Ethics Articles

Leadership

Protecting Privacy and Society

Consumer and business data is increasingly moving to the "cloud," and people are clamoring for protection of that data. However, "maximum privacy" is really anonymity, and some people use it as a shield for illegal and unethical behavior. How should cloud service providers deal with this dilemma?
Steve Bennett

Nexus of the Law and Ethics

Joseph Grundfest, professor of law and business at the Stanford Law School, a key to ethical decision making is determining what is smart.

How to Navigate Your Way Out of No Man's Land With Ethics

Using your moral compass to improve your company's performance
Dan Crawford

Ethics and Venture Capital

Franklin "Pitch" Johnson, co-founder of Asset Management, reflects on ethical challenges for start-ups and venture funds
Miriam Schulman

Power and Ethics in the Executive Suite

A review of recent research on the effects of power and applications to the business world
Miriam Schulman

Role of the CEO in Building an Ethical Organization

Panel discussion featuring Radha Basu (SupportSoft), Ken Denman (Openwave Systems), Robert Ewald (SGI), Mark Lonergan (Lonergan Partners)
Miriam Schulman

Building a High Performance Team: Creating an Ethical Culture (ppt)

Founder and CEO of Ariba uses that company as a case study for defining key principles in building an organization
Keith Krach

Insolvency, Bankruptcy, and the Board

Practical suggestions for corporate board members on the ethical aspects of insolvency and bankruptcy
Tim Harris, partner, Morrison & Foerster

Role of the CFO in the Ethical Culture of an Organization

The CFO can become an ambassador for ethics throughout a corporation.
Miriam Schulman

Start-up Ethics

Nearbuy Systems CEO and CFO talk about the particular ethical challenges in starting a company.
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

How to Fire Your Mother

When a company must downsize, management faces tough decisions. Nearbuy Systems CEO Byran Wargo and CFO Kevin Beals talk about the painful choices they faced, including the need to let go of the CEO's mother.
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Global Ethics in Corporations

Kirk O. Hanson, Executive Director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and University Professor of Organizations and Society, shares his observations about Leadership and Corporate Governance.
Kirk O. Hanson

Success Factors for Corporate Ethics Programs

Kirk O. Hanson, Executive Director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and University Professor of Organizations and Society, shares his observations about Leadership and Corporate Governance.
Kirk O. Hanson

Importance of a CEO Who Cares

Kirk O. Hanson, Executive Director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and University Professor of Organizations and Society, shares his observations about Leadership and Corporate Governance.
Kirk O. Hanson

Perspectives on the Roles and Responsibilities of the Board of Directors for Corporate Culture

A report on the best board practices delivered at the April 6-7, 2005 Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership Meeting
Vail Leadership Institute

Giving Wise Advice

Results of an empirical study on wisdom and ethics
Dennis Moberg

Roles and Responsibilities of the General Counsel in the Organization

Panel discussion among general counsels of large and small cap companies
Tom McCoy, Craig Nordlund, Martin Collins, Fred Go

Executive Compensation: Are Outsize Pay Packages Contributing to Corporate Malfeasance?

From the 2005-06 National Ethics Agenda, an examination of the wide gaps between executive and line worker pay and their impact on public trust and corporate bad behavior.
Ethics Center Emerging Issues Group

Ethical Challenges in Human Resources

A talk given to the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at the Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership
James O'Toole

CEOs: Setting the Ethical Tone

The role of the CEO in setting a company's ethical culture was the focus of a panel at the April 6 meeting of the Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership, a program of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and 13 corporations.
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Silicon Valley Executives Discuss Building an Ethical Organization

These comments are excerpts from presentations at the Ethics Center's third biennial global business Ethics Conference, "The Accountable Corporation," held February 18-19, 2005, on the Santa Clara University campus.
Ned Barnholt, Dan Warmenhoven

Advice from Aristotle

Aristotle was a practical and business-oriented philosopher who defined principles in terms of the ethics of leadership.
James O'Toole

Reputation and Venture Funding

The importance venture capital firms place on the founders track record in terms of their values
an interview with Floyd Kvamme

Guilt (and Reliability) by Association

An angel investor talks about reputation.
an interview with Audrey MacLean

When Good People Do Bad Things at Work

Rote behavior, distractions, and moral exclusion stymie ethical behavior on the job. Discusses Ford Pinto case.
Dennis J. Moberg

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

In desperate need of a tax break for his company, a CEO contemplates a questionable campaign contribution.
Leon Panetta & Paul Locatelli, S.J.

Only the Ethical Survive

A CEO discusses ethical business leadership.
Michael Hackworth