Intentional Integrity

March 16, 2020
With this strong debut, Chesnut, general counsel of Airbnb, confronts a question he sees facing today’s most successful tech companies: having built strong services, products, and workforces during their rise to the top, how do they now use those tools ethically? Paying lip service to “values” and “accountability,” he says, is no longer enough; organizations need to make a concerted effort to articulate and prioritize their values, develop rules to ensure those values are implemented, and then make sure they’re respected throughout the company. Having productive leaders and good intentions isn’t enough; bad actors can destroy the best of efforts, Chesnut writes, and when the world is watching, trust is critical. Chesnut covers navigating the corporate culture shock that ensues when an ethical breach goes public, managing the aftereffects of bad behavior, identifying common integrity issues, avoiding issues in the first place, and implementing both clear and safe whistleblowing processes and appropriate consequences for violators. This is the rare fully realized look at not just what integrity means in the context of business, but how to make it second nature in the workplace. Business leaders should take note.

April 15, 2020
Airbnb chief ethics officer Chesnut debuts with an upbeat book on how to chart a "proactive, ethical course" for business. The author, a former federal prosecutor, writes, "we are all capable of dishonesty," recounting workplace ethical issues that have rocked Enron, Volkswagen, and other corporations; headline-making cases of sexual harassment and assault; and everyday instances of bribery, fraud, and conflicts of interest. Yet, he writes, "most companies don't talk much about integrity." Many simply distribute a code of ethics template emblazoned with a corporate logo. With little reason to fear consequences, individuals believe they can "get away" with unethical acts, and "even small acts of fraud and deceit, doing work while intoxicated, fudging numbers, violating domestic or international regulations, become compounded over time." Each poor choice makes the next "easier to make." In this exhaustive overview, Chesnut argues persuasively that every organization needs a "deliberate, intentional commitment" to ethical rules based on its clearly stated purpose and values. The rules must be widely and constantly disseminated so that they become a company "norm." The process will generate "business success and positive social value," helping firms attract the best employees and avoid scandals. Drawing on considerable experience with the nuances and circumstances of integrity violations at Airbnb and, earlier, eBay, Chesnut offers plentiful examples of common integrity issues--e.g., romantic entanglements, selling customer data, social media issues--tips on how to handle them, and ways to create a safe process for reporting lapses. He is especially good on such matters as enforcing consequences and handling situations involving violators who are high-performing employees. The author's enthusiasm sometimes leads him astray--his anticipated "contagion of integrity" in business seems unlikely--but his rigorous guidelines for lawful behavior should keep employees on their toes and limit federal liabilities. Appendices cover diverse ethical crises. Valuable reading for companies that want to get serious about workplace ethics. (first printing of 100,000)

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April 17, 2020

Anyone who reads the news will be familiar with the seemingly endless lapses in integrity that occur at companies, both those well-established and start-ups. In this work, Chesnut (CEO, Airbnb) shares his method for safeguarding organizations against these lapses and thus avoiding the negative effects on customer loyalty (and the bottom line) and recruiting and retaining talented staff. He boils his method down to six steps--the six C's--through which organizations can establish a clear set of values and ensure that everyone adheres to them, including obvious buy-in and behavior modeling from those at the top (the first C is for "CEO"). Other key elements include a robust and continuous system for communicating and reinforcing these values and a barrier- and stigma-free system for reporting lapses paired with a clear set of consequences that are equitably and routinely enforced. To emphasize his points, Chesnut liberally mixes in examples taken from his experiences at eBay and Airbnb. VERDICT Sound advice for the corporate world on creating and maintaining a culture of trust and integrity. Will appeal to aspiring corporate leaders and readers interested in a glimpse of the inner workings of successful start-ups.--Sara Holder, Univ. of Illinois Libs., Champaign

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