Stunning Trove of Facebook Internal Documents

The Wall Street Journal has uncovered internal emails, reports, and presentations that show Facebook’s communication struggles and contradictions. Some messages are in draft form and illustrate conflicts within the organization about how to manage apps and report on information. In one document, an employee wrote, “We are not actually doing what we say we do publicly.”

A document marked as attorney/client privileged, refers to a “whitelist,” which means that different standards apply to certain elite users. A WSJ writer explains the issue:

At times, the documents show, XCheck has protected public figures whose posts contain harassment or incitement to violence, violations that would typically lead to sanctions for regular users. In 2019, it allowed international soccer star Neymar to show nude photos of a woman, who had accused him of rape, to tens of millions of his fans before the content was removed by Facebook. Whitelisted accounts shared inflammatory claims that Facebook’s fact checkers deemed false, including that vaccines are deadly, that Hillary Clinton had covered up “pedophile rings,” and that then-President Donald Trump had called all refugees seeking asylum “animals,” according to the documents.

Other documents provide research about the negative impact of Instagram on teenage girls, including exacerbating body-image concerns and suicidal ideation. Yet, publicly, company officials have focused only on the benefits. During a congressional hearing, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “The research that we’ve seen is that using social apps to connect with other people can have positive mental-health benefits.” A spokesperson for Instagram told reporters that the negative impact on teens’ mental health is “quite small.”

So far, I don’t see a response from the company. This will be a difficult one to downplay, particularly with so many conflicting voices from within the company. This situation illustrates issues of transparency and integrity—inconsistency with Facebook’s stated values and public claims. Facebook might do best to acknowledge challenges and promise to do better, and then we would see whether they do.

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Popeyes Publishes Diversity Scorecard

Popeyes fast-food chain is publishing its diversity data related to marketing. The company will provide data about females and ethnic diversity among those represented in ads and members of creative teams, marketing departments, and external ad agencies.

With vivid colors and eye-catching graphics, the “scorecard” shows demographics at-a-glance. The chart is easy to understand and shows clearly where the company has more work to do. Text on the webpage admits deficiencies:

“We acknowledge our own lack of diversity and our commitment to be better, more diverse, and more inclusive. So today, we want to share our starting point.”

Text also draws conclusions for each group, for example, the ad teams:

“Our agency teams demonstrate the highest gender diversity of any pillar, but continue to lack in racial and ethnic diversity amongst Black/African-Americans.”

Popeyes’ approach is solid for improving diversity—and getting publicity. The Wall Street Journal article reflects well on the company. For the webpage, the “mandates” work well to identify targets, although they seem easily achievable. I don’t see on the webpage why diversity is important. Beyond the obvious—to increase market share—so what?

The scorecard is a good example of transparency but can be improved in other ways. A summary would give an overall percentage that can be tracked more easily over time. Also, I wonder about employees and partners who don’t identify as either male or female. Maybe that non-binary group could be represented as well.

Lego: "Everyone Is Awesome"

Lego is celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community with a new rainbow-colored set. The set will be available on June 1—the start of Pride Month. The designer explains the decision for the “Everyone Is Awesome” product:

“I am fortunate to be a part of a proud, supportive and passionate community of colleagues and fans. We share love for creativity and self-expression through Lego bricks and this set is a way to show my gratitude for all the love and inspiration that is constantly shared.”

The designer also explained that the characters intentionally have no specified gender.

In a press release, the company describes the purpose:

“Everyone is unique, and with a little more love, acceptance and understanding in the world, we can all feel more free to be our true AWESOME selves! This model shows that we care, and that we truly believe ‘Everyone is awesome’!”

The product is a good example of company leaders taking a stand. They might alienate some customers, but they are holding true to their values, stated at the bottom of the release:

“The LEGO Group is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. It partners with Workplace Pride, Stonewall and Open for Business to help shape strategies to support employees who identify as LGBTQIA+ and allies across the company. It also supports UK-based charity, Diversity Role Models which works to educate children about inclusivity and empathy in order to build supportive and inclusive future generations.”

