Insights, tips and information from HP’s Corporate AR

We blogged on the subject last year, see:

http://www.longhaus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=28

and

http://www.longhaus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=28

Posted by sam.higgins on 1/20/2008 7:43 PM
» Permalink 

Good afternoon Carter,

I just received word of your post. First let me answer your question, and then I'd like to add a few related comments.

Authors should always disclose information that may bias their methods, choices of supporting evidence, and conclusions. This applies to any medium - books, analyses, reports, blogs, speeches, presentations, and any other form of communication - in which an individual, group or organization wishes to impart a certain perspective to others. Much to the disappointment of the average employee or manager, it applies to them as well. That is to say, this challenge is not unique to industry analysts. We should all strive to minimize personal bias, and disclose it in our reports and conversations.

Critical readers should (and will) scrutinize such disclosures. Of course readers bring their own biases to anything they read, so their written and verbal responses should be held to the same standard of disclosure and scrutiny.

In this context I would say it is unfair and unethical for an author to omit information about the source of funding. This occurs frequently in medicine with reports authored by doctors and researchers, and silently funded by big pharma.

However, I would also say that it is unfair for you to imply that the results of that report are biased simply because a competitor sponsored the research and HP chose to decline. That is what you are implying. Instead, quantify and qualify the 7,328 alleged reasons why HP believes that firm’s report is flawed and let your customers decide for themselves. At the very least, point out a sufficient number of factual inconsistencies and/or inaccuracies to cast doubt upon the author’s line of reasoning.

We rarely write company- or product-specific reports these days – perhaps a dozen each year. Quite frankly, the most challenging obstacles faced by organizations today have very little to do with technology – and a lot to do with personnel. However, when we do author such reports, on the rare occasion that one is sponsored we clearly disclose the sponsor on the final line of the last page along with the copyright statement. We do our best to minimize bias, as anyone should, and readers are free to decide for themselves.

Now, in response to Sam’s comment:

Sam, call me a cynic, but I believe those who trumpet Codes of Conduct are least likely to actually adhere to them. The world’s largest retailer is well known for violating its own published policies. In fact, it is known to have confidential documents that contradict its public policy. What, then, is the value of the published policy?

Note that this is not a behavior unique to corporations, and consumers are hardly in a position to take a moral high ground. Ask yourself how many individuals violate the codes of conduct of their employers, occupations or faiths every day, or the number of people who do not practice what they preach at work, at home or in their communities. This is not a justification for deception and deceptive practices (there is none), but it is a suggestion that one take a long hard look in a mirror before pointing fingers at others.

You can imagine my amusement when someone questions the integrity of a firm’s research project, but few people cry out over Salary.com’s report that businesses lose some $544 billion annually in productivity as employees waste 1.86 hours per 8-hour work day running personal errands, surfing the internet and “spacing out”. This based on a survey of 2,706 employees, not companies.

Honesty, integrity and credibility start at home. If employees fail to carry these values into the office, we can never expect anything more than what we face today.

I am a firm believer in the Golden Rule. Follow that one simple rule and you will have found your own personal code of conduct.