沃尔玛贿赂丑闻警示录：告密者不容忽视

    在未来的几个月里，沃尔玛（财富500强排名第二）很可能会经历这些在组织危机中常见的步骤。首先，公司会很快意识到问题比起最初看起来的严重得多。这类问题的本质大多都是如此。然后，沃尔玛会发现这个世界根本毫无秘密可言。墨西哥事件的每个细节、如果公司曾经掩盖问题，包括这些掩饰行为最终都会慢慢曝光。第三，沃尔玛的危机处理会被媒体越描越黑。遭人中伤在这时候是家常便饭。最后，必须有所“改变”。也就是说，有人必须要对此负责，丢掉饭碗。

    首先，发生这样的危机居然本身已经是件糟糕透顶的事。一切原本可以避免的，如果沃尔玛当初能做到一件非常困难却又非常必要的事情，那就是：相信告密者的话。

    In the months ahead Wal-Mart (No. 2 on the Fortune 500) will very likely experience the steps that characterize virtually every organizational crisis. First, the company will quickly come to see that its problem is actually much worse than it originally appeared. That's the nature of these kinds of things. Wal-Mart will also find that there are no secrets in this world. Every last detail of the Mexico situation -- and of the corporate coverup, if there was one -- will seep out. Third, Wal-Mart's handling of the crisis will be depicted in the press in the worst possible light. Being vilified goes with the territory. Finally, there will be "changes." That is, someone will be fired.

    It's too bad this crisis had to happen in the first place. And it wouldn't have, if Wal-Mart had done a very hard, very necessary thing: taken every whistleblower at his word.