Nothing to Lose But His Honor

Recalling a deal sealed by your handshake is usually done to demonstrate your honor:

Mike Flagler, says he was hired on a handshake in the 1970s to help produce the events Wal-Mart holds each year for managers and shareholders, including entertainment portions of its annual meeting and important sales meetings. He filmed them as well.

Flagler cites his handshake, however, to prove nothing else stands between him and big bucks:

In recent months, Flagler has opened its trove of some 15,000 Wal-Mart tapes to the outside world, with an eye toward selling clips. The material is proving irresistible to everyone from business historians and documentary filmmakers to plaintiffs lawyers and union organizers.

…The best part, maintains plaintiffs lawyer Gene P. Graham Jr., is that "Wal-Mart has no control over this stuff."

With lawyers circling over 30 years of candid moments, Wal-Mart now stands in the market square with pants wrapped securely around the ankles. But for the grace of the candid camera and the lack of deep pockets, there go we. Though Wal-Mart was foolish not to secure the tapes when they had the chance, I still find the lack of honor, on the part of Mike Flagler and his handshake, the more troubling aspect of this story.

Originally posted in UNCoRRELATED Apr 10, 2008