HBR CASE STUDY Google We Googled You Hathaway Jones's CEO has found a promising candidate to open the company's flagship store in Shanghai. Should a revelation on the Internet disqualify her now? by Diane Coutu HE WIND WAS HOWLING and relentless as Fred Westen opened the door and called upstairs to tell his wife that he was home. While he waited for her to come down, he poured himself a shot of whiskey, tilting the decanter with his left hand. In his right he grasped the morning's Wall Street Journal. The CEO of the luxury apparel retailer Hathaway Jones wanted to hear his wife's reaction to a story. Martha Westen walked almost languorously down the stairs. She went to the kitchen, poured herself a cup of tea, strolled into the living room, and nestled in her favorite chair by the fire. Fred handed her the paper and directed her attention to the front page. There she found an article about how an insurer had rejected a woman's claim for disability because of chronic back pain, based on information the company had obtained from her psychologist's notes. Martha shook her head. "It gets worse every day," she shud- dered as she envisioned a future in which everyone's medical records were posted online. "Even our thoughts aren't private anymore." At 58, Martha didn't pretend to be an expert on shared Daniel Vasconcellos HBR's cases, which are fictional, present common managerial dilemmas and offer concrete solutions from experts. hbr.org | June 2007 | Harvard Business Review 37HBR CASE STUDY | We Googled You online content or anything else to do Mimi felt that she was right on track. with your Facebook friends," she told with the Internet. All her information Not quite 30, she was already the kind him. "You've got to take Patapouf to the was limited to what she read in the of person who made people sit up and vet." Mimi's Siamese cat was famously popular press. take notice. ill-tempered, but he had attitude, and Which was just enough to keep her "You look terrific; he'll be as wild Mimi warmed to that. She picked up up at night. about you as I am," Mimi's boyfriend, Patapouf and gave him a hug. s what I keep on telling you, Fred. Chandler, said as he rolled over in bed, Ab she stood, straightened There are no secrets now, and we're unable to hide his continuing infatu- her Hathaway Jones interview suit, and just going to have to learn how to live ation with Mimi. "He'd be nuts not to said good-bye. All business now, she with that." hire you." grabbed her bag, her BlackBerry, and Martha fell silent, staring moodily Mimi agreed with Chandler. She her keys and ran out to catch the flight at the flickering fire. Fred was almost had grown up in China, and she spoke to Philadelphia. relieved when the telephone rang. He both Mandarin and a local dialect. Al- jumped up to grab the receiver. hough she had been an average stu- Bullish on a China Shop At the other end of the line was dent, her profile had won her admis- Fred left the house at 5:30 AM every day John Brewster, Fred's old roommate at sion to some top colleges, including for his office at 1 Constitution Road. He Andover and now a stringer for a num- two Ivy League schools. She eventually had a lot of work to do, and there was ber of U.S. newspapers in Shanghai. plumped for Berkeley, where her fa- not a moment to waste. Despite sales Although the two had not stayed close ther had gone. There she'd majored in of $5 billion in 2006, Hathaway Jones after prep school, they still exchanged modern Chinese history and graduated had fallen on hard times. Four years Christmas letters and called each other cum laude. ago, the privately owned U.S. retail occasionally. The men spent a few min- chain had recruited Fred because of his ites catching up and then John eased imposing credentials and a lifetime's the conversation around to his daugh- "It gets worse every day. experience of working with luxury ter, Mimi. Even our thoughts aren't brands and had charged him with wak- Now in San Francisco, Mimi had private anymore." ing up the company's sleepy, conserva- heard that Fred planned to expand tive stores. the Philadelphia-based Hathaway Jones It hadn't been easy. Though aggres- into China, and she wanted to be part She had parlayed her college experi- sive outsourcing to suppliers in Mex- of the move. Fred hadn't seen her since ence into numerous job offers, finally ico for some of the chain's lower-tier she was a teenager, but he remembered accepting a position at a management brands had helped bring the company's her as poised and precocious in the consultancy, where she got the broad margins closer to industry standards, way that expatriate kids often are. John business exposure she wanted. Her ca- that was just a start. An avid con- asked Fred if he would meet with her. reer in motion, she applied to an MBA sumer of his firm's marketing research, "She's a terrific gal," his old friend prom- program two years later, choosing Fred knew that the company's image ised, "a real mover and shaker." Stanford over Harvard because she felt was getting old fast. Younger people "I look forward to seeing her again," that it was closer to the buzz. She was across the United States, where Hatha- Fred said honestly. "Just have her con- recruited after graduation by the West way Jones had 144 shops and outlets, tact my assistant." Coast regional office of Eleanor Gaston, wanted more affordable clothing, with