Found this article on the InnerWebs this afternoon. It sort of degenerates into a lot of corporate self-congratulation, but the money quote that caught my eye is in the opener.
Today, the values and behavior of global businesses face unprecedented scrutiny, and trust in corporations appears to be at a very low ebb. Never in the last 80 years has so much value been compromised for both shareholders and for the general public in such a short period of time, with catastrophic consequences for the individuals and families affected. The financial crisis which resulted in the current deep recession revealed once more a basic business axiom: if you fail to work on behalf of the public interest and take shortcuts that place the public at risk, you also will fail your shareholders. [Bold-face is my addition.]
So says Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, former CEO of the Nestle Group.
Good thought. Too bad the folks at Bayer Cropscience didn't remember that last August.
