Crisis Management at Goldman Sachs: Whistle-Blower or Disgruntled Employee?

An executive at Goldman Sachs publishes a damning resignation letter in the New York Times on March 14, 2012. Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and chief executive officer, and Gary D. Cohn, president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs, go into damage control and take immediate action by firing off a letter to 30,000 employees defending the company and everything the firm stands for in response to the op-ed. What best appropriate action should they take next to mitigate further damage to their perception?

This case will help students analyse a crisis management situation played out publicly at one of Wall Street’s leading firms while at the same time examining the level of corporate governance and its appropriateness. This case is particularly relevant, as the investment banking industry has come under fire from the press, politicians and even the general public.

Inspection copies and teaching notes are available for university faculty. To receive an inspection copy and teaching note, please email cmpshop [at] smu.edu.sg with your registered faculty email ID and a link to your contact information on the faculty directory at your university as verification. An inspection copy and teaching note will then be sent to your faculty email account.

Download Information

SMU Faculty/Staff can download the case & teaching note on iNet with your SMU login ID & Password via the following links:

· The Case (SMU-12-0023)

· Teaching Note (SMU-12-0023TN)

For purchase of the case and supplementary materials via The Case Centre, please access the following links:

· The Case (SMU-12-0023)

· Teaching Note (SMU-12-0023TN)