The executions of journalist James Foley last month and Steven Sotloff days ago have sparked debate not only on the tragedies that occurred, but also on the opportunity to place limits on the right to freedom of information: Should images of executions be broadcast? CNN, for example, raised the issue. It is an interesting argument, because […]
Lazy, well connected and corrupt? The ethical profile of public managers
Last week I led a discussion among public managers on the ethics of their job, during a session of a public leadership program at IESE. I want to share with you the preliminaries of our conversation and the questions that finally came up. First of all, the owner of the public institutions is the people […]
Who is Picking up the Tab for the Financial Crisis? Is it Fair?
The most heavily indebted governments have always resorted to the same strategy: inflation. Suppose you owe 100 euros that you need to repay in one year at an interest rate of 3%. When the time comes, if inflation is 5%, you will repay 103 euros with a purchasing power of only 98 euros. The lender […]
Ethical Free Riders: An Insidious Disease Inside your Organization
What is an ethical free rider? Working in an ethically healthy firm has enormous benefits: at the internal level of the organization one may for instance have access to more information or enjoy more freedom and larger responsibilities due to an atmosphere of trust. At the level of external relations, the good reputation may attract investors, […]
