Monthly Archives: February 2017

The Inauthenticity of ‘Authentic’ Food Seeking

Some people seek authentic foods for aesthetic reasons. Others do so for ethical reasons, such as striking a blow against food conglomerates that have allegedly corrupted our food supplies and dining traditions. Here, Bloomberg columnist Megan McArdle invites the reader

The Inauthenticity of ‘Authentic’ Food Seeking

Some people seek authentic foods for aesthetic reasons. Others do so for ethical reasons, such as striking a blow against food conglomerates that have allegedly corrupted our food supplies and dining traditions. Here, Bloomberg columnist Megan McArdle invites the reader

The Philly Soda Tax: Adventures in Unintended Consequences

Philadelphia’s controversial new soda tax offers a lesson in the unintended consequences of “sin” taxes, in (what public-finance scholars call) the border-tax problem, and in tax incidence. Three quick thoughts: (1) Sometimes, political authorities place taxes on disfavored products (e.g.,

The Philly Soda Tax: Adventures in Unintended Consequences

Philadelphia’s controversial new soda tax offers a lesson in the unintended consequences of “sin” taxes, in (what public-finance scholars call) the border-tax problem, and in tax incidence. Three quick thoughts: (1) Sometimes, political authorities place taxes on disfavored products (e.g.,

Myths About the ISO Anti-Bribery Standard

The International Organisation for Standardization recently published its new anti-bribery management systems standard, ISO 37,001. What’s an anti-bribery system, you ask? Many people think avoiding bribery is easy: just don’t do it. But for large organizations, avoiding bribery often means

Myths About the ISO Anti-Bribery Standard

The International Organisation for Standardization recently published its new anti-bribery management systems standard, ISO 37,001. What’s an anti-bribery system, you ask? Many people think avoiding bribery is easy: just don’t do it. But for large organizations, avoiding bribery often means

Is Oracle Putting Its Salesforce Into Commissions Debt?

How ethical are retroactive employment contract clauses? Here, a former Oracle employee avers that Oracle’s standard salesperson contract permits Oracle to retroactively change commission rates, placing in jeopardy previously earned sales commissions. In the extreme case, these changes in previously

Is Oracle Putting Its Salesforce Into Commissions Debt?

How ethical are retroactive employment contract clauses? Here, a former Oracle employee avers that Oracle’s standard salesperson contract permits Oracle to retroactively change commission rates, placing in jeopardy previously earned sales commissions. In the extreme case, these changes in previously

Bribery Penalty Kills Profits at Rolls-Royce

The article below is about the bottom-line implications of getting caught engaging in bribery. It describes how a legal penalty related to bribery drove Rolls-Royce’s financials into the red. Those not familiar with the ethico-legal jargon may not see the

Bribery Penalty Kills Profits at Rolls-Royce

The article below is about the bottom-line implications of getting caught engaging in bribery. It describes how a legal penalty related to bribery drove Rolls-Royce’s financials into the red. Those not familiar with the ethico-legal jargon may not see the

Shades of VW: Did Time Warner Cable Cheat FCC Internet Speed Tests?

File this under “representativeness of the sample”: according to a lawsuit filed by New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Time Warner Cable (TWC) provided modem-leasing internet customers with older-generation cable modems unable to produce the high-speed internet they were

Shades of VW: Did Time Warner Cable Cheat FCC Internet Speed Tests?

File this under “representativeness of the sample”: according to a lawsuit filed by New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Time Warner Cable (TWC) provided modem-leasing internet customers with older-generation cable modems unable to produce the high-speed internet they were