Activities of the Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership

Partnership Retreats – Four times each year, members of the partnership meet to review emerging business and organizational ethics issues, to examine management issues that have arisen in the member companies, to review studies and research done by the faculty participants, and to review and discuss selected issues with subject matter experts.

These are important meetings of the “learning community” created by this partnership and have focused on: whistle blowing, conflicts of interest, global variances in business ethics, the role of the Board’s Audit Committee, executive compensation, corruption, outsourcing, brand value, and the role of CEOs and CFO’s in setting the ethical culture of the organization. Confidentiality is maintained in all of our activities and published materials.

Research and Studies – In the first four years, the partnership has made nine grants to faculty participants for research and studies addressing critical questions suggested by the participants. Corporate participants have aided these studies by assisting the faculty. Studies on crisis prone vs. crisis prepared organizations, and product use/misuse are currently underway.

Information and Reports – The staff of the partnership has distributed current, practical information on business and organizational ethics to all members of the partnership. This process is designed to help participants cope with the substantial flow of information about ethics in the workplace and put them on the cutting edge of emerging issues, strategies, and solutions.

Presentations at Member Corporations and Campus Events – Faculty participants in the partnership have made presentations on their research and on broader business ethics issues to Boards of Directors, executive management teams, and members’ client events. Each organization may schedule a presentation to an internal management group or external audience, paying only out of pocket expenses of the presenter. In turn, members have actively participated in classroom presentations and case studies with our faculty members.

Conference on Business Ethics in a Global Economy – The Center hosts a biennial national conference on business ethics. The 2007 conference, Business Ethics in a Global World: China, India, and Beyond attracted over 200 academics from around the world and Bay Area business executives. The 2005 conference, The Accountable Corporation focused on global issues in business ethics and featured executives and scholars from Silicon Valley companies and universities from around the world. Members are given priority in participating in this event.

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