Corporate Truth: The Limits To Transparency

In the corporate jungle inhabited by Enrons and WorldComs, a lack of transparency is the root of all scandal. Yet delivering transparency seems immensely difficult, with the oftencompeting interests of shareholders, corporate boards, government regulators and other stakeholders to be taken into account. Drawing on a vast wealth of real-life examples from the commercial world, this lively business book goes in search of the appropriate limits of transparency. From commercial confidentiality and the ethics of marketing to lobbying and corporate corruption, the author addresses the position, significance and limits of transparency in modern corporate life, working through the dilemmas presented by the increasing calls for transparency. From the secrets of the boardroom to the struggles of NGOs, transparency is a persistent challenge. How much is enough? How much do we need? And how do companies actually report on their impacts?

In the corporate jungle inhabited by Enrons and WorldComs, a lack of transparency is the root of all scandal, yet delivering transparency seems immensely difficult with the often competing interests of shareholders, corporate boards, government regulators, and other stakeholders. Written by noted corporate social responsibility practitioner Adrian Henriques and drawing on a vast wealth of real-life examples from the commercial world, this lively business book goes in search of the appropriate limits of transparency. From commercial confidentiality to the ethics of marketing to lobbying and corporate corruption, the author addresses the position, significance, and limits of transparency in modern corporate life and works through the dilemmas that the increasing calls for transparency present. From the secrets of the board room to the struggles of NGOs, transparency is a persistent challenge–how much is enough? How much do we need? How do we do it? This book, ideally suited to business leaders and managers, consultants and business students alike addresses these questions and more.

Adrian Henriques is an independent adviser, writer, researcher, teacher and campaigner on corporate responsibility, social accountability and sustainability. He is professor of Accountability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Middlesex University, and the author of Corporate Truth: The Limits to Transparency (Earthscan, 2007).