Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

I’ve been a consultant for almost 20 years, advising companies on complex challenges in ethics, risk, and responsibility. Happily fading from memory is the cliché that ethics and compliance teams effectively constitute a “business prevention department.”

Ethics 14

Ethics Short-term Long-term Supply Chain 14

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 20, 2016

On the one hand, protectionism, populism, and wide-spread distrust of business’s role in politics is threatening international corporations (think Carrier, Boeing, and tariffs/taxes for off-shoring and outsourcing). And they may shift dramatically as the political pendulum swings back and forth in different nations.

CEO 8

CEO Ethics Chief Financial Officer Supply Chain 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 24, 2012

After all, no matter how green a company's operations and supply chains are, political efforts aimed at weakening environmental laws and regulations can have far greater environmental impact. Unfortunately, we know little about corporate political activities since much of it occurs behind closed doors. But perhaps not.

CPA 8

CPA Supply Chain Politics Policies 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

Those losses stemmed not from poor product, marketing, or supply chain decisions but from regulatory violations, loss of business and fines resulting from bribery and fraud, and concomitant reputational damage. When large companies do business overseas, they’re not just economic actors, but political ones, too. government.

Marketing 8

Marketing Company Compliance Reputation 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 6, 2011

Suppliers play far more than a supplementary role in our supply chain. CEOs nowadays should literally possess a blend of acute business and management skills, a savvy mastery of political and societal issues, and an ability to engage various stakeholder groups.

Industry 10

Industry Strategy Supply Chain Long-term 10

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 17, 2017

But this single-minded focus can be a major problem when it comes to tackling slow-building, systemic challenges, like global warming, that could take down not just supply chains but, over time, entire economies. Political analyst George Lakoff, notably in his book Don’t Think of an Elephant! , The Abundance Frame.

Morale 8

Morale EPS Supply Chain Politics 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 6, 2012

Company boycotts like this one are not new, but they have increasingly become the weapon of choice for NGOs and other activists aiming to further political and social goals. Reputational damage to Apple could be used as leverage to change working conditions in its supply chain. Sometimes the issue is one-sided (e.g.

Company 12

Company Supply Chain Politics Media 12

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 22, 2012

In an era of high unemployment, and especially in this political season of economic nationalism, both parties outdo themselves with promises to "rebuild America." employees can be 25 percent or greater of total workforce; its supply chain of third parties is vital. Let's get real — and back to basics. Business Purpose.

Offshoring 13

Offshoring Outsourcing Supply Chain Globalization 13