Comments on: More Disturbing News About HP… http://www.credoadvisors.com/blog/business-ethics/more-disturbing-news-about-hp/ Credo Advisors Consulting Blog: Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:12:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Peter Begley http://www.credoadvisors.com/blog/business-ethics/more-disturbing-news-about-hp/#comment-1512 Peter Begley Sun, 01 Oct 2006 16:40:31 +0000 http://www.credoadvisors.com/blog/business-ethics/more-disturbing-news-about-hp/#comment-1512 What I find striking is that there are quite a few <em>reasonable</em> ways in which the "leak" issue could have been dealt with. The most reasonable and ethical, from my perspective, would have been a very open discussion within the board. Presumably, if the members were truly taking their fiduciary duties into consideration, an open investigation, authorized by the board and conducted by an independent committee, would have been a possible outcome. No sneaking. No "pretexting." No slinking around and violating privacy laws. Compare the possible damage that scenario would have caused (short-term bad press) versus the situation HP now faces (pitiful scandal and tons of bad press). What I find striking is that there are quite a few reasonable ways in which the “leak” issue could have been dealt with. The most reasonable and ethical, from my perspective, would have been a very open discussion within the board.

Presumably, if the members were truly taking their fiduciary duties into consideration, an open investigation, authorized by the board and conducted by an independent committee, would have been a possible outcome. No sneaking. No “pretexting.” No slinking around and violating privacy laws. Compare the possible damage that scenario would have caused (short-term bad press) versus the situation HP now faces (pitiful scandal and tons of bad press).

]]> By: John Schneider http://www.credoadvisors.com/blog/business-ethics/more-disturbing-news-about-hp/#comment-1498 John Schneider Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:04:51 +0000 http://www.credoadvisors.com/blog/business-ethics/more-disturbing-news-about-hp/#comment-1498 One of the more troubling aspects of the HP fiasco is that it points to the absence of trust that exist at the highest level of corporate governance. In this particular case, you have a board president indulging in unethical behavior in order to find out which board member or members were speaking with the press. If I were a shareholder, I would appreciate the fact that board matters are being brought to public light. After all, it wasn't like company secrets were being compromised. One of the more troubling aspects of the HP fiasco is that it points to the absence of trust that exist at the highest level of corporate governance. In this particular case, you have a board president indulging in unethical behavior in order to find out which board member or members were speaking with the press. If I were a shareholder, I would appreciate the fact that board matters are being brought to public light. After all, it wasn’t like company secrets were being compromised.

]]>