Questions Are Different for Women in Economics

A working paper shows that women in economics receive more and tougher questions than do their male counterparts. Researchers analyzed data from 462 presentations at seminars and job talks, when candidates present their research to prospective faculty colleagues.

Controlling for fields, types of seminars, and other factors, the researchers found that women receive 12% more questions and more “hostile” or “patronizing” questions. One concern is that woman might be discouraged from presenting their work or applying for positions, which hurts the field of economics.

The authors note that less than one percent of presenters were Black or Hispanic, so no conclusions could be drawn about how these groups are treated.

The authors acknowledge that these questions may not result from ill intent but may be a result of implicit bias or part of a more systemic male-dominated culture. Sadly, the authors say that some comments are “demoralizing,” and again, they warn of the negative impact on the field:

“Many of us have heard stories of friends and colleagues whose bad experiences in seminars have led them to re-evaluate whether a career in economics is really the best choice for them.”

Tokyo Olympics Head Resigns Over Sexist Comments

Former Japanese Prime Minister and president of the Tokyo Olympics made sexist comments about women and has resigned. This turmoil further complicates the games, which are already delayed because of COVID-19.

Yoshiro Mori said, “On boards with a lot of women, the board meetings take so much time,” “Women are competitive. When someone raises his or her hand and speaks, they probably think they should speak too. That is why they all end up making comments,” and “You have to regulate speaking time to some extent, or else we’ll never be able to finish.”

Several Japanese leaders spoke against Mori, and it’s interesting to compare their statements, particularly from companies that typically avoid public controversy. Few board members called for his resignation, but pressure was too great, including that from about 100 volunteers who quit.

In response to criticism, Mori said, “I didn’t mean it in that way, although it was said to be discrimination against women,” he said. “I have been praising women, promoting them to speak out more.” Mori also spoke of age discrimination. He is 83 years old. He said, “Old people are also doing well for the sake of Japan and the world. I feel extremely unhappy that older people are said to be bad. But it may go nowhere if I complain.”

An ABC writer calls the press conference “hastily prepared.” His apology wasn’t good enough to stave off the criticism, and he was forced to resign.

University Assistant Coach Fired Over Disparaging Comments

Assistant coach of the Mocs football program at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been fired. Chris Malone posted a disparaging, racist, and sexist tweet about Stacey Abrams, who is credited for gaining democratic votes in the tight Georgia political races.

University Chancellor Steven Angel posted a video to explain the decision. He covers the basics of an apology but deserves credit for using video as a medium in addition to the athletics director’s and head coach’s written statements:

Mark Wharton – UTC Vice Chancellor & Directory of Athletics
"Last night, a totally inappropriate social media post by a member of our football staff was brought to my attention. The entire post was appalling. The sentiments in that post do not represent the values of our football program, our Athletics department or our University. With that said, effectively immediately, that individual is no longer a part of the program."

Rusty Wright – UTC Head Football Coach
"Our football program has a clear set of standards. Those standards include respecting others. It is a message our players hear daily. It is a standard I will not waver on. What was posted on social media by a member of my staff is unacceptable and not any part of what I stand for or what Chattanooga Football stands for. Life is bigger than football and as leaders of young men, we have to set that example, first and foremost. With that said, effectively immediately, that individual is no longer a part of my staff."

Comparing the three statements demonstrates what each leader focuses on and, perhaps, their emotional reactions to Malone’s post. This situation illustrates accountability and integrity, but I might want to see more authenticity and vulnerability. Do we know more about these leaders as a result of this situation?

CEOs Respond to Capitol Riots

Several business executives are speaking out after riots at the U.S. Capitol. Rioters stormed the building as Congress was certifying (and debating) Joe Biden as the next president. President Trump ignited the crowd by claiming, without evidence, that he won the election “by a landslide” and that it was “stolen” from him.

CEOs have been joining political conversations in the past several years, and today is another example. One of the most significant is Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwartzman, a Trump supporter and loyalist. He said, “The insurrection that followed the president’s remarks today is appalling and an affront to the democratic values we hold dear as Americans” and “There must be a peaceful transition of power.”

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan tweeted his view of the riots, and other leaders represented Salesorce, JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, Google, Apple, and many more.