the largest clothing, shoes, and acces- more flair. The trend was starting to The Candidate sories company in the United States. show up in declining numbers for the A month later, on the other side of the There, for the past four years, she'd company's high-priced - some said country, Mimi Brewster was admir- shown a sharp eye for the capricious stodgy - designer clothes. Plans for rad- ing herself in the bedroom mirror. As fashion tastes of the young, newly rich ically revamping the company's image she stared at her reflection, a trace of people in search of something to do and product line were in the offing. a smile brightened her face. It wasn't a with their dot-com money. Now, with Fred's biggest bet, however, was to el- smile that Mimi would let everyone see, two successful brand relaunches behind bow in on China's luxury goods market, but it communicated the satisfaction her, she was looking for some general which was growing by 70% a year. He she felt with her life. With her bobbed management experience, preferably in had earmarked millions of dollars to black hair and Manolo Blahnik shoes, a fast-growing market like China. open new stores in three of the largest Mimi walked over to the bed, sat cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou, Diane Coutu (dcoutu@hosp.harvard.edu ) is down, and kissed Chandler playfully on with the flagship in Shanghai, China's a senior editor at HBR. the lips. "Don't waste the day chatting wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city. 38 Harvard Business Review | June 2007 | hbr.orgHBR CASE STUDY | We Googled You With the plans in place, Fred was fo- of Fifth Avenue. "A store is more than but vocal protest group that had helped ture of Mimi half naked on MySpace, Fred put on his blinker to signal cused on selecting a winning team. "I just the look and feel of a brand," she mobilize campaigns against the World which could really embarrass Hatha- that he was turning left. He told Mar- wonder what Mimi's like now?" he said knowingly. "It's a woman's fashion Trade Organization. way Jones. tha what HR had turned up about asked himself, eyeing her CV. "Maybe fantasy. I can help you create a fantasy "That's odd," Virginia mused, deciding ck in time, re- Mimi. "What am I supposed to do?" there's a way I can fit her in. Doing a to die for." Mimi talked about using an- to key in "human rights" and "free trade" membering the 1960s. "Let's face it, he he brooded. "With everyone's sins out friend a favor and banking on a ris- cient Chinese archetypes to bring the along with Mimi's name. She didn't ex- thought a little defensively, he'd "not there on the Internet, fewer and fewer ing star - who knows? This could be a company's brand alive, and Fred was in- pect to find much, but the search en- inhaled" just like the rest of his friends. young people seem to be coming to us twofer." trigued by the pitch. "I'll open the door gine came up with several hits. It was Suddenly he felt a touch of paranoia - or without any baggage." He turned on for you and arrange some interviews," soon clear that Mimi's involvement was it realism? He couldn't tell. the car's defroster and loosened his tie. The First Impression he said noncommittally, "but after that, had been more than just a student's "Let's get Mimi back in here to tell "Everyone is going to have to be a little Mimi was Fred's last appointment of you're on your own." expression of defiance. One newspaper her side of the story," he said, looking more forgiving," he said. the day. "C'mon in!" he boomed, em Mimi winked. "Thanks, boss," she story featured a photo of Mimi sitting up at Virginia. He knew enough about Martha was quiet for a few min bracing her and inviting her to take a said, turning on her heel, confident that outside China's San Francisco consulate the Internet to understand that anyone utes as she tried to process the news. seat on the couch. Mimi looked around she was going to be a player at Hatha- protesting China's treatment of a dis- could put information out there. She didn't think anyone was going to the corner suite and glanced at a litho- way Jones. sident journalist. Virginia blinked anxiously and sug- just forgive and forget. "Internet post- graph of Hathaway Jones's first store, Virginia had just clicked on another gested that Fred might first want to ings are like tattoos," she said, ending draper's shop in Philadelphia. "You're Page Nine News entry when a pop-up notified her of get some feedback from the company the short silence. "They never go away. the spitting image of your mother," Virginia Flanders, the vice president of an e-mail from Fred, canceling their lawyers. She explained that they were Sooner or later someone else will dig Fred said, settling into his soft leather human resources, was a lifer at Hatha- meeting for later that day. Groaning studying the legal and privacy impli- up this information, and if the wrong chair. "Tell me how she's doing." way Jones, and as a member of the old inwardly, Virginia typed a short mes- cations of Internet searching practices people get hold of it, your China plans Mimi relayed how after almost 30 guard, she had not been invited into sage and hit the reply button. She was in an attempt to define an appropriate will be derailed." years of painting portraits, her mother Fred's inner circle. Indeed, the two of going to have to talk with Fred about had