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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
'Toxic1 Culture' May Have Led to Government Spending Scandal
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is caught up in a scandal, accused of wasteful2 spending on lavish3 conferences and executive travel to exotic locations.
It's the perfect example of what a toxic office culture can lead to, according to David Gebler, a lawyer, corporate4 consultant5 and author of the upcoming book, "The Three Power Values: How Commitment, Integrity, and Transparency Clear the Roadblocks to Performance."
The GSA - an independent government agency with a $26-billion annual operating budget - owns, leases, and manages federal buildings, including department headquarters, courthouses and post offices across the country.
A public furor6 erupted after the news media reported the agency had spent more than $800,000 to hold a regional conference for just 300 employees in Las Vegas in 2010.
According to investigators7, a top agency administrator8 had used taxpayer9 money to pay for several so-called “scouting trips” to the Nevada gambling10 mecca for him and his wife, who was not a government employee.
At the conference, the agency spent lavishly11 on receptions and dinners, parties in private rooms, and amenities12 such as clown and mind readers’ shows and commemorative coins and T-shirts for each person who attended.
Members of Congress who directed withering13 questions at GSA administrators14 in hastily-called hearings last month after the scandal broke, wondered where the “whistleblowers” had been for more than a year. A whistleblower is an informer who exposes wrongdoing. Turns out, the agency’s own inspector15 general, Brian Miller16, informed the public about the spending excess after his own lengthy17 probe.
Corporate watchdog David Gebler writes that “good employees do bad things when they’re part of an unhealthy culture of ‘Don’t ask too many questions’ or ‘I know this is wrong, but it’s not my problem.’”
He says it’s all too easy for what he calls “boss-pleasers” and “team players” to look the other way when they shouldn’t.
“Loyalty is not a good thing when it creates a culture of “‘I know this is bad, but it’s not my decision,’” Gebler says.
After the spending spree was revealed, GSA Administrator Martha Johnson apologized to the American people for what she termed "a raucous18, extravagant19, arrogant20, self-congratulatory event." She resigned and two of her top aides, who led the activities in Las Vegas, were fired.
1 toxic | |
adj.有毒的,因中毒引起的 | |
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2 wasteful | |
adj.(造成)浪费的,挥霍的 | |
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3 lavish | |
adj.无节制的;浪费的;vt.慷慨地给予,挥霍 | |
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4 corporate | |
adj.共同的,全体的;公司的,企业的 | |
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5 consultant | |
n.顾问;会诊医师,专科医生 | |
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6 furor | |
n.狂热;大骚动 | |
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7 investigators | |
n.调查者,审查者( investigator的名词复数 ) | |
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8 administrator | |
n.经营管理者,行政官员 | |
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9 taxpayer | |
n.纳税人 | |
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10 gambling | |
n.赌博;投机 | |
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11 lavishly | |
adv.慷慨地,大方地 | |
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12 amenities | |
n.令人愉快的事物;礼仪;礼节;便利设施;礼仪( amenity的名词复数 );便利设施;(环境等的)舒适;(性情等的)愉快 | |
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13 withering | |
使人畏缩的,使人害羞的,使人难堪的 | |
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14 administrators | |
n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 );有管理(或行政)才能的人;(由遗嘱检验法庭指定的)遗产管理人;奉派暂管主教教区的牧师 | |
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15 inspector | |
n.检查员,监察员,视察员 | |
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16 miller | |
n.磨坊主 | |
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17 lengthy | |
adj.漫长的,冗长的 | |
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18 raucous | |
adj.(声音)沙哑的,粗糙的 | |
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19 extravagant | |
adj.奢侈的;过分的;(言行等)放肆的 | |
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20 arrogant | |
adj.傲慢的,自大的 | |
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