Political conservatives also weighed in, for example, Jay Timmons, president and chief executive of the National Association of Manufacturers. Timmons suggested that Vice President Pence invoke the 25th amendment, meaning President Trump would be removed from office:

“This is not the vision of America that manufacturers believe in and work so hard to defend. Across America today, millions of manufacturing workers are helping our nation fight the deadly pandemic that has already taken hundreds of thousands of lives. We are trying to rebuild an economy and save and rebuild lives. But none of that will matter if our leaders refuse to fend off this attack on America and our democracy.”

Riots image.

Workers Want to Stay Home

Employees aren’t anxious to return to an office, which may forever change communication. Studies show that, since the pandemic, 61% of people would prefer to work from home full time, compared to 27% before the pandemic. Also, although about 32% didn’t want to work from home at all before the pandemic, 4% now have the same sentiment.

Employees report positive results from working from home, including greater efficiency. Although many have been challenged with children at work, overall, the unintended experiment has been successful.

Because more people will work from home, at least part time, teams need to be better collaborators, and managers need to be better managers. We have relied too heavily on simplistic measures, such as time spent in the office, with no better measures of accountability, output, and impact.

Leaders will need to find ways to keep employees connected to their organizations and to each other. Many employees are feeling “Zoomed out,” but we’ll need ways to socialize and build informal connections that help develop trust and make work easier to manage.

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Companies Leave Ad Agency Over Founder's Remarks

Several companies dropped ad agency Richards Group after the founder referred to a proposed Motel 6 ad as “too Black.” Stan Richards, the firm’s 87-year-old, white founder, also said the ad might alienate the chain’s “white supremacist constituents.” Although the agency created Motel 6’s slogan, “We’ll leave the lights on for you,” the company—along with Cracker Barrel, Home Depot and Keurig Dr Pepper—have ended the relationship. Another customer, The Salvation Army, said it were “deeply concerned” but “encouraged by the fact that Mr. Richards has made an apology.”

The founder made the comments during a Zoom meeting with more than 36 employees and referred to an ad with Black, latinx, and white motel guests. Richards apologized on another Zoom call, and he has been replaced as CEO by Glenn Dady, his planned successor. The company issued a statement on its website, including this quote from Richards:

“If this was a publicly held company, I’d be fired for the comments I made. But we’re not public, so I am firing myself. Our employees, first and foremost, deserve that.”

Trader Joe's Criticized for "Racist Packaging"

A 17-year-old started a petition to encourage Trader Joe’s to “Remove Racist Packaging From Your Products.” Briones Bedell explains her perspective:

The grocery chain labels some of its ethnic foods with modifications of “Joe” that belies a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. For example, “Trader Ming’s” is used to brand the chain’s Chinese food, “Arabian Joe” brands Middle Eastern foods, “Trader José” brands Mexican foods, “Trader Giotto’s” is for Italian food, and “Trader Joe San” brands their Japanese cuisine. 

She received 5,956 signatures and was aiming for 7,500.

The company responded in a series of statements, including this one:

We want to be clear: we disagree that any of these labels are racist. We do not make decisions based on petitions. 

In addition, the LA Times reported, “More than 80 of the 100-plus readers who responded to The Times’ call for opinions said the labels would not change their feelings about Trader Joe’s or its product.”

Bedell claims that her petition was a success and cites this NY Times article with a quote from a company spokesperson: “Labels such as Arabian Joe’s and Armenian Joe’s were no longer in use, and that the label Trader Joe San is currently used on only about three products.” Bedell’s latest post is titled, “Trader Joe’s Discontinues ‘Arabian Joe’ and ‘Armenian Joe’ Labels.” The NY Times article explains, “The supermarket chain said it was in the process of phasing out names, including Trader Ming’s and Trader José, that have appeared on its international food products.”

Discussion:

• What’s your view of the labels: racist, fun, or something else?

• Read Bedell’s post, Trader Joe’s statements, and the NY Times article. Can she claim credit for a decision?

• How do you assess Trader Joe’s response, particularly the statements on its website? What, if anything, should the company have done differently?