taken up fashion photography to them had been at loggerheads about this straightaway. capitalize on China's unprecedented the way Fred brought together his top 'People with her credentials and references don't walk in interest in image and celebrity. "It's team. He ignored internal talent and Ex Post Facebook amazing how much appetite the new downplayed the value of HR, relying Fred was in the boardroom wrapping the door of a company like ours every day. If she's swept middle class has for fashion," Mimi com- overmuch, Virginia thought, on his up a meeting with the senior execu- up by the competition, there'll be hell to pay." mented. "Right," Fred said, adding that sixth sense about who were the right tive team; Virginia waited a few mo- Chuppies - China's yuppies - couldn't people to bring on board. It was typi- ments, then walked in. He knew her seem to get their hands on luxury cal of the man, she reflected, that Fred well enough to see that whatever she position for the company."It's a bit risky Fred quickly glanced at her in surprise. goods quickly enough. "Absolutely!" spoke glowingly about Mimi after just had to say to him wasn't going to make letting her know that we're consider- He'd expected Martha to insist that he she said, a little too abruptly. "Every- one interview. him happy. "What's the problem, Vir- ing not hiring her because we Googled hire Mimi despite the discoveries. body knows that." As she put together a file on Mimi ginia?" he asked as he snapped his her," Virginia pointed out. "It might be Martha grew impatient with Fred's Mimi fished around for insights that for the staff, Virginia had to concede binder shut. safer just to back away before we get naivete. The genie was out of the bottle would make a smart impression on Fred. that the candidate's letters of recom- "I'm afraid we have something of a too involved." now. He needed to put business consid She knew that on the face of it, China mendation were impressive. Employers situation on our hands," she began, "Maybe," Fred conceded, acknowl erations ahead of any hesitation he felt seemed to be all about money. "But if described her as aggressively creative, priding herself on her ability to remain edging that he might need to rethink about using information that turned you talk to senior executives in the big original, opinionated, and a risk taker - objective. "I've been Googling Mimi Mimi's candidacy. "But people with her up on the Internet. cities," she reported intelligently, "Con- perhaps a bit brash for Hathaway Jones, Brewster, and I think there's some- credentials and references don't walk Fred looked away from Martha and fucianism comes up in every conversa- Virginia thought. She rounded out the thing we might need to worry about." in the door of a company like ours ev- turned the windshield wipers on high tion." She said that the Chinese wanted file by running a routine Google search Virginia showed Fred printouts of the ery day. If she's swept up by the compe- Snow was falling fast and hard, and o balance the intense materialism of on Mimi. The first hits turned up a res- half-dozen or so articles she had found. tition, there'll be hell to pay." Fred felt strangely alone. "I don't know," the past two decades with some kind taurant owner who shared Mimi's name. Choosing her words carefully, she he thought, flipping the argument back of spirituality and that Fred had better Virginia narrowed the search by adding pointed out that Mimi could be the The Decision Point and forth. "The problem is that I have be prepared to deal with it. a few parameters - Berkeley, Stanford, kind of person who could get the com- Watch out!" Martha shouted as Fred a responsibility to Hathaway Jones to Mimi looked him squarely in the eye. and Mimi's employer. pany into trouble in China. gnored a yield sign and veered toward hire the best people I can find. And how Clearly, she wasn't expecting a handout. It was Virginia's practice to scan the "For heaven's sake," Fred said, betray- in oncoming car. am I going to do that if I can only con- She wanted to be part of Hathaway first 11 pages of Google results, and on ing his irritation. "Google anyone hard Martha and Fred were heading out sider the ones who have always played Jones's plans to expand into China be- page nine she glimpsed something that enough, and you'll find some dirt." Pri- for dinner in the city, but Fred's mind it safe?" cause she felt she deserved to be part of might cause concern. A story in the vately, however, Fred was relieved that was a million miles away. "What's those plans. Indeed, she hoped to lead November 1999 issue of the Alterna- Virginia hadn't turned up anything the matter?" she asked, trying not to Should Fred hire Mimi despite her the team opening the flagship store tive Review identified Mimi, fresh out of more recent than eight years ago - and sound intrusive. "Is it something we can online history? Four commentators offer on Nanjing Road - Shanghai's version Berkeley, as the leader of a nonviolent even more relieved that it wasn't a pic- discuss?" expert advice beginning on page 42 40 Harvard Business Review | June 2007 | hbr.orgHER CASE COMMENTARV i Should Fred Hire Mimi Despite Her Online History? John a. Palfrey, Jr.. lipalfrey @lawharvardedul is a clinical professor of law and the exac- utive director of the Barkmah Center for Internet at Society at Harvard Law