Corporate Disasters

This book is for anyone who wants to know what truly lies behind the scandals and disasters of global business which marred the first few years of the 21st century. It examines why companies fail, finding the reasons few, yet all too common. It also explores what the prudent investor, board member or manager should be alert to but often is not.

Why when companies come crashing down, do we hear of boards who have failed in their fiduciary duties? Or that they have been ignorant, complacent or downright complicit in these scandals and downfalls? Of course, corporate scandals are nothing new, nor are they limited to any one geography. They are a damning indictment of our systems of corporate governance around the world. And yet, despite this frequency, little or nothing changes. We shrug and move on, accepting they are an unavoidable part of the system that produces incredible wealth for economies and societies. But it should not be that way. Disaster in the Boardroom shows how boards can be better. Looking at why these scandals happen, authors Peterson and Brown present in-depth case studies of major global corporations – including recent contemporary scandals associated with companies such as BP, Facebook and Uber – using the optic of their unique, original and compelling ‘six dysfunctions of the board’ analysis to reveal their particularities but also how they can be overcome. In this book, Brown and Peterson explore common attributes of scandals such as lack of independence from management, missing key voices, cultural amplification, diffusion of responsibility, rule-bound cultures and groupthink. They also identify ways to strengthen boards, improve their culture and competence, and give directors and others the power to take action and ultimately prevent disasters from happening. Disaster in the Boardroom is essential reading for every executive in every boardroom, those aspiring to board positions as well as anyone interested in why boards fail. It has never been more important to pre-identify and eradicate these boardroom dysfunctions – not least so that their impacts upon society can better seen, understood, mitigated, and avoided.

Corporate Disasters: What Went Wrong and Why profiles the biggest corporate mistakes or misdeeds throughout history -- covering the people, the times, the decisions made. This volume covers Health, Safety and Environment in Peril. Each essay puts the business and its operators in the context of its own time, explaining the market, social, and technology forces at play, and each explores the key make-or-break decisions that led to disaster.

Corporate Disasters: What Went Wrong and Why profiles the biggest corporate mistakes or misdeeds throughout history -- covering the people, the times, the decisions made. This volume covers Speculative Mania and Bubble Bursts. Each essay puts the business and its operators in the context of its own time, explaining the market, social, and technology forces at play, and each explores the key make-or-break decisions that led to disaster.

Corporate Disasters: What Went Wrong and Why profiles the biggest corporate mistakes or misdeeds throughout history -- covering the people, the times, the decisions made. This volume covers Management and Leadership Failures. Each essay puts the business and its operators in the context of its own time, explaining the market, social, and technology forces at play, and each explores the key make-or-break decisions that led to disaster.

Corporate Disasters: What Went Wrong and Why profiles the biggest corporate mistakes or misdeeds throughout history -- covering the people, the times, the decisions made. This volume covers Financial Reporting Flaws. Each essay puts the business and its operators in the context of its own time, explaining the market, social, and technology forces at play, and each explores the key make-or-break decisions that led to disaster.

Corporate Disasters: What Went Wrong and Why profiles the biggest corporate mistakes or misdeeds throughout history -- covering the people, the times, the decisions made. This volume covers Innovation Inertia and Shifting Markets. Each essay puts the business and its operators in the context of its own time, explaining the market, social, and technology forces at play, and each explores the key make-or-break decisions that led to disaster.