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Jonathan Fry — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:41:34 -0500

I find great irony in comments made by analysts on Wall-Street that, “Costco’s generosity to its workers hurts the company and its shareholders.” I wonder how many of these analyst, especially given the current economic climate, wished their current employer operated more like Costco? I’m a firm believer that we need more Jim Sinegal’s in the world running big business. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be as efficient as you can, but you also need people to help you run your organization.

Comment on Node ant

Jonathan Fry — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:26:33 -0500

These are all great comments. I hope we are able to continue this discussion as we slowly start to exit the current financial crisis. It's far too easy to be outraged at outlandish executive pay when the chips are down and the company is imploding. I find it hard, if not impossible, to justify such pay packages even when a company is performing well. What sort of messages does it send to employees, when the executive team makes hundreds of times more than the average salaried worker?

Comment on Node ant

Jonathan Fry — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:23:21 -0500

Great article Norman. With the news outlets constantly keeping us informed of the meltdown on Wall Street, the topic of executive compensation has once again taken center stage. I recently took part in a brief presentation looking into executive compensation. At the end of our presentation we posed the question, "Should executive pay be capped?" The questions spawned a heated debate amongst the 30 MBA students in the class with no clear answer satisfying all sides.

So many on “Main Street” think the government should impose a cap on executive compensation.

Comment on Node ant

Jonathan Fry — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:31:55 -0500

I think this is an incredibly clever move by Starbucks. Given the current state of the economy, many loyal Starbucks customers have sacrificed their $5 latte in an effort to cut back on expenses.

Comment on Node ant

Jonathan Fry — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:29:56 -0400

The values and goals Swartz has set out for Timberland should be applauded. He's asking the right questions, "Can I be a change agent? How can I continue to be committed to pursuing social change while navigating rough waters?" Too many CEOs are afraid to ask and even more afraid to answer those types of questions. But the market has shifted and it’s time for Timberland to reexamine its business model. Today’s companies need to be more adaptive than ever to survive.

Fast Talk Response -

Jonathan Fry — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:21:35 -0400

Like Jeffrey Garten, I think we are close to another "strategic inflection point" (a moment when the basis for strategy changes, requiring a fundamental course correction.) Few argue against further investment in renewable energy. Buying an electric car helps us inch ever closer that goal by utilizing proven technologies. While moving from gas cars to electric cars is a good first step, it’s not enough. We need a fundamental course correction. Individuals need to get caught up in wanting to solve the problems of the world. The question is how do we get there?