--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Corporations are like protean bacteria…" description: "\"“Corporations are like protean bacteria; you hit them with accountability and they mutate and change their names.”\" — Doug Anderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/doug-anderson-233617_accountability_corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-y_1357453.jpg" --- # Corporations are like protean bacteria; you hit them with… ![“Corporations are like protean bacteria; you hit them with accountability and they mutate and change their names.” quote by Doug Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/doug-anderson-233617_accountability_corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-y_1357453.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/doug-anderson-233617_accountability_corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-y_1357453.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/doug-anderson-233617_accountability_corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-y_1357453.jpg) > ““Corporations are like protean bacteria; you hit them with accountability and they mutate and change their names.”” [Doug Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Corporations adapt quickly to avoid accountability, often rebranding themselves. **In simple terms:** Companies change to dodge responsibility. Key Takeaway Watch for rebranding as a tactic. Themes accountability corporations change identity power Mood skeptical critical Type observation analysis When to use this quote - business negotiations - policy making - public scrutiny - corporate law Key Concepts organizational behavior reputation management Questions to Reflect On - How can accountability be enforced beyond names? - What structural changes deter evasive rebranding? A Different Perspective Rebranding may not fully hide underlying practices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accountability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accountability/) [Accountability Mutate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accountability-mutate-4635299/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Corporations Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations-like-481697/) [Like Protean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-protean-4635300/) [Protean Bacteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protean-bacteria-4635301/) ## Related quotes > [I made commercials for corporations like Volkswagen and Coca-Cola, but I was always the one to write them, too, which was a very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-made-commercials-for-corporations-like-volkswagen-and-coca-cola-but/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [A corporation is simply a form of organization used by human beings to achieve desired ends... Protecting the free-exercise rights of corporations like Hobby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-alito/a-corporation-is-simply-a-form-of-organization-used-by-human-beings/) [Samuel Alito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-alito/) > [All these big corporations like Amazon, those places have great distribution arms, but they can't create content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/all-these-big-corporations-like-amazon-those-places-have-great/) [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [Not to say that corporations are perfect today, but even grand corporations like Dupont have made immense progress in translating some of their past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/not-to-say-that-corporations-are-perfect-today-but-even-grand/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Corporations are like countries now, there's a king, there are serfs, there's a court, basically everything but moats. They're feudal societies, and there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-gilroy/corporations-are-like-countries-now-there-s-a-king-there-are-serfs/) [Tony Gilroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-gilroy/) > [Corporate organization in American business and commerce was already well under way by the time Abraham Lincoln became president. But all the evidence from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/corporate-organization-in-american-business-and-commerce-was-already/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [I just wish there was more media that was trailblazing and independent. And, this to me is a big danger right now in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-drudge/i-just-wish-there-was-more-media-that-was-trailblazing-and/) [Matt Drudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-drudge/) > [Corporations! It's like there are these gigantic monsters living among us, and we don't mind that they're monsters because when we look at them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/corporations-it-s-like-there-are-these-gigantic-monsters-living-among/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [Corporations, like nations, do not have friends. They have interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/corporations-like-nations-do-not-have-friends-they-have-interests/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [I come from a world where accountability and accomplishments matter, and where titles and rhetoric take a back seat to results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-come-from-a-world-where-accountability-and-accomplishments-matter/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Democracy is not being well served as we're accustomed to. There is less information, there's less investigation, there's less analysis, there's less accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-greenspon/democracy-is-not-being-well-served-as-we-re-accustomed-to-there-is/) [Edward Greenspon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-greenspon/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More Accountability quotes > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [Democracy is not being well served as we're accustomed to. There is less information, there's less investigation, there's less analysis, there's less accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-greenspon/democracy-is-not-being-well-served-as-we-re-accustomed-to-there-is/) [Edward Greenspon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-greenspon/) > [I come from a world where accountability and accomplishments matter, and where titles and rhetoric take a back seat to results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-come-from-a-world-where-accountability-and-accomplishments-matter/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [It means a lot. It means I'm accountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/champ-bailey/it-means-a-lot-it-means-i-m-accountable/) [Champ Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/champ-bailey/) > [Our particular principles of religion are a subject of accountability to our god alone. I enquire after no man's and trouble none with mine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/our-particular-principles-of-religion-are-a-subject-of-accountability/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [This strongly asserted but ill-defined license to kill without accountability is not an entitlement which the United States or other states can have without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-alston/this-strongly-asserted-but-ill-defined-license-to-kill-without/) [Philip Alston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-alston/) > [Responsible Development shares many practices with XP but the roots are different. Responsible Development's values are honesty, transparency, accountability and responsibility. These lead me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/responsible-development-shares-many-practices-with-xp-but-the-roots/) [Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/) > [“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bullard/opinion-is-really-the-lowest-form-of-human-knowledge-it-requires-no/) [Bill Bullard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bullard/) > [The American people deserve accountability over wasteful spending, and we accomplish that by prioritizing taxpayer dollars in a responsive and responsible manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-britt/the-american-people-deserve-accountability-over-wasteful-spending-and/) [Katie Britt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-britt/) > [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“There are many professions that require individuals, on an ongoing basis, to pass drug tests, physicals and psychological evaluations in order to keep their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hopkins/there-are-many-professions-that-require-individuals-on-an-ongoing/) [Gary Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hopkins/) > [“Expecting accountability from the UN system was akin to expecting a blind dog to catch a flying Frisbee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-soussan/expecting-accountability-from-the-un-system-was-akin-to-expecting-a/) [Michael Soussan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-soussan/) [Browse all 860 Accountability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accountability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Corporations are like protean bacteria; you hit them with accountability and they mutate and change their names.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Doug Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-anderson/corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-you-hit-them-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accountability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-anderson/corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-you-hit-them-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/doug-anderson-233617_accountability_corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-y_1357453.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/doug-anderson-233617_accountability_corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-y_1357453.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/doug-anderson-233617_accountability_corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-y_1357453.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Corporations are like protean bacteria; you hit them with accountability and they mutate and change their…” — Doug Anderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Doug Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Corporations are like protean bacteria; you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-anderson/corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-you-hit-them-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-anderson/corporations-are-like-protean-bacteria-you-hit-them-with/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```