journalism and other writings I've found in my pursuit of progressive ideas in business and finance.
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As long as you’re making money, investors don’t care,” said Paul Miller, a managing director at FBR.
In today’s New York Times article about a regulator’s investigation into JPMorgan Chase. This is the culture that we’re up against.
Discovered this graphic on Ernst & Young’s website about its organizational change practice and, well, I’m obsessed.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek: How to Read a Financial Statement
A good crash course for fellow incoming MBA students!
Bloomberg BusinessWeek: How to Get on a Board
The bottom line: Reach out to all of the decision-makers and build relationships. Maggie Wilderotter, the executive interviewed for this piece, has been on 23 boards in the last 28 years, so she knows what she’s talking about.
Having studied thousands of examples, Korn/Ferry says the one thing good leaders have in common is a willingness to let new evidence change their views.
The Economist, “Emotional Breakdown: Can leaders be identified by psychometrics?”, 4/6/13 issue
It’s a common misperception that sustainability is only about making sacrifices. When done right, sustainability, by definition, actually makes money, both in the long run and often in the short run, too. Corporations that track sustainability objectives have been shown to outperform those that don’t. They are better suited to manage risk and identify cost savings, and often have easier access to capital.
From commentary by Tom Randall on Bloomberg criticizing a bill in the Kansas state legislature that would make it illegal to use “public funds to promote or implement sustainable development.” As Tom Randall points out above, sustainability is a pro-growth business initiative. Regardless of political beliefs, on an even more foundational level, we should agree that it is imperative to preserve the Earth’s resources for future generations.
The average C.E.O. made 42 times that of the average worker’s pay in 1980. A C.E.O. now makes 380 times more than the average worker.
Paraphrased from the NYT Magazine
Zoom in to see more of this brilliant illustration about the challenges and potential for sustainability efforts. Via The Regeneration Roadmap.
For me, the key area of this diagram is the bottom left corner, spanning the sections “A More Collaborative Future” and “Partnership Performance & Policy.” The question I am burning to figure out in my career is, “What will the drivers be, and who will lead, without a regulatory or accountability mechanism?”
This chart offers three potential outcomes: Push, be pulled, or be forced through regulatory mechanisms. Some corporations have already stepped up to incorporate sustainable practices into their operations. These leaders are the pushers. Once they establish success over competitors who had not yet adopted sustainability, a second wave of corporations will be pulled into doing so by the currents of market forces. Finally, regulations can force anyone who has not adopted sustainability to do so with the threat of government-mandated financial repercussions.
Typically, regulations are the first driver to get business and society to make a significant structural change (for example, child labor). But the problem, as this diagram points out several times, is that there is currently a lack of political will to motivate governments to create regulations. So we may have to find ways to encourage sustainability through the first two options—and be prepared for it to take longer to bear fruit.
The Green Side of Shareholder Activism
.@starbucks to use 100% RSPO certified palm oil by 2015 due to Green Century’s shareholder advocacy #investgreen bit.ly/Y7TmXO
— Green Century (@Green__Century) February 21, 2013
