Business law and ethics

When Ben Franklin wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac and the words, “A little neglect may breed great mischief,” he did not have price fixing in mind. To the 47 executives in companies in the folding-box industry convicted of price fixing, however, the words seem tailored to fit. In those companies convicted under antitrust laws in 1976, […]

People won't speak up if they don't trust the process.

The business world is abuzz today about Greg Smith's parting shot at his long-time employer, Goldman Sachs. Is it accurate? Hard to say, but it has the...

In 2005, Harry C. Stonecipher, CEO of Boeing and one of America’s most highly respected corporate leaders, was asked by the company’s Board of Directors to resign his post. The reason was Stonecipher’s affair with Debra Peabody, a Boeing vice president. There was no charge of sexual harassment and no indication that Stonecipher had given […]

Leaders need to do more to encourage candor.

Leaders are feeling disoriented and concerned about the new technology. Here are four key risks to understand — and advice on how to address them.

In 2014, we still don't know how much an MRI should cost.

People aren’t getting dumber, but they’re often treated that way. Politicians, educators, and the media assume the public is uncomfortable with nuance and grateful for prescribed solutions. Business, too, is being progressively dumbed down, not only by book authors who teach management by parable but also by managers themselves. Ironically, the infantilization of work is […]

Five Questions with Bill George Retired CEO of Medtronic

Five steps health organizations can take.

For the first 40-plus years of their existence, the federal securities laws did not require or prohibit specific managerial practices in the operation of business, other than a business in one of a handful of closely regulated industries. But with the passage of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the SEC is equipped to […]

Taking responsibility for something one is incapable of doing has never been a particularly good idea. Politicians get in trouble for promising their...

A fictional bank CEO must make a fast decision in the face of an unthinkable crisis. What would you do in his place? Editors’ Note: This fictional case study will appear in a forthcoming issue of Harvard Business Review, and your comments will be considered for publication in the magazine. We’ll email you if your […]

Don't confuse competence with integrity.

In 2013 the genetic testing firm 23andMe received a cease-and-desist letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration forbidding it from selling its...

People respect selflessness in a leader, and perceive it when they see safety, service, and sacrifice.

The genetics boom is upon us, promising everything from cures for inherited diseases to smarter children. But companies must tread carefully as the ethical debate plays out.

Open innovation platforms are making it easier.

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Most executives think they’re security conscious—they change their passwords and shred important documents and so forth. But what rarely crosses their minds, says espionage expert H. Keith Melton, is that cloak-and-dagger types really are after their valuables. Just because you’re not paranoid, he observes, doesn’t mean they’re not following you. Melton, the author of Ultimate […]