In this podcast, I discuss the problem with corporate consulting firms offering awards for corporate ethics (prompted by this article ), as well as whether transparency ‘blacklists’ can actually make companies more transparent (prompted by this article ).
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

An interview with Cristóbal Conde, president and CEO of SunGard, recently appeared in the New York Times . I found it particularly interesting because the debate between flatter structures and more hierarchical structures and their relevance for today is an ongoing issue.
The interview didn’t quite capture the issue of confusion between structures and culture. We cannot escape the fact that we are in mature markets. Few companies and few industries are not within the tail end of the cycle of maturity, and I would have thought an organisation like SunGard would be no exception. Mature companies tend to have ‘taller structures’ in which tasks, roles, responsibilities, accountabilities, and even governance are made very clear. You need that–you need to know what people are doing and why they are doing it because you’re going to make as much money from the products you sell and their [...]

After seeing reports that President Obama wouldn’t be allowed to keep his BlackBerry, or might be allowed to use an approved alternative device , it’s interesting to finally see in this New York Times report that Obama has actually been able to keep his BlackBerry, or a “more sophisticated, encryped variation.” Only a very limited number of high-level officials have Obama’s email address, and messages that Obama sends cannot be forwarded. [...]