http://www.footnoted.com/perk-city/revisiting-expenses-at-infousa/ Morningstar's guide to what's hiding in SEC filings Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:24:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.footnoted.com/perk-city/revisiting-expenses-at-infousa/comment-page-1/#comment-10772 Geoff Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:00:49 +0000 http://www.footnoted.com/?p=4409#comment-10772 That's what happens with Regime changes. He is no longer the CEO and infoGroup is cleaning up their accounting practices. This is a good news story for shareholders and employees alike. That’s what happens with Regime changes. He is no longer the CEO and infoGroup is cleaning up their accounting practices. This is a good news story for shareholders and employees alike.

]]> http://www.footnoted.com/perk-city/revisiting-expenses-at-infousa/comment-page-1/#comment-10562 Tracie Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:33:57 +0000 http://www.footnoted.com/?p=4409#comment-10562 I've recently come to the realization that top executives today exist on a level not unlike the royal classes from yesteryear (is it a coincidence that steampunk has infiltrated the masses? Surely we haven't devolved that quickly!) It's impossible not to notice the drive of some younger execs desperate to escape to higher ground in the safety of upper management. Once there, the entitlement mentality kicks in: multiple country club memberships, company car, tax services, cell phone, internet, frequent flyer miles for personal use, expensive restaurants, and numerous networking opportunities, just to name the basics. How can someone expense flowers for a funeral or mileage for driving to that funeral, or a hundred dollar dinner at the country club to discuss upcoming layoffs? Easy: it's all business-related. Who's going to question an $800 bill at a strip club if it's signed off by a top executive? Not anyone wanting to keep their job, that's for certain. As long as the standards for business behavior is set so low as to expect bad behavior, there will be no pressure put on businessmen and women to change. Capitalism has been labeled as the lesser evil, the easy way out instead of actually working to follow its tenets. Because to actually follow capitalism, businesses would actually have to be competitive and innovative, among other things, versus following their usual safe, predictable paths. I’ve recently come to the realization that top executives today exist on a level not unlike the royal classes from yesteryear (is it a coincidence that steampunk has infiltrated the masses? Surely we haven’t devolved that quickly!) It’s impossible not to notice the drive of some younger execs desperate to escape to higher ground in the safety of upper management. Once there, the entitlement mentality kicks in: multiple country club memberships, company car, tax services, cell phone, internet, frequent flyer miles for personal use, expensive restaurants, and numerous networking opportunities, just to name the basics. How can someone expense flowers for a funeral or mileage for driving to that funeral, or a hundred dollar dinner at the country club to discuss upcoming layoffs? Easy: it’s all business-related. Who’s going to question an $800 bill at a strip club if it’s signed off by a top executive? Not anyone wanting to keep their job, that’s for certain.
As long as the standards for business behavior is set so low as to expect bad behavior, there will be no pressure put on businessmen and women to change. Capitalism has been labeled as the lesser evil, the easy way out instead of actually working to follow its tenets. Because to actually follow capitalism, businesses would actually have to be competitive and innovative, among other things, versus following their usual safe, predictable paths.

]]> http://www.footnoted.com/perk-city/revisiting-expenses-at-infousa/comment-page-1/#comment-10459 Laurie Bennett Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:35:44 +0000 http://www.footnoted.com/?p=4409#comment-10459 And thanks for the credit to Muckety. Great post. We're big fans of footnoted.org. And thanks for the credit to Muckety. Great post. We’re big fans of footnoted.org.

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