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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Business and Leadership

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Ethics captures the conditions in which human beings thrive and that provides the most direct link to the modern business taxonomy, ESG, shorthand for environmental, social and governance standards in corporations. These standards hone in on conditions that support human well-being and orient companies to the ways they impact and are impacted by society. The introduction of these metrