The gifted author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a definitive view of stereotypes in a TED Talk titled “The Danger of a Single Story.”

A key point of hers: The biggest problem with stereotypes is not necessarily that they are untrue but the fact that they are, by definition, incomplete.

Anyone in business can likely relate – just think of the potential damage that a single dissatisfied customer can do to your business by offering an incomplete story of your operations to the world.

Now imagine a single story about the premier industry in this city. Consider that the danger of a single story can reach full flower at moments where some action or circumstance seems to confirm its narrowness.

Harvey Weinstein being publicly accused of abusing his power with dozens of women confirms in the minds of many the stereotype of the Hollywood casting couch.

This comes at a time when a lot of folks who view Hollywood as a production center for low moral standards now have a multitude of options when it comes to entertainment.

That makes the alleged wretchedness of the case of Weinstein an obvious wake-up call for Hollywood – the casting couch could become the single story of the movie business in the eyes of many.

The same wake-up call should extend to the community of business throughout Los Angeles.

It seems quite clear that tales of lechery in high places have been open secrets of our city. A newspaper in New York broke the Weinstein story – and that should carry enough shame to extend through the Los Angeles media corps, this publication included, and into various business circles that overlap with Hollywood.

Let’s respond by owning up to whatever failings are laid bare as the Weinstein case unfolds, taking a hard look at ourselves as individuals, enterprises and a larger community of business.

Let’s summon the resolve to own up to other festering sores in our city. Let’s stop accepting homeless encampments as a fact of life; or low high-school graduation rates as the fate of yet another generation; or street gangs as permanent fixtures of urban life; or wasteful public spending as the cost of doing business.

Let’s do it because it’s the right thing to do.

But let’s also do it out of legitimate concern about the enormous toll any one of those current facts of life could take on business if they were to become the single story of Los Angeles.