How good governance can stop toxic ‘bro behaviour’ at companies
Boards and directors are the instigators, nurturers and custodians of one of an organisation’s most critical assets: its culture.
Image: Mike Kuhlman/Shutterstock
In 2019, the board of directors of McDonald’s Corp took the unusual but bold and moral decision to dismiss its CEO Steve Easterbrook after he revealed he’d had a consensual relationship with a co-worker.
McDonald’s had a policy forbidding managers from having “intimate interactions” with direct or indirect employees. Easterbrook readily admitted the relationship and cited his desire to adhere to the company’s code of conduct as motivating his admission.
In an email to all employees after the board announced his dismissal, he wrote: “This was a mistake. Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time
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