Good Leaders Model Underlying Core Values of the Organization I recently read a book From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership by a professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Having previously written about and taught the importance of values-based leadership in establishing an ethical corporate... Read more →

Are University Officials/ Professors Overpaid? I have previously blogged about the commercialization of academe whereby universities seek external sources of funds to fund programs and pay faculty more lucrative salaries. I often wonder about the fairness of paying hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars to a university president,... Read more →

What are the Ingredients of a Work Ethic? Late in life Adam Smith observed that government institutions can never tame and regulate a society whose citizens are not schooled in a common set of virtues. “What institutions of government could tend so much to promote the happiness of mankind as... Read more →

Bad Bosses Can Create An Unproductive Workplace Environment Bad bosses can be insensitive to the needs of the employees; dis-organized in assigning work; poor supervisors; unfair evaluators; persistent criticizers; and even oppressive. At its extreme, bad bosses can engage in sexual harassment and even bullying. If you have ever experienced... Read more →

Sustainability Reporting Part and CSR The notion of "Triple Bottom Line" (TBL) Reporting has received increased attention in recent years from non-governmental organizations, management, consultants, and investors seeking to invest in socially-responsible companies. Over half of the global Fortune 500 companies and almost half of S&P's 100 companies issue TBL... Read more →

What are the Social Responsibilities of U.S. Companies Operating in China? Earlier this year around 150 Chinese workers at Foxconn, the world's largest electronics manufacturer, threatened to commit suicide by leaping from their factory roof in protest of their working conditions. The workers were eventually coaxed down after two days... Read more →

Ethical and Professional Responsibilities of Teachers to Students: A blog by Ali Brozek, student, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo I am delighted to post a blog written by Ali Brozek, one of my ethics students, as part of an end-of-term assignment. My students are required to select a... Read more →

European and American Women on Boards of Directors I have previously blogged about the difficulty women have "Breaking through the Glass Ceiling." The barrier can impede a woman's progress in an organization and bring challenges that often do not apply to men. Outdated views such as women will leave the... Read more →

Universities are not Role Models for Ethical Behavior As a university professor I am quite interested in ethics in the academy. I have previously blogged about the commercialization of universities that can stifle academic freedom. Fraud can creep into research procedures, testing subjects, and interpretation of results to achieve an... Read more →