| The Business Ethics Exchange March 2011 |
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| Bi-monthly news from the Center for Ethical Business Cultures |  |
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The Epidemic of Lying in America Leadership Insights By Ron James
Stewart noted that in three of the four cases, lying while under oath,took place with their lawyers at their sides! Why would people risk everything to protect their public persona? The pursuit of victory can obliterate the sense of right and wrong. Culture and setting the right tone at the top continue to have tremendous impact on avoiding this disastrous behavior within organizations. |
James Stewart, author of Den of Thieves and editor of SmartMoney Magazine was in Minneapolis in advance of his upcoming exposé, Tangled Webs: How False Statements are Undermining America: from Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff. Speaking at a full house co-hosted by the Center for Ethical Business Cultures and the Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, Stewart traced patterns of lying and deception surrounding the cases of four leaders at the pinnacles of their fields: Martha Stewart (insider trading); Scooter Libby (leaking classified information); Barry Bonds (performance enhancing drugs); and Bernie Madoff (Ponzi schemes).|
CEO’s Report: Center Update by Ron James
The center is marrying its history of public convening, speaking in public gatherings, advising, consulting, and training leaders with an increased focus on research, case study and the development of intellectual capital that will serve both the academic and practice communities. The result… we are developing research-validated content that contributes to the field of business ethics and continues to assist leaders in building and sustaining ethical cultures in the workplace.
The early returns are good. The center has attracted a multi-million dollar gift to write landmark books on the U.S. and global histories of corporate social responsibility. This work will look back in time, examining for whom and what purpose business exists, and addressing the implications for the future. The center is also leading an effort of the business ethics faculty at the Opus College of Business to edit the third edition of the Business Ethics Volume of the Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management. This effort engages hundreds of authors to write articles on classical, current, and emerging themes in the field. Stay tuned! We would love to hear from you. There is so much going on at the center that we would like to share and keep you informed. Our plan is to write you every other month (January, March, May, July, September and November). Were the topics of interest to you? What would you like to hear more about … less about? Please email: mail@cebcglobal.org with your thoughts. We appreciate our relationship with you and your support. |
Upcoming Events
CEBC Webinar 18th Annual Stakeholder Dialogue with Matthew Crawford 12th Annual Minnesota Business Ethics Award CEBC Membership To learn more about becoming a member, please visit the Center's website at |
With a rich 33-year history, CEBC has been busy recasting its next leg of the journey. Now firmly implanted within the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, the center is creating a place where thought and practice leadership intersect in the field of business ethics. Working with the Opus College of Business and its 14 full-time ethics faculty, one of the largest teams in the country dedicated to the field of business ethics, the center is becoming the vehicle that links academic theory with business practice.
Adding to the mix of excitement is that the Opus College of Business recently earned accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). Dean Christopher Puto calls this “the highest standard of quality” in business education, with only five percent of business schools in the world achieving this distinction. And what sets the Opus College of Business apart is its commitment to business ethics education.General Mills Ethics in Action Week!
How do you keep ethics alive and vibrant inside the organization? Everyone’s been to compliance training, the annual certification is done and things appear to be going well in the organization. Linda Soranno and her team at General Mills are mixing a new recipe! General Mills chooses a week to celebrate Ethics in Action.
The week is kicked off with a program at its headquarters that is accessible to remote audiences around the globe. Testimonials from employees around the world and ethics champions – employees who have distinguished themselves with ethical behavior – are featured via video. The chief executive officer reinforces the importance of ethical behavior and integrity. This year, James Stewart spoke, exploring the causes of lying and deception in organizations.
The kick off is concluded with a candid conversation with a panel of General Mills top executives facilitated by Ron James of the Center for Ethical Business Cultures sharing stories that reflect their personal values, the importance of integrity to the organization and lessons they have learned throughout their careers. While ingredients can be mixed to suit the tastes of your culture, General Mills has found a way to celebrate and keep its employees engaged.
Third Annual CEBC Ethics Case Competition
Teams from the Full-time UST MBA program of the Opus College of Business competed in the third annual CEBC Ethics Case Competition. Hosted by CEBC, the Opus College of Business, and UnitedHealth Group, teams explored the topic of “Micro Finance: Advice to Interested Parties” from a business, legal and ethical framework.
The judges included: Jim Chosey from Piper Jaffray; Rob Foehl from Target; Jeff Peterson from General Mills; James Arnold and Ken Goodpaster from the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business; and, Ron James from CEBC.
A winning team including Kelsey Luers, Sara Christenson, Nick Ertz and Dan Jackson was selected, with Luers, Jackson, Annelise Larson, Kristian Olson and alternate Scott Buell, being chosen as All Stars to represent the Opus College of Business at the national Intercollegiate Business Ethics Case Competition to be held in Seattle, Washington, in the fall. The All Stars will attempt to repeat last year’s national championship performance.
CEBC President Named to Ethisphere's 2010 List of 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics
Ron James was named to a list of 100 individuals who have had a significant impact in the realm of business ethics over the year 2010. James was sighted in the area of “Thought Leadership,” one of eight categories recognized by Ethisphere.Research Spotlight
How would you describe the characteristics of an ethical organization? How do employees rate their organizations in building and sustaining the elements that make up an ethical culture? Does an ethical culture impact employee engagement, retention, and business performance? Do companies that build and sustain an ethical culture financially outperform those who don’t? Is there a gap between ethical behavior as perceived by leaders, managers and front line employees in organizations? With so much emphasis on corporate global expansion, are there differing perceptions about what constitutes ethical behavior around the world?
These are a few of the research questions CEBC is working on. CEBC is working with the Kenexa High Performance Institute, one of its research partners, which annually surveys tens of thousands of employees around the globe to track trends in the workplace (WorkTrends). In addition, CEBC is working closely with faculty members examining business ethics at work. Over the coming months, we will be selecting a research question to highlight in each issue of the newsletter, providing you with key insights. In the interim, if you have questions or ideas, please contact CEBC research director Doug Jondle at djjondle@cebcglobal.org.
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