How to Check in on People in Difficult Times

A New York Times article, “How to Ask if Everything Is OK When It’s Clearly Not,” suggests ways to offer compassion. Here are Anna Goldfarb’s recommendations:

• Check for signs of distress: moodiness, unkempt appearance

• Check yourself first: Are you in a good place to engage?

• Be specific about your observations: What behavior could indicate a problem?

• Ask general or specific questions, depending on your relationship:

  • “Is anything on your mind?” or

  • “How are your kids adjusting to so many changes at school?”

• Or just make a statement: “I’m wondering how you are.”

• Talk about your own challenges; be vulnerable

• Just listen; you don’t have to solve anyone else’s problem

• Set a time to follow up

This article reminds me a model for appraising whether we offer compassion. This version is in Building Leadership Character, adapted from Jennifer Goetz, whose article was published in Psychological Bulletin.

Discussion:

• How comfortable would you feel engaging someone in this way during the pandemic? What might prevent you from doing so?

• Think of a time when you offered someone compassion. How does the appraisal model apply? How about a time when you didn’t offer someone compassion?

Developing Trust During the Pandemic

In his opinion piece, “How to Actually Talk to Anti-Maskers,” New York Times writer Charlie Warzel focuses on developing trust. He provides examples from previous pandemics and ways to encourage people to reduce spread of the disease.

Warzel explains the importance of empathizing with people and “meeting people where they are.” To meet resistance from people who don’t want to wear masks—and from those who may not get a vaccine when one is developed—Warzel emphasizes character and communication:

You cannot force public trust; you have to earn it by being humble and transparent, and by listening. And you can’t fake that care and maintenance — it’s the grueling and deeply human work of democracy, which is never finished.

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Discussion:

• What persuasion strategies does Warzel describe? Consider logical argument, emotional appeal, and credibility.

• Think about a time when you persuaded someone by first empathizing with their point of view. How did it work? What effect did your approach have on your relationship? You might also think about a time when someone persuaded you in this way.

• Which leadership character dimensions are illustrated in Warzel’s article?

Comparing Company Messages About Masks in Stores

Several companies have implemented policies for customers to wear masks in their stores during the pandemic.

Here are a few of these messages to compare. For some, the requirement is hard to find; search for “face” or “facial.”

• Best Buy

• Costco

• Starbucks

• Apple

• Walmart

• BJ’s

• Home Depot

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Discussion:

• What are the communication objectives of these statements? Who are the primary and secondary audiences?

• In what ways are these messages similar and different? How do you explain the differences? Consider customer demographics, locations, products/services, etc.

• Which do you consider most and least effective and why?

• In addition to the Starbucks tweet here, find other social media company posts about customers wearing face coverings. Apply the same questions to these posts.

Redskins Drop Their Name

Add The Washington Redskins to the growing list of organizations that are changing their name following the killing of George Floyd and protests around the world. The NFL team has been under pressure from fans and sponsors but, until now, has resisted changing the 87-year-old name.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder said he would never change the name, but requests could no longer be ignored from FedEx, Bank of America, PepsiCo, and Nike, the NFL’s apparel partner, which removed Redskins products from its website.

A team statement announced the decision, with no replacement name or logo yet.

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Discussion:

• Did the team do the right thing by changing the name? Why or why not?

• What are your thoughts about announcing the changing without a new name a logo? Should the team have announced both simultaneously? Why or why not?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/13/sports/football/washington-redskins-new-name.html

AI to Increase Politeness in Writing

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon’s Language Technologies Institute are using artificial intelligence to make writing sound more polite. Their work goes beyond previous AI attempts to mark tone in written communications by replacing impolite sentences with more polite language, and the results are sentences that sound natural.

This table compares other computer results with those of this team. In the third column, we see more polite revisions of the first column.

For the second example, the authors argue that using first-person plural we “creates the sense that the burden of the request is shared between speaker and addressee.”

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Discussion:

• What’s your reaction to this work? How helpful would you find this program?

• What’s your view of the revised sentences in column three: natural and better, stilted and insincere, or something else?

• Why aren’t people more polite in their writing. In other words, why do we need this program—or do we?