School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He Is also a foundar of RSS Investors. He writes a blog at http://blogs.law.harvard ,edu/Dalfreyl. FRED WESTEN should certainly follow his instinct and hire Mimi Brewster if every- thing else checks out. He should talk to her andtell her exactlywhat has come up. He has little to lose. There's no legal reason to fear searching the internet for information about your job applicants an issue arises only if you unlawfully discriminate against someone because of what you find. And if CEOs are looking only for people who are total saints, and who never did anything that made it onto the Web, then maybe they're hiring only un- interesting peopie at the end of the day. A strategy of that sort could backfire terribly: If you have nobody with Chutzpah in your group, you will find yourself huning for leaders. There may also be another side to the story discovered by the human resources depart- ment, Digital information is extremely mal leable. Anyone with a tiny bit of expertise can easily falsify it for example, byanonymously lying about someone in a chat room and stan- ing a rumor that catches fire and becomes a "truth.~ Fallaoious remarks travel very, very quickly onlineperhaps even faster than true information and it is hard to track them down and expunge them. So if something that may or may not be me about a candidate is raised, it is essential to bring that person in to clarify the situation. You might also want The primary difficulty for rain devrI-rhay-care attitude toward things that other people would probably consider highly privatecompromising photos, embarrass- ing conversations, and other activities that they Otherwise wouldn't Want their mothers to knowand they don't think twice about revealing them online. That's not going to change unless there's a radical course cor- rection in social norms Given the trend, hiring standards Will have to change. or you just won't be able to hire great people. That's hard for the current crop of CEOs and HR executives to understand. Most senior executives are \"digital immi- grants\" who have not immersed themselves in the electronic culture. Baby boomers, and sometimes younger executives, are trying to Work through their emblvelence toward the current generation of ZO-somethings, who increasingly put negative information about themselves online. The primary difficulty for digital immigrants is that they're fighting against their own instinct, which is to pull the trigger on the dignal natives. The generation gap will continue to widen until the digital natives become CEOS and HR executives themselves. I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't tell whether the current revolution is going to turn out to be permanent or not. My guess al immigrants is that they're fighting against their own instinct, which is to pull the trigger on the digital natives. to ask them to provide more references for you to check. Because online information is so easily falsifiedand. plainly. so easily shared this second level of interviewing has become increasingly important, Presumably, Mimi didn't call up newspa- pers and ask them to write articles about her. But in the culture or "digital natives," there's often an intention to be public. People raised in the modern computing environment share information much more promiscuously than previous generations have, They have a cer- 42 Harvard Business Review l Jun. 2007 I hbr.0rg is that we're headed for a really big backlash at some pointthere are going to be train wrecks as people who post too much per- sonal information online begin to realize the consequences. When they have to explain to their kids why naked pictures of themselves at age 25 are on the Internet, some digital na- tives will have real regrets. That said, l don't think those conversations will necessarily dif- fer much from the ones that people whogrew up 'in the 18505 had to have with their kids about drugs and free love, Wendy Wray HBR CASE COMMENTARV I Should Fred Hire Mimi Despite Her Online History? Jeffrey A, Joenes tchief .execuirveofficeromanpower com) is the chairman and can of Manpower, an employment services company headquarr tered in Milwaukee. HE EVOLUTION of onllne media and social networking is changing the em- plwment landscape in many subtle but fun. damental ways, which most employers and candidates are only beginning to understand fully and manage effectively. One of these shifts is the practice of informally conducting at least partial online background checks of individuals prior to interviewing them, Traditionally. a background check was not done until after an applicant had gone through a gauntlet of interviews and been selected as a finalist. And itwasn't long ago that some- one with an imperfect past could move far away from his troubled history and start fresh in a new location. Today, qualified candidates can be Googled out of contention for a iob before they even get a foot in the door for an interview. and it's difficult for them to leave their baggage behind even when crossing national borders, because the online commu- nity knows no boundaries. And, of course, the fact that Chinese people are very Web oriented and know how to Gaagle probably wouldn't help her situation. Frankly, because retail and service busi- nesses are so local in nature, I would hesitate to put an expatriate in the Shanghai