Aristotle was a practical and business-oriented philosopher who defined principles in terms of the ethics of leadership.
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Executive Director Kirk O. Hanson interviews John W. Noble, vice chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery. Advice for a new corporate director includes preliminary self-assessment: What can you bring to the board? Have you studied the company? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Check on liability insurance as it relates to your role as a board member, and make sure you have the time and energy to do the job. Continually educate yourself about the business and its risks. Due care and the duty of loyalty should be foremost. It's important to remember that the board provides the long-term vision, and is not involved in everyday minutiae. Talk to the experts, including financial advisers and accountants, and be aware of conflicts and potential conflicts ahead of time. Board decisions are just that, not individual decisions. The focus should be on doing the right thing and setting an example. Problems can occur when directors are conflicted and don't have a clear sense of priorities.
An online directory chooses customer service over inflated advertising packages.
Tests for business people to determine whether, in any particular case, they are responsible for acting.
Former Federal Prosecutor Hank Shea talks with Steve Brown, a Missouri state legislator who lost his seat and his law license for a conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Kirk O. Hanson, executive director of The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, interviews John W. Noble, vice chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery. Are there different ethical standards depending on the size of the company, and also for entrepreneurial ventures? What about a new company vs an established one? Noble responds: directors must act in an informed way and uphold the needs of the company and its shareholders first and foremost. Directors must keep these principles in mind, whatever the size of the company. But fiduciary responsibilities do vary according to the size of the enterprise. A larger enterprise can do things a smaller one can't. But the bottom line is directors' compliance.
Dan Pracher, business development manager for Development Dimensions International, explores how to hire employees who mesh with the ethical culture of the organization.
A radio station inflates the number of on-air giveaways they ask companies to provide and then offers the excess as perks to station employees.
Management of values in a business organization.
What is company time?
An analysis of the reasons for the lack of minority representation on boards of directors
A video conversation on tone at the top.
Michael L. Hackworth, chair of the Advisory Board of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and member and chair of numerous corporate boards, talks with Lon Allen, chair of the National Association of Corporate Directors-Silicon Valley, on what boards can do to promote ethics in an organization.
Doing the right thing builds trust with customers, shareholders, partners, and vendors. High efficiency and productivity result from trust.
The board should ask itself about any decision: Does it optimize the bottom line, which is the duty to create value? Is it legal? Is it consistent with the contracts and obligations we have? Is it ethical?
Michael L. Hackworth, chair of the Advisory Board of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and member and chair of numerous corporate boards, talks with Lon Allen, chair of the National Association of Corporate Directors-Silicon Valley, on what boards can do to promote ethics in an organization.
The Number 1 responsibility of the board is to promote ethics in the boardroom. If you think there's an ethical issue, there probably is one.
The board should also monitor C-level executives behavior. Does it reflect the values of the organization?
Finally, the board should be aware of incentives for employees. The way employees are incentivized can promote or detract from ethical behavior.
Hackworth shares a scoring system for the ethics of corporate boards.
Summary of a panel featuring Sheridan Tatsuno, Dreamscape Capital; Stanley Kwong, professor, USF; and Jacqueline Fan, Ernst & Young.
An overview of what companies can do to promote ethics in the workplace by Albert C. Pierce.
Fiduciary duties of corporations: J. Travis Laster, Vice Chancellor of the Court of Chancery, Delaware, talks with Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Executive Director Kirk O. Hanson
Brief cases that raise questions on gifts, conflicts of interest, disparagement, and more.
The Honorable Jack Markell, governor of Delaware, explains his state's prominence in corporate law.
Confucian values of trustworthiness, self-criticism, and dignity can provide resources for Westerners doing business in China. Kirk O. Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, interviews Stephan Rothlin, general secretary of the Center for International Business Ethics in Beijing.