Bless USA Swimming’s Board and Kellogg! Give virtue its due by buying Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, and Froot Loops!

Posted on February 9, 2009 by mmjdiary

In this era in which outrage is a lost art and parents rent buses to haul their underage drinking high-schoolers around on prom night to help them avoid DUIs or worse, Kellogg Co. and USA Swimming deserve kudos, accolades, and a goodly (and the Barometer does mean goodly) share of our breakfast cereal business.  Kellogg, along with the board of USA Swimming, looked at the photos of Michael Phelps and his bong and said, “Enough!”  Mr. Phelps is no longer part of the Kellogg family.  And for three months, Mr. Phelps may not compete and has had his training grant suspended. Said Kellogg, “Michael’s most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg.”  Mark Schubert, USA Swimming’s head coach, said, “If there’s any message to be sent here, it’s to be sent to Michael and to the young swimmers — that there’s more than having to say you’re sorry; you have to be ready to take some consequences.”  Good for these fine coaches and leaders.  Good for Kellogg’s.  Good for Mr. Phelps (for lessons learnt).  Good for us!  Decency matters, even when you have a record-breaking Ollympian on your team and cereal boxes. 

About mmjdiary

Professor Marianne Jennings is an emeritus professor of legal and ethical studies from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, retiring in 2011 after 35 years of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics and the legal environment of business. During her tenure at ASU, she served as director of the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics from 1995-1999. In 2006, she was appointed faculty director for the W.P. Carey Executive MBA Program. She has done consulting work for businesses and professional groups including AICPA, Boeing, Dial Corporation, Edward Jones, Mattel, Motorola, CFA Institute, Southern California Edison, the Institute of Internal Auditors, AIMR, DuPont, AES, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Motorola, Hy-Vee Foods, IBM, Bell Helicopter, Amgen, Raytheon, and VIAD. The sixth edition of her textbook, Case Studies in Business Ethics, was published in February 2011. The ninth edition of her textbook, Business: lts Legal, Ethical and Global Environment was published in January 2011. The 23rd edition of her book, Business Law: Principles and Cases, will be published in January 2013. The tenth edition of her book, Real Estate Law, will also be published in January 2013. Her book, A Business Tale: A Story of Ethics, Choices, Success, and a Very Large Rabbit, a fable about business ethics, was chosen by Library Journal in 2004 as its business book of the year. A Business Tale was also a finalist for two other literary awards for 2004. In 2000 her book on corporate governance was published by the New York Times MBA Pocket Series. Her book on long-term success, Building a Business Through Good Times and Bad: Lessons from Fifteen Companies, Each With a Century of Dividends, was published in October 2002 and has been used by Booz, Allen, Hamilton for its work on business longevity. Her latest book, The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse was published by St. Martin’s Press in July 2006 and has been a finalist for two book awards. Her weekly columns are syndicated around the country, and her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Reader's Digest. A collection of her essays, Nobody Fixes Real Carrot Sticks Anymore, first published in 1994 is still being published. She has been a commentator on business issues on All Things Considered for National Public Radio. She has served on four boards of directors, including Arizona Public Service (1987-2000), Zealous Capital Corporation, and the Center for Children with Chronic Illness and Disability at the University of Minnesota. She was appointed to the board of advisors for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators in 2004 and served on the board of trustees for Think Arizona, a public policy think tank. She has appeared on CNBC, CBS This Morning, the Today Show, and CBS Evening News. In 2010 she was named one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Business Ethics by Trust Across America. Her books have been translated into four different languages. She received the British Emerald award for authoring one of their top 50 articles in management publications, chosen from over 15,000 articles. Personal: Married since 1976 to Terry H. Jennings, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Deputy County Attorney; five children: Sarah, Sam, and John, and the late Claire and Hannah Jennings.
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5 Responses to Bless USA Swimming’s Board and Kellogg! Give virtue its due by buying Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, and Froot Loops!

  1. Fred Evil says:
    February 9, 2009 at 11:23 PM

    I coulodn’t disagree more. This country is SWIMMING in drugs, despite FORTY YEARS of a ‘War on Drugs.’ When is it time to recognize the futility and ignorance of continuing their prohibition? Doesn’t anyone remember Al Capone? Recognize any resemblance to the drug lords in Mexico?

