I have been receiving notices of newly published content from the MIT, Center for Information Systems and Research (CISR). A new report on an apparent turnaround in organizational operation at the SEC caught my eye. Given my roots in knowledge management, promotion of collaborative methods and practices, and Smarter-Companies' focus on intangible capital it seems a natural fit for us to care about what the SEC is doing to safeguard investor assets.
Apparently, in 2009 a new Chairman of the SEC, Mary Shapiro, was appointed and took on the role of reforming the institutional practices that resulted in lax oversight of operators such as Bernie Madoff. By 2012, Shapiro was able to report successful institutional practices had been implemented to meet her goal, "...a transformation from paper-based, localized operations to a more collaborative environment with specialized expertise and the ability to quickly identify and address activities that threatened financial stability or investor well-being. The transformation required standardizing some core processes, introducing new organizational roles and responsibilities, implementing a modern technology base, and cultivating a new mindset about how to use and share data."
For the story and lessons learned, please read this study:
Working Paper 388: The US Securities and Exchange Commission: Working Smarter to Protect Investors and Ensure Efficient Markets; by Barb Wixom and Jeanne W Ross; Nov 30, 2012. Link: http://cisr.mit.edu/blog/documents/2012/11/30/mit_cisrwp388_sec_wixomross.pdf/. You will need to create an account to download the study but it is well worth the read and great to learn that entrenched enterprises can change for the better. Be sure to go to the end where the use of social networking tools to see securities and investor relationship are brought into visual focus for the reader.