position, Chinese employees expect their leaders to be modest and humble and see them as highly respected authority figures with parentlike attributes, A Western-style leader who doesn't understand this will face high turnover rates and low productivity levels. For all her language skills, Mimi does not strike me as a credible parent substitute for a Chi- nese workforce. This case illustrates how important it is for potential employees - particularly young peoplewho spend a great deal of time engag- ing in all sorts of Web 2.0 activities to pro- tect their reputations and think twice about the online personae they are presenting to the world. information posted today will still Today, qualied candidates can be Googled out of contention for a ioh before they even get a foot in the door for an interview. In this case, Fred and his HR manager have taken some initial steps in the hiring process and uncovered some red flags that would cause me to sideline Mimi as a candidate for the Shanghai position. Beyond the discon- certing online revelation, former employers describe her as opinionated and brash, and in the rntervrew with Fred, it seemed quite inappropriate for her to wink at him and call him \"boss" on the way out of his office. Ifthe job for which Mimi was interviewing were in a Western country, these concerns might not be as big a deal, but China is a unique place. Although Mimi has some strong qualifica- tions, her background in China is not enough to make here good manager there. Hathaway Jones is opening its first store in shanghai, and the firm needs a manager who can build a constructive relationship with the local gov- ernment, Hiring someone without the right skills and attitudes to do so could hinder the company's ability to succeed in this market. '4 Harvard Business Revlew l June 2007 I hbr,org be available years frorr' now and could come back to haunt them. Many new high school and college graduates don't truly understand this until they are sitting in a yob interviewand the HR manager opensa file that includes not only their resume but also their latest blog entries and party photos. Online content is public information, and it is fair game for em- players to ask about it. We always recommend that candidates search the Internet to find anything about themselves that might come up in an inter- View. so that they can prepare to respond effectively. They should consider how they might use the Web to demonstrate attri- butes that would make a positive impression on potential employers. Better to fill the In- ternet With content that portrays you as an accomplished and capable individual who would be an asset to a new employer than to share the details from your latest weekend adventures. HBR CASE COMMENTARY | Should Fred Hire Mimi Despite Her Online History? JUST CELEBRATED my ten-year blogging can we be surprised that attention-seeking teens reveal all? Not all teens want this kind of A S FRED HAS told his VP of human re- Mimi doesn't have to wear the postings like anniversary. I started blogging when I was sources, if you Google anyone hard an albatross around her neck for the rest of 19, and before that, I regularly posted to public attention, but cultural norms have shifted, and enough you'll find some dirt. This is the new her life, though. There are several things she mailing lists, message boards, and Usenet. I the Web has become both a place for friends reality. Companies don't want to go on record can - and should - do if she's serious about grew up with this technology, and I'm part of and a space to seek attention. about Googling candidates, but everybody's a business career in China. For example, she the generation that should be embarrassed So, what does all this imply for the com- doing it. Your CV is no longer what you send could consider publishing stories about glo- by what we posted. But I'm not - those posts pany in this case? Many young people have to your employer - it's the first ten things that balization on a home page that she creates, or are part of my past, part of who I am. I look a questionable online presen sence. If Hathaway show up on Google. I'm 28, and I'm part of a joining an online discussion forum about China back at the 15-year-old me, and I think, "My, Jones doesn't want to hire these people, it'll generation that doesn't even go on a second and the World Trade Organization. In these you were foolish." Many of today's teens will miss out on the best minds of my generation. date without Googling the other person. public forums, Mimi can explain that she had also look back at the immaturity of their teen Bright people push the edge, but what con- In light of the widespread use of Internet many political and social interests when she years and giggle uncomfortably. Over time, stitutes the edge is time dependent. It's no searching practices, Hathaway Jones will have was younger. If her opinion has matured, she Michael Fertik (michael@ danah m. boyd (dmb@ foolish digital pasts will simply become part longer about miniskirts or rock and roll; it's trouble hiring Mimi. The job is high-profile can repudiate her earlier view by explaining reputationdefender.com) ischool.berkeley.edu) is a of the cultural fabric. about having a complex digital presence. enough, and the online content about her is on the Internet that she believes the world is is the founder and CEO of doctoral candidate at the