Working Wounded Blog: Unpatriotic Companies

Sept. 13, 2006 — -- With the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Monday, I started thinking about patriotism. In my lifetime, I can't remember another time where I felt that more people shared a common purpose than in the days just after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Now, five years later, I can't help but compare how that patriotism, or lack thereof, has played out in the business world.

Despite all the awful consequences of that day, the aftermath of Sept. 11 produced a sense of togetherness that the country hadn't experienced in decades. Of course, my heart goes out to the people who lost a loved one or who were injured in the attacks. I'm not saying that the loss of life and injuries were worth the increased sense of community -- I'm just observing the very, very small silver lining that went along with those dark days.

As I was reflecting on the fifth anniversary and patriotism, as a business writer, I started to think about the role played by corporations and, for that matter, the role that entire industries play in the community. Should corporations and industries subscribe to the famous quote, "What's good for General Motors is good for the country." Or do they have a responsibility to the people and country that make their success possible?

This raised a hornet's nest of issues. But instead of trying to delve into the complexity of what is patriotic at work, why not just grab the low-hanging fruit that was right in front of my face? Difficult as it may be to identify outstanding, or even appropriate behavior, it is easy to spot the black hats. Welcome to my first edition of the "Upside Down Flag Awards."

I'm going to talk about companies and industries that, in my opinion, are the most unpatriotic, irresponsible and generally embarrassing. This list is intensely personal. But even if you don't agree with what I write, I hope it serves as a catalyst to get you thinking about the role corporations and industries could play in the community.

Should corporations do everything in the name of shareholders, or do they have more stakeholders to consider -- like their employees, customers and community? Should corporations always maximize profits, or are there times when a bigger picture needs to be considered? Ideally, there should probably be a balance of both. That's why it's frustrating to see so many companies today that apparently give no thought their community contribution.

Without further delay, let's get to the awards.