In increase to the dubiousness of what embodied policy now - former Microsoft CIO Stuart Scott break to lead to his expiry by the caller on Monday , many other unknowns remain .
For instance , why did n’t Microsoft and Scott work out some sort of typeface - save going ? Was Microsoft tough on Scott than it might have been on someone else because he was CIO ? And what career paths remain open to the 40 - something Scott ?
One thing is for certain : Scott ’s firing has become unusually public , even though the expiration was divulge in an inner memoranda and Microsoft did n’t officially announce it to the outside globe or specify what internal policy he had break .
Art Crane , principal at Capstone Services , a human resource consult firm in Sherman , Conn. , say via e - mail that it is “ rather strange ” to see an involuntary conclusion be disclosed so publicly . “ More typically , company would need the situation to just go away without a heap of fanfare , ” Crane wrote .
That may not have been possible in this typesetter’s case , though . Scott had worked at Microsoft for only two years and was relatively unknown , especially in equivalence with many of the party ’s other executives . But because of its size and market clout , Microsoft is always under the spotlight .
And , Crane wrote , “ with the heightened focal point on ethical considerations of late , it ’s important for a company , in particular one as visible as Microsoft , to parcel out with infractions fleetly and to send subject matter to employee , stockholders , governor and the oecumenical public that it wo n’t suffer infringement . ”
John Challenger , chairman of Chicago - based employee outplacement house Challenger , Gray & Christmas , said he doubts that Microsoft was trying to create a “ public suspension ” by firing Scott . “ When you ’re in a war to attract talent and the adept and brightest executives , you would n’t require to intimate that you could do something that would abash them , ” Challenger say .
On the other hand , CIOs are not only in charge of ensuring that key IT organization stay up all of the clip ; they also have access to many of a company ’s deep secrets . Thus , there is an increase desire to hold them to a high touchstone of behavior , according to Challenger . “ This Book of Job is for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts , ” he said .
Scott ’s resume and public epitome seemed to outfit that sort of verbal description . He holds knight bachelor ’s and master ’s degrees in technology , mathematics and data processor science as well as an MBA . Before joining Microsoft , he spent 17 years at General Electric Co. , where he rose up through the IT ranks to become CIO of the monumental GE Industrial Systems division . He also took part in GE ’s Leadership Development Program .
In an audience withComputerworldthat was write in September , Scott — who has seven children — said that outside of work , “ my syndicate is my biggest priority . ” He added that he also enjoys “ playing golf and volunteering with my church service and youth groups . ”
Crane disputed Challenger ’s statement that IT executives are held to a higher ethical monetary standard than other actor are . “ Financial execs likely get the tougher treatment , ” Crane wrote in his due east - mail .
He also pointed out that it is n’t absolved whether Scott ’s sacking resulted from an ethics issue . “ There are many case where a infringement of a policy would not of necessity be a break of ethics , ” Crane take note .
notwithstanding , once Microsoft began the investigation that led to his terminus , why did n’t Scott negociate a way to depart the company under a less embarrassing stalking-horse ?
That may have been a consideration , Challenger said . But , he added , many executives facing a burster of violating companionship insurance policy “ trust against hope that it wo n’t prove worthy of a discharge . ”
And although many executive contracts do vouch break and confidentiality in case of a departure of caper , nothing is ever as smooth as people hope it will be , according to Crane .
“ It is n’t uncommon to allow someone to release in advance of termination , ” he pen . “ But if there ’s a tight community ( which there often is at the executive level ) , word would probably get around about what happened . And depend on the circumstance that guide to the dismissal , the former employer could be exposed to liability if an egregious act was not disclosed and there was a return . ”
Faced with all that , what are the career prospects of an executive who has undergone such a public termination ? Pretty good , Challenger said — as long there is n’t a pattern of prior insurance policy violations .
Scott “ made a mistake and is pay for it dearly , ” Challenger sound out . “ But everybody is locomote to know that this is an extraordinary talent . He could go and run at a start out - up companionship or in secret equity or a hedge fund . But I do n’t suppose it ’d be impossible for him to go back to being a CIO someday at a in high spirits - profile or public company . ”