Young people today are doing what young Naturally, there'll always be a handful of sensitive enough for Chinese decision mak- more complex than she understood it to be Reputation Defender, a com- University of California, people have always done: trying to figure out young people who manage to go through ers, that there is absolutely no question the in- when she was 21. pany headquartered in Menlo Berkeley, and an adviser to who they are. By putting themselves in pub- scence and early adulthood without any formation will be discovered and noted - even The lesson to be learned from her experi- Park, California, that finds and major media corporations. blemishes on their record. Employers n ences - and it is a lesson for CEOs as well as removes unwelcome online She maintains a blog at lic for others to examine, teens are working if it appears only on page nine of Google's content. www.zephoria.org/thoughts/. through how others' impressions of them people who play by the rules, but they also esults. Then people will write more about it for job candidates - is that you need to know align with their self-perceptions. They adjust need "creatives." Mimi is a creative, and for on the Internet, and the community will take what is being said about you online. A person's their behavior and attitudes based on the the job Fred is trying to fill, a traditionalist just heed. Given the climate of the times, Mimi reputation has always been shaped not only presents a risk to Hathaway Jones. by what she makes known about herself but In this case, Mimi didn't publish the also by what other pe le say about her. Now If Hathaway Jones doesn't want to hire people like Mimi, content herself, and she is powerless to however, what other people say reaches a far it'll miss out on the best minds of my generation. pull it from the Web. These are newspaper wider audience than ever before. Ten years articles. Even our company, which was set ago, if someone spread a rumor that you had up to search for and destroy unwanted herpes, it probably wouldn't get too far. To- reactions they get from those they respect. won't do. Fred should listen to his own in- online information, wouldn't try to remove day, all it takes is one enemy to put something Today's public impression management is stincts and hire Mimi. I'd advise him to open taking place online. a conversation with her immediately so that Once again, adults are upset by how the they can strategize together about how to You need to know what is being said about you online. Today, younger generation is engaging with new cul- handle potential challenges posed by employ- all it takes is one enemy to put something anonymously on the tural artifacts; this time, it's the Internet. As ees' online practices. Internet and everyone will see it. with all moral panics around teenagers, con- I think Fred will learn a lot from that experi- cern about who might harm the innocent chil- ence. My generation isn't as afraid of public dren is coupled with a fear of those children's opinion as his was. We face it head-on and newspaper stories. That would be bad consti- anonymously on the Internet, and everyone devilish activities. To complicate matters, many know how to manage it. We digitally docu- tutional practice, and what's more, in almost will see it, whether it is true or false. Don't contemporary teens are heavily regulated and ment every love story and teen drama imagin- every case, we would fail. The Internet loves tell me that it wouldn't have an enormous im- restricted while facing excessive pressures able and then go on to put out content that newspapers; it can take a very long time to pact on your emotional and professional well- to succeed. The conflicting messages adults creates a really nuanced public persona. If move an item from page one on Google to being. Some people shrug their shoulders and convey can be emotionally damaging. you read just one entry, you're bound to get a page two say that our notions of privacy are evolving. What is seen as teens' problematic behavior distorted view. That's why I would also advise Mimi should have disclosed the newspaper They are. But even today, I believe people have can also be traced back to the narratives that Mimi to begin creating her own Google trails. articles to Fred when they first met. She's some right to privacy. It's the big Internet issue, mainstream media sell to teens - including She should express her current thoughts on smart enough to know that her opinions which is why I'm in the business I'm in. the celebrity status given to Paris Hilton and China, reflecting on how she has fine-tuned about China and globalization could affect Lindsay Lohan. Thanks to a number of complex her perspective over the years. Part of living in the company's performance there. By taking Reprint R0706A social factors, narcissism is on the rise. Narcis- a networked society is learning how to acces- this information to Fred before HR did, she Reprint Case only R0706X sists seek fame. Reality TV shows tell teens sorize our digital bodies, just as we learn to put would have been able to exert some control Reprint Commentary only R0706Z that full exposure is a path to success, so how on the appropriate clothes to go to the office. over how the story played out. To order, see page 143. 46 Harvard Business Review | June 2007 | hbr.org hbr.org | June 2007 | Harvard Business Review 47