[AnthonyMouse]

I have no doubt that in many cases you will be able to find a piece of paper with a high level executive's signature on it or an email with that person CC'd for all manner of minutiae, and I'm sure if you're a lawyer then you like to make a big deal out of that kind of stuff.

But the truth is, decisions get delegated. The CEO signs off on the VP's recommendation, which was really a mid level manager's recommendation, which really came from someone at the bottom of the totem pole. The degree to which each of the approvers actually decided anything as opposed to merely placing their trust in the subordinate's judgement at any given company is to a large degree a matter of personal preference, individual trust relationships and corporate culture.

Moreover, there are rules and there are facts. Just because the CEO thinks he decided something doesn't mean that by the time the game of telephone is fully played, something distinctly different isn't going into the market. And in altogether too many cases, the first indication the top level executives get that something is awry is an article in the New York Times.