“Names. I want names!” the headmaster of the exclusive boys’ school exclaims in the movie The Dead Poets Society, as he prepares to paddle the ringleader of the group. He wants to know who else was part of the secret group.
Similarly, I want to know the names of the people who made the fateful decisions leading to BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion. It’s not that I think they alone are responsible, because I am convinced there are others, including the CEO Tony Hayward, who bear an even greater share of the blame. But those who pulled the trigger should not be allowed to hide behind some cloak of anonymity as if they had nothing to do with the deaths of 11 men and the despoliation of the Gulf of Mexico.
Large organizations suffer from what Muel Kaptein and Johann Wempe call the “many hands dilemma.” Often corporate decisions are the result of contributions and suggestions from many people, some of whom never see or speak with others involved in the process. Sometimes a consensus emerges, having no clear center or source. Psychologists refer to the phenomenon as “diffusion of responsibility.”
The shroud of namelessness allows those who took part to hide from any scrutiny when things go wrong. As John Kennedy said after the Bay of Pigs fiasco (quoting Caleazzo Ciano), “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” President Nixon’s White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler famously sought to dispel the notion of responsibility with the phrase “mistakes were made.” It’s understandable. No one wants to be the fall guy.
Still, I want names. I want to know who took risks with the lives of others on that rig. I want to know who it was that disregarded the chunks of rubber possibly coming from a damaged annular. And I want them to know that we know.
I want the names of the analysts, traders, and minions in Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s who gave us the near melt-down of the financial system.
There is a form of corruption going on here that is far too common in major corporations throughout the world. It is the corruption of fiduciary duties in the service of making the numbers, grabbing every available bonus, and otherwise using the position of trust to advance self-interest. It is nothing new, and when leaders such as Tony Hayward neglect their responsibility to develop the right policies and put the right incentives in place, it will flourish as it apparently has at BP.
But sunlight is the best disinfectant. If those who take risks with the lives of others know that they will be chased out into the sunlight when oil rigs (or refineries) explode, then they might be less inclined to take those risks, whatever short-term benefits they seek. (I’m not holding my breath; but it can’t hurt.)
In any event, I want to know who they are. “Names. I want names.”
Mike Palmer
Yes, we need more transparency in business and government. At the same time, we need to move away from a culture of blame to a culture of responsibility. We’re too quick to blame others and too reluctant to take (or share) responsibility. Perhaps if we work together more to solve problems–particularly at the national level, as we do this fairly well in Vermont–we might create a climate that’s less fearful and more honest.
Good point. I was trying to say that anonymity breeds irresponsibility. When we know who contributed to a problem such as the BP oil disaster and those who contributed know we know, perhaps the sense of responsibility withiin bureaucratic organizations will improve.