Publicly traded companies are extremely careful about what information they release to the public. There is an obvious need to protect proprietary information. However there are a number of sites that help peer past the “corporate veil”. Yes, big companies like to show their good side, but some have misused the extensive power they have to do downright nasty deeds.
I just found a new site Glassdoor that permits employees and former employees to post comments about their companies. Registration is free and permits you to post your views.
You get top management ratings, salary information for positions in the company and company reviews. This is an unusual peek inside of the company. One caution there is always the possibility that disgruntled employees may do a dump. While I haven’t done an extensive analysis, the CEO ratings seem to be in line with the companies ratings on “Best Of” lists.
Another interesting site is Crocodyl.org (Collaborative Research On Corporations). Free registration is required. The input pool is larger than the Glassdoor, “Our aim is to stimulate collaborative research among NGOs, journalists, activists, whistleblowers and academics from both the global South and North in order to develop publicly-available profiles of the world’s most powerful corporations.”
The site has rich content and detailed reports on companies. It also has research tools and a whistleblower section. Another example of the Internet providing an information source for exposure of good and bad company practices.
Seems that the new David just got his cyber sling to battle with corporate Goliaths.
Ed Konczal has an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business (with distinction). He has spent the last 10 years as an executive consultant focusing on human resources, leadership, market research, and business planning. Ed has over 10 years of top-level experience from AT&T in the areas of new ventures and business planning. He is co-author of the book "Simple Stories for Leadership Insight," published by University Press of America.
