Because like dogs who lick themselves, they can.

People like to be in control. Executives like people like themselves. Promotion is for the sycophant; the obsequious personality. They display all the 'correct' values and behaviours. In their business world executives decide what is true and what is not. Diversity in thinking is 'interesting' but given lip service and in many cases can be career limiting.

Executives are at the top of the fool chain. A good analogy for me is medieval times when there were Kings, Queens and subjects. Rulers and the ruled. Royalty lived the good life, while the subjects had to be thankful for what they had through the benevolence of the rulers. In today’s organisations only the few get to be princes and princesses, while others, subject to their rule, cope as best they can whilst aspiring to be inculcated into royalty. Those subjects wishing to become rulers must appear to be competitive, ambitious, productive and positive, to mention only a few of the required characteristics. They must ‘talk the talk’. Royalty in the business world is not bequeathed via heredity. Rather it is assumed by the hierarchical position occupied by the person we must obey and be seen to be obeying. Would a King or Queen countenance argument from a subject? Indeed would they have to?

I'm reminded of the saying "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"

I thought this one merited a proper follow-up!

Alan,

In the spirit of Dave's post about Existentialism http://www.cognitive-edge.com/2007/06/freedom_is_what_you_do_with_wh.php ,I'm not really worried about what the powerful ones try to establish a cult by issuing a ridiculous pamphlet. I believe/hope/work to counter these things with irony and cynicism.
I'm worried about people who do have a choice to act like adults, and then - they WANT to get that sort of directions. Who WANT a leader. Who WANT a book to tell them what their values should be.

And why to the typical leaders not allow values to emerge from practice? Many resons: Entrained thinking. Management by exception, focus on the "problems"; the metaphor of business development as "healing" what is sick, idealistic excpectations and the illusion that interventions and desired results are somehow similar.

I think it comes out of despair and ignorance, not from evil thinking or joy in suppressing others.

Executives are at the top of the fool chain.

... typo, right ?

I must admit to being drawn to subversion of official ideologies via humour - be it sarcasm or irony. Check out one of my favourite Russian philosophers Bakhtin and his Carnivale. Ideologies should be challenged at every opportunity and evenually replaced - by another 'more deserving' ideology.

We can easily experience learned helplesness - whereby it's easier to accept management values and to fit in with the official ideologies - saying the right thing in the right way. This may appear as wanting to accept management programs and initiatives (such as a behaviour guide) but in my experience such people passively reject such programs by simply tuning out or turning off when going to work. The very executives that create such emotional disengagment then complain that employees are emotionally disengaged.

Regarding the view that executives are ignorent rather than evil - I don't think they are evil, but in my experience they are self-serving, using so called rational decision making to mask a desire to progress and attain power and adoration. It is the hypocrisy I rage against. They are doing what is best for all of us - really? Tell that to the next asbestos or smoking victim.

The constant masking of unethical behaviour in the media and by people in business is nauseating. And yes to my mind the business world is a fools paradise and executives are at the head of the fool chain.

Alan

just today, there is a high-profile event here in Switzerland http://www.globalcompactsummit.org/

it's about 10 principles, which every self-respecting institution could/should (voluntarly) subscribe to:
The Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption:

Human Rights
Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Labour Standards
Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Environment
Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies
Anti-Corruption
Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

I have some problem with anti-corruption (cultural imperialism ignoring local traditions, forced flattening of the world), but in principle it's valuable, just less sexy than those high-pitched mission and vision and values thingies.

The constant masking of unethical behaviour in the media and by people in business is nauseating. And yes to my mind the business world is a fools paradise and executives are at the head of the fool chain.

What I find so unnerving is that there is so very much corporate malfeasance (in a range of ways, from cooking books through to massive disson ance between what is said and what is actually done, exploited, made, sold, etc.) that happens in broad daylight and is reported on (to some degree), and then by and large ignored. Happens every week, basically.

And of course executive remuneration just keeps rising, greater proportions each year. Why not use a complacent environment and get while the getting is good ? There doesn't seem to be much appetite to stand up for moral business conduct.

Basic reaction .. ? Just move along, nothing you want to see here ...