Corporate Ethics International : Reports

Rogue Corporations, Corporate Rogues & Ethics Compliance: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 2002
by Breena Coates, School of Public Administration & Urban Studies

"Managed-mendacity arising from a culture of corporate greed gave birth to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Organizational malfeasance arises from deep within the culture of mega corporations, and consists of the collective issues of complexity and strategy; and, individual forms of managerial mischief. The impact of unethical corporate behavior has had wide-spread national and global ramifications for the economy and prestige of the United States. This paper looks at survey results that shows that stiffer penalties for wrongdoing embedded into the legislation are beginning to have an impact on corporate social responsibility..."

A Dutch study of the environmental, social and economic impacts of forest certification suggests such schemes have real and lasting benefits.
edie.net

Researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands looked at reports on the management of 123 tropical forests that were covered by kitemarking schemes such as that offered by Forest Stewardship Council to see how well they lived up to their claims.

Citigroup Report - Restructuring Citi to serve the Public Interest
by Robert Weissman, ESSENTIAL INFORMATION and Charlie Cray, CENTER FOR CORPORATE POLICY

Citigroup is among the world’s largest financial institutions. As of July 2009, it was also one-third owned by the U.S. government. Without the various subsidies and guarantees — totaling hundreds of billions of dollars — made available to Citigroup, it is very likely the bank would be insolvent. Many believe that — even with the government supports — with an honest accounting, it would be insolvent today. In the case of the failure of Citigroup, it would be taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) which has a long record of “resolving” failed banks — albeit not banks of the size and reach of Citi.

Recent Trends and Patterns in the Enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
by Philip Urofsky & Danforth Newcomb , Shearman & Sterling LLP

The past year has seen the announcement of a number of FCPA enforcement actions with unprecedented fines and penalties. However, while such major cases as Siemens and Halliburton/KBR have obviously dominated the news, it is hard to say whether they represent a trend toward large-scale high-penalty FCPA prosecutions although there are likely several cases with similarly substantial fines to come.

An Evaluation Report on the project “Strengthening Responsible Corporate Citizenship in the Businesses of the MENA Region” [PDF]
UJRC-Jordan

This project was executed within the framework of the Fifth MENA Development Forum (MDF5);a partnership conference of the World Bank Group, the United Nations Development Programme and MENA think tanks.

Corporate Design
Tellus Institute

A report that challenges conventional views on the nature and role of corporations

Strategic Corporate Initiative: Toward a Global Citizens’ Movement to Bring Corporations Back Under Control
by Michael Marx, Mari Margil, John Cavanagh, Sarah Anderson, Chuck Collins, Charlie Cray, Marjorie Kelly, Corporate Ethics International

There are tectonic stresses building beneath the surface of our society that threaten a global earthquake unlike any we’ve seen in recent history. Global warming is accelerating; fossil fuels are being rapidly exhausted; critical eco-systems have been severely damaged; and the income gap between rich and poor is increasing rapidly. The root cause of most of these problems can be found in the excessive power of global corporations. To solve these problems, we must bring corporations back under our control. This will be one of the greatest challenges our society faces this century.

Built to Last: Focusing Corporations on Long-Term Performance
Research and Policy Committee of the Committee for Economic Development

Like much of the business community, we are concerned that “short-termism”—a focus on a company’s quarterly reported financial results rather than on its enduring value—is undercutting the economic performance of U.S.-based corporations and, therefore, of the U.S. economy overall.

The Myth of the Shareholder Franchise
by Lucian Bebchuk

The power of shareholders to replace the board is a central element in the accepted theory of the modern public corporation with dispersed ownership. This power, however, is largely a myth.

The Case Against Media Consoildation
Donald McGannon Center for Communications Research, Fordham University

Changes in technology do not eliminate the need for media ownership limits. Even with the explosion of the Internet and cable channels, most people still rely on their local newspapers and local television stations as the most important sources of local news and information. Those sources thus have disproportionate impact on public opinion. Access to local, independent news sources is already a precious commodity, and further consolidation would be highly problematic.