Santa Clara University

Where Ethics Engages the World in Business

The past year has seen vast upheavals in the world economy. The Center has responded by looking at some of the ethical issues behind the failures in our financial system and our business organizations. These efforts are part of our ongoing programs in Business Ethics, accessible from the navigation at left.

The Crisis in Business Ethics

To prevent such wrongdoing as last year's insider trading and financial scandals, the Center's Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership (BOEP), a group of executives and business ethics scholars, is devoted to promoting an ethical culture in business organizations.

Ethics Risk (video) Special counsel to ISS Governance Services at RiskMetrics Patrick McGurn addressed the partnership on how to manage ethics risk. Identifying and Addressing Fraud and Corruption An overview of SEC and Department of Justice enforcement actions in areas such as Foreign Corrupt Practices and securities fraud was presented to the BOEP by Morrison & Foerster partners Robert Mattson and Craig Martin.

Executive Compensation

According to a September 2009 poll by Ipsos Public Affairs, 60 percent of Americans are angry or concerned about Wall Street pay packages they consider "unreasonable." The Ethics Center deepened its involvement in the issue of executive compensation last year, exploring how to structure pay packages to encourage ethical behavior.

Chancellor of the Delaware Chancery Court Presentation (video)

William B. Chandler III, from the nation's most important court for corporate law, addressed the BOEP on "Fiduciary Responsibility and Executive Compensation."

AIG Bonuses, Contractual Obligations, and Executive Compensation (Webcast)

This panel, featuring Center Executive Director Kirk O. Hanson, SCU Law Professor Stephen Diamond, and former Informix CEO Robert Finocchio, addressed the question, "Are there ethical standards for pay?"

Executive Compensation (video)

After a presentation to the BOEP, Daniel Siciliano, faculty director of Stanford's Rock Center for Corporate Governance, talked about the key issues with Center Director Hanson.