When Said Card

The past months have been one of earth-shaking events, and I mean that in an entirely literal sense: the tragedy of 11 Sept, the war in Afghanistan, Iraq and of course, the crisis in corporate confidence that began with Enron.

Enron’s effects reverberated throughout the world. It forced us to face up to the reality of a selfish society that looked out for number one. It also forced us to realise that our actions have consequences on a larger entity. With reference to corporate confidence, it forced us to question the idea of employer accountability and responsibility, and how it affects our future.

WorldCom, Arthur Andersen, et al, have come to represent a new type of villainy - one where corporate executives cashed out and loyal employees lost both their jobs and retirement savings. We live in corrupt times, a time where the line between opportunity and crime have become so blurred that a league of management have closed both eyes in pursuit of greed. Business schools taught its students about creating wealth for its stakeholders - including its employees. With more and more companies being investigated for accounting fraud, one begins to ask who the actual stakeholders are, and what are the consequences. For every man and woman who believed in the espoused corporate value that "company employees are the most valued of assets and resources," there is a sinking feeling that we may instead be betrayed.