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  • Harvard Business Review

When Hiring CEOs, Focus on Character

By: Aiyesha Dey
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:5
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Abstract

The author, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, has studied the ways in which the lifestyle behaviors of CEOs—in particular, materialism and a propensity for rule breaking—may spell trouble for a company. Her research, which includes looking at executives’ criminal records and the costs of their homes and automobiles, has found some intriguing links: Firms led by CEOs with even minor traffic tickets or excessive spending habits are disproportionately prone to fraud, insider trading, and other risky business activities. In this article Dey outlines the evolution of this work and suggests that boards should pay attention to executives’ off-the-job behavior.

Keywords

CEOs; Lifestyle; Risk Management; Recruitment; Ethics

Citation

Dey, Aiyesha. "When Hiring CEOs, Focus on Character." Harvard Business Review 100, no. 4 (July–August 2022): 54–58.
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About The Author

Aiyesha Dey

Accounting and Management
→More Publications

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    Icahn Enterprises: Ponzi Scheme or Sound Investment

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More from the Author
  • Icahn Enterprises: Ponzi Scheme or Sound Investment By: Aiyesha Dey, Jonas Heese and James Weber
  • Bear to Bull? An Analyst’s Journey with Netflix By: Aiyesha Dey and Joseph Pacelli
  • Ginkgo Bioworks vs. Scorpion Capital: The Debate Over Related-Party Revenues By: Jonas Heese, Aiyesha Dey and Suraj Srinivasan
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