Alan R. Palmiter

Capitalism, Heal Thyself

By by

A paradigm shift is underway: The corporation – much reviled as a cost-externalizing, short-termist, inward-focused, politically manipulative machine – is undergoing a fundamental change. This is good news. Corporations are beginning to confront the harm they created, allowing capitalism to start healing itself.

The Rise of ESG Investing

There are three powerful factors at work. First, most large investment funds are either incorporating ESG into their investment decisions or tracking stock market indices.  Either way, there is the growing realization that bad companies or bad investments can hurt the entire portfolio. Big investors are realizing that everything is connected, and … Read more

Corporate Governance as Moral Psychology

By by

In this essay — prepared for a Washington & Lee symposium on corporate law, governance, and purpose — I propound a simple thesis: Corporate governance is best seen not as a subset of economics or even law, but instead as a subset of moral psychology.

Moral psychology:  instant, instinctive decision-making

Recent research in the nascent field of moral psychology suggests that we humans are not rational beings, particularly when we act in social and political settings. Our decisions on right and wrong (moral judgments) arise instantly and instinctively in our subconscious, out of conscious view. We rationalize these decisions — … Read more