Archive for September, 2008
Maturing Multi-Stakeholder Programs
Voluntary “multi-stakeholder” programs have been a prominent feature of the corporate responsibility landscape for more than a decade. Launched by companies, industry groups, NGOs, governments and international organizations, programs like the UN Global Compact, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, and the Fair Labor Association, bring together diverse actors to tackle common problems on the corporate responsibility agenda: human rights, labor standards, environmental standards, and transparency. Many of these pioneering efforts established best practices for subsequent multi-stakeholder collaborations.
But as the corporate responsibility field matures, many of these multi-stakeholder programs are struggling to remain relevant. Initial successes have been followed by substantial challenges. Stakeholders are questioning programs over the scope of their mandates, participation levels, and accountability and governance mechanisms. Some multi-stakeholder efforts face credibility and sustainability concerns with the potential to scuttle the programs altogether.
When Rumors Have Legs
It was like a bad game of telephone. An old Chicago Tribune article about United Airlines filing for bankruptcy protection in 2002 either did or didn’t reappear on the Web site of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper last weekend. United says it did, the Sun-Sentinel says it was an old archived story that was mistakenly picked up by Google as a new story after it appeared in its “Popular Stories” section. (Read Google News’ explanation here.) A research firm, Income Securities Advisors, found the story when it did a search on bankruptcies. The research firm then posted it on Bloomberg News, thinking it was breaking news.
Innocent mistake? Well, instead of mishearing the details of the weekend from a friend of a friend of a friend (and no one being the worse for wear), the airline suffered a nearly 75% loss of the value of its stocks in less than an hour before trading was halted on Nasdaq. The stock ended up mostly rebounding by the end of the day – once United corrected the reports and trading resumed – but still closed at a loss.
Everyone is now pointing fingers, and the SEC has begun an “informal investigation” into the matter. (more…)
Emotions are Stubborn Things, Part 1
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
– John Adams, ‘Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials,’ December 1770
By now, as we face the final run-up to the November election, most of us have heard more than enough about the presidential horserace. Lately, though, I can’t get a certain politically embedded mantra out of my head. So, with that as my mental soundtrack, I’ll share a few thoughts on politics and communication.
“Facts are stubborn things.” Have you heard this one?
It’s one “sticky” phrase. At least three presidents, including John Adams (see above), and one former presidential candidate (who will remain nameless) have warned us about the redeeming intransigence of facts, and legions of pundits and citizen bloggers have chimed in for the chorus during the current election cycle. Google “facts are stubborn things,” and you’ll get 71,800+ results, most of which landed in cyberspace in the last two years.
So, here’s my question: Are facts the only stubborn things?