P&G Commercials Demonstrate Empathy

Two Proctor and Gamble ads illustrate the role of empathy in understanding aspects of being Black in America. The first ad here, “The Look,” shows how a Black man experiences others’ reactions to him throughout the day. The second ad allows the viewer to watch intimate conversations that Black families have about race.

Discussion:

• How would you describe the role of empathy in addressing bias?

• What are the objectives of these ads? How well do they meet those objectives?

• What makes these ads effective—or not—in your opinion?

Analyzing the NFL's Apology

Years after NFL players “took a knee” to protest police brutality and other discrimination against Black people, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized “for not listening to NFL players earlier.” On June 5, less than two weeks after a police officer murdered George Floyd, Goodell posted a video to express his regret in handling player protests.

The response came on the heels of a video of Black NFL players saying, “What if I was George Floyd?” and asking the league to listen to its players.

Goodell’s video was introduced on NFL’s Twitter account with this statement:

“We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter.”

Skeptics wonder what will change in the league. Jim Litke, an Associated Press sports writer notes the lack of diversity within the NFL: “Three-quarters of the players are people of color, but just four head coaches, two general managers, and one owner, Shad Khan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, are.” Litke also points to Goodell’s shaky record of handling other “big issues,” like player concussions and domestic violence.

To that last point, this isn’t the first time Goodell apologized publicly. With a different delivery style, in a 2014 video, he said, “I got it wrong” after four players were temporarily benched for domestic violence incidents.

Discussion:

• Analyze Goodell’s video message: primary and secondary audiences, communication objectives, content, organization, etc.

• Compare this video to Goodell’s 2014 video. What differences do you notice in the delivery style? How do you explain Goodell’s strategic choices?

• What’s your view of the latest apology: genuine, placating, or something else?

• On face value, what leadership character dimensions does Goodell demonstrate? Which dimensions could Goodell display more strongly or directly?

Theme Parks in Japan Discourage Screaming

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, theme parks in Japan ask visitors to wear masks and to try not to scream while on rides.

In a video, two executives on the Fujiyama coaster at Fuji-Q Highland wear masks are stone-faced and don’t scream. According to a spokesperson, the park created the video to prove that keeping quiet is possible:

“We received complaints that the theme park association’s request to not make loud noises was impossible and too strict. That’s why we decided to release the video.”

So far, Disney parks in Florida are requiring masks, but they haven’t requested that visitors keep quiet.

Discussion:

• How effective do you find the executives’ video? Consider principles of persuasion discussed in class: logical argument, emotional appeal, and credibility.

• What, if anything, could improve the park’s messaging?

• Why wouldn’t Disney in Florida follow suit? What cultural, political, and other factors may be at play?

Company Statements About George Floyd's Murder

Business Insider has assembled a list of companies’ statements and promised actions following the killing of George Floyd and the public protests.

TikTok, General Motors, McDonald’s—many brands are jumping into the conversation and posting messages that are both placating and inspiring.

Discussion:

• Read the list of statements and actions. Which sound most meaningful to you?

• Should all brands post a message? Which should, and what is important to convey?

Facebook Responds to Employee Protests

Facebook is in a bind after Twitter’s decision to post qualifiers above President Trump’s recent tweets. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made his position clear—Facebook won’t censor the president’s or others’ posts—but his employees are protesting the decision.

On his Facebook page, Zuckerberg posted his response, including his difficult decision:

“I've been struggling with how to respond to the President's tweets and posts all day. Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric. This moment calls for unity and calmness, and we need empathy for the people and communities who are hurting. We need to come together as a country to pursue justice and break this cycle.

“But I'm responsible for reacting not just in my personal capacity but as the leader of an institution committed to free expression. I know many people are upset that we've left the President's posts up, but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies.”

Separately, Zuckerberg acknowledged employees’ right to disagree:

"We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community. We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership. As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead, we'll continue seeking their honest feedback.”

Image source.

Discussion:

• What are the arguments for and against Zuckerberg changing his position because of employee protests?

• How well is Zuckerberg communicating during this time. Read posts about the pandemic, remote work, the killing of George Floyd, etc.