ABSTRACT
It’s not an unfamiliar story. A strong organizational concept developed in conjunction with unique cultural attributes promises not only profit but a change in the way business is done. Yet in revolutionizing the modern business model, greeted with fanfare and acclaim in the media, the expectations of phenomenal performance can exceed reality. Whether with whole or partial intent or as an incremental slide beyond unethical to evil, some organizations are unable to maintain the entrepreneurial zeal with which they began and resort to tactics of financial “impression” management. Such tactics, which unethical and might be illegal, create and sustain a culture of evil that decimates careers, fortunes, reputations, and lives. The case presented here is a real-world example of how this occurred in a company that readers might know well. The discussion that follows is based on published reports and contacts with an executive who had a firsthand view of the entire operation. It is a useful study in how an organization in whom investors and employees alike had high hopes devolved into an exemplar of evil.
