Tiger Woods, and many other sports stars, are phenomena: we are so in awe of their featsand don't want to miss the thrill of their next appearancethat we are often blinded to their weaknesses or failings. But when their bad behaviour becomes public, we recognize that their high profile may not buffer their reputation. Often, such behavior presents companies using stars for marketing with risks they want to avoid, and marketing contracts are terminated using built-in morals clause provisions. Businesses find that fallen stars are poor role models for adults or children, and many people realize that their behaviour is not what they want others to emulate or endorse by buying. In the business world, scrutiny of high-level people is less intense if they lack celebrity appeal, but negative reaction can be as significant, and questions can be raised about suitability for promotion or termination can result. While Tiger Wood's celebrity may protect him from fall-out from some misbehavior, it is unlikely that a business person or professional would be similarly protected. For individuals wanting to work in positions of trust such as professional accountants the negative fall-out could be career-ending. It may be helpful to consider other instances where unethical behavior has been negatively received. Many corporations have suffered significantly because the public has realized that the enterprise has been doing something unethical. Examples would include VW for cheating on emissions tests, or Wells Fargo for creating 2 million fake accounts. Also instructive is the public reaction in October 2016 to what presidential candidate billionaire Donald Trump dismissed as his locker room talka candid video and tape of lewd, denigrating comments about women. First Lady Michelle Obama eloquently described why his behavior and attitudes are unacceptable today, but also why fear of retribution makes it difficult to speak against people in power. Without celebrity stardom, many people might find that our stakeholders are quite unforgiving. In the future, there will be increasing scrutiny of how we do something, or how business earns a profit, not just of what we achieve. Focussing on the quality of how we do something, and the values we observe, will protect lasting reputation much more than spectacular short-run success.
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