Pro Ethics

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and several large mortgage lenders have pledged not to foreclose on delinquent borrowers during the Christmas season.

Innovation

Ethics in Business mentor Jeffrey Seglin responds to the following question from an inc.com visitor:Can you grow a small, bootstrapped company into a success without lying to potential customers and suppliers? Jeffrey Seglin responds:I've actually dealt with this question before, in "True Lies," a 1998 article citing an ethics poll of Inc.

corporate cutback on low level employees

a $31.6 million settlement with Telecom over alleged discrimination under the Telecom Separation Undertakings - or rules of good market behaviour as a near-monopoly - that form part of the Telecommunications Act.

The single biggest threat to the survival of your company is not the competition. (article continues below) It's not the rising cost of gas or fluctuations in the stock market or any of the things people typically think of when they consider all the variables that can tank an otherwise thriving small business.

The "shocking" lack of women on the boards of the UK's biggest companies was highlighted on Thursday by analysis claiming that at the current pace of recruitment it would take 20 years for one in three of directors in the boardroom to be female.

Gael O'Brien The captain of a US Airways flight announced the plane was leaving its runway position and returning to the gate, promising more information as soon as possible. We later learned that an argument between two stewardesses in the galley had escalated and one of them ...

by Marian Wang, ProPublica New documents published today cast doubt on News Corporation's claims that top executives and editors at the now-defunct News of the World were unaware of widespread phone hacking at the paper. One of the documents had also been aggressively redacted by News Corp., which removed references ...

A recent article in The Economist argues that quotas used by some European countries to increase the numbers of women on corporate boards are the wrong way to promote women. While I take issue with the article, the subject of quotas stirs up ...

Surprisingly, a survey found that people think advertising is one of the top 5 areas that require governmental regulations. The others were water pollution, toxic waste, air pollution, and nuclear safety.

An article about a company using Social Media to find reach out to its customers on a more personal level.

This article is about the NY police department going undercover to watch Muslim communities. Some say it is a violation of personal freedom.

Bad advertising

Anoying online advertizing will create negativity

One unhappy customer will do more damage to your reputation than ten happy ones will help it

Mcdonald's marketing towards children under attack.

A unique and effective marketing stragegy that gives back to people in need.

Starting a business should not simply be motivated by the money side, but perhaps something that will make a difference in the world.

Good article from Tim O'Reilly (a major innovator in the publishing industry) on Steve Jobs' remark about passion vs. profit: "My passion has been to build an enduring company where people were motivated to make great products," Jobs told Isaacson. "[T]he products, not the profits, were the motivation. Sculley flipped these priorities to where the goal was to make money. It's a subtle difference, but it ends up meaning everything."

Here's a great (and free) resource for anyone interested in innovation and entrepreneurship.