    The failed ‘War on Drugs’ is an embarrassment to the US. Four decades into it, they haven’t reduced consumption, supply or demand AT ALL.

    You’d think that peoploe would learn from history (both past and present) and grasp that the BILLIONS of dollars we funnel into this misguided attempt at moral control, are being WASTED. Billions to the DEA, billions to foreign contries, billions to the prison industry, and billions to go after drug lords, who get better financing from the American people than the DEA does! Americans have shown their disdain for the War on Drugs, it cannot be won, it is a waste of time, and ALL of our money.

    I have personally opted to boycott Kelloggs due to their ignorant support of this failed policy. I wish more folks like Speedo would have the good sense and decency to stand up for what is right, and show their contempt for the present day prohibiton by continuing to support someone who HURT NO ONE.

    Please, wake up and take a fresh look at the ravages of humanity afflicted by the war on drugs. No, drugs are not great for you, and yes, many people have problems with them. But with their illegality, it is FAR more difficult for people to get help dealing with them, because they are afraid the police are more interested in putting them behind bars for a non-violent crime, than truly HELPING them.

    Stop the mindless, failed ‘War on Drugs’!!

  2. mmjdiary says:
    February 10, 2009 at 4:54 AM

    Just one problem with this rant: The voluntary action of shunning by a company and a private board is not regulation nor part of the government’s war on drugs. This step of ostracizing a young man who needs guidance and accountability is one by two entities who have chosen to exhibit social responsibility, i.e., voluntary action to address an issue that affects society. Some companies refuse to promote or sell the music of artists whose lyrics raise an eyebrow or two, some companies refuse to do business in countries in which there are human rights violations, and some companies have long limited executive compensation. They do so not because of laws but because they believe they take one small step to a better society by doing so. Any parent who has watched a child slip from marijuana to meth and addiction’s grip is grateful and does not consider efforts to shun that initial step mindless.

  3. David A Counts says:
    February 11, 2009 at 7:17 AM

    When you compete at the highest level of a sport or perform under the public microscope you are a role model — you do not do this against your will, you choose to be in the public eye and as a result become a role model. Recent a Professional Bull Rider had a rant in the arena and threw a helmet at a bull – didn’t bother the bull – but the Professional Bull Riders organization came down hard on the bull rider for venting at the bull and having a rant in the arena – requiring a public appology and the rider to take anger management classes.
    Sport Organizations and sponsors have an implicit and explicit expectation of behavior from athlete who choose to compete and when you are choosing to be a role model in the public eye – there is a responsibility to behave.
    Long answer – I agree with the Barometer – Bully for Swimming and Kellogg. There are other issues that should be debated public and discussed – but this is not the right incident to use to illuminate the evils of the war on drugs. Now this may be a good time to discuss performance enhancing drugs and baseballs reaction.

  4. Jeff Taylor says:
    February 14, 2009 at 10:51 PM

    Agree with the Barometer on this one – we can’t just ignore ethics violations because somebody is a somebody – that type of thinking would give way to tax evaders taking over our Treasury Department! That being said, we should also be slow to pull out the red carpet for these so called moral players. Joe Quennan notes this in his essay in the Weekend Edition of the Wall Street Journal – “We are assuming, of course, that Kellogg’s canceled the endorsement because of the marijuana scandal and not because they were short on cash” (sorry Prof. Jennings – but Kellogg’s will need to do a lot more to pull me away from my Malt-O-Meal).
    I did think that Marisa Meltzer’s subsequent essay arguing that Miley Cyrus’ liberating alternatives are somehow helping teen girls is a bunch of bunk though. It’s like arguing cocoa puffs and egg nog will somehow make us healthier than cracked wheat and dairy milk because they’ve been uniquely processed for our time.

    Sincerely,
    Prospective MBA Student
    the one you asked whether I understood Parker and I just sat there speechless
    very much enjoyed your class though

  5. mmjdiary says:
    February 15, 2009 at 7:31 AM

    And bully for the Professional Bull Riders!

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