BASEBALL STARS BENEFIT FROM PUBLIC SCRUTINY: CORPORATE OFFICIALS TOO?

Abstract

This discussion paper addresses a current ethical issue in US business related to some corporate officers’ professional behavior. Reducing action to measurable parameters is interpreted as a predominant attribute of US culture where an activity such as management has been transformed from its stewardship and fiduciary-like character to one where measurement of action becomes its most relevant pattern. This reinforces a superstar culture for corporate officers as well as for other professions and activities: baseball players being an example amongst others, who reap compensations in the seven to eight digits as some CEOs do. This is why we make an analogy between practices of performance evaluation present in that popular sport in the US, where measuring individual and group performance is essential, and those usually employed to asses CEOs’ accomplishments. Although it might seem they have very differing responsibilities (one increases wealth the other satisfies fans), in the long run, a very good player too will bring high revenues to its team. Some wayward players and executive officers may advance professionally and at the summit of their careers deceive fans, directors and investors. This shows that success, when reduced only to measurable performance indicators, doesn’t endorse present nor future acceptable moral behavior. Business and sports aren’t free from greed, conceit and deception. Nevertheless, public scrutiny helps mitigate unacceptable behavior of superstars. Finally, thoughts on performance assessment of students in higher education as influencing future work assessment practices sketches an agenda for future empirical research.  Delving on the essence of performance assessment in the world of sport might signal interesting future multicultural research themes in the world of work.