Trust and Honesty: America's Business Culture at a Crossroad - Softcover

Frankel, Tamar

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195371704 ISBN 13: 9780195371703

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2008

Synopsis

America's culture is moving in a new and dangerous direction, as it becomes more accepting and tolerant of dishonesty and financial abuse. Tamar Frankel argues that this phenomenon is not new; in fact it has a specific traceable past. During the past thirty years temptations and opportunities to defraud have risen; legal, moral and theoretical barriers to abuse of trust have fallen. She goes on to suggest that fraud and the abuse of trust could have a widespread impact on American economy and prosperity, and argues that the way to counter this disturbing trend is to reverse the culture of business dishonesty. Finally, she presents the following thesis: If Americans have had enough of financial abuse, they can demand of their leaders, of themselves, and of each other more honesty and trust and less cynicism. Americans can reject the actions, attitudes, theories and assumptions that brought us the corporate scandals of the 1990s. Though American society can have "bad apples," and its constituents hold differing opinions about the precise meaning of trust and truth, it can remain honest, as long as it aspires to honesty.

About this title

About the Author:

Tamar Frankel is Professor of Law at Boston University. She is also the author of Securitization: Structured Financing, Financial Assets Pools, and Asset-Backed Securities (1991) and co-author of The Regulation of Money Managers (2001), and Investment Management Regulation (2003).

Review:

"Tamar Frankel sounds a warning that America's commitment to minimal standards of good faith in business dealing is being progressively eroded, with Enron and World Com being only the tip of a very large iceberg. Disturbingly this corruption has been tolerated or even justified by decision-makers and opinion formers. Frankel provides a diamond-clear analysis, drawing on a deep knowledge of law, business, ethics, philosophy, sociology, and economic theory. She has produced a compelling case for American business, law and economics to make an account of the soul and repent."--Dr. Joshua Getzler, Fellow and Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Oxford University

"Tamar Frankel has written a brilliant analysis of the ethical deterioration of corporate America and sets forth a practical way of redirecting our misguided culture. This immensely readable book pulls no punches in calling for a mass movement towards an 'honest society which will reap the rewards of honesty.'"--Arthur Levitt, Former Chairman, United States Securities and Exchange Commission

"Tamar Frankel's book, Trust and Honesty: America's Culture at a Cross Road, is a provocative and broad-sweeping assessment of American culture, especially business culture. Weaving together press stories, observations, and research from economics, law, psychology, and sociology, Frankel draws a disturbing conclusion: Those in positions in trust are less trustworthy and our society is weakened by this trend."--Peter Tufano, Sylvan C. Coleman Professor of Financial Management, Harvard Business School

"In this timely and thought-provoking book, Tamar Frankel points out the important role that social norms and attitudes play in good corporate governance. What makes a society dishonest, Frankel argues forcefully, is not merely fraud but a general acceptance of fraud; when market participants begin to assume that others will cut corners whenever they can get away with it, the trust needed for economic prosperity will be undermined. A well functioning corporate system, Frankel suggests, is not merely the presence of good legal rules but also general aspirations to honesty. The book makes the reader stop and think, and no one who reads it will fail to recognize the importance of the issues it raises."--Lucian Bebchuk, Harvard Law School

"A valuable contemporary contribution to longstanding inquiry about the optimal mix of markets and oversight in economic life; Tamar Frankel offers fresh perspectives emphasizing the role of honesty in the analysis."-Lawrence A. Cunningham, Boston College Law School

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0195371704
• ISBN 13: 9780195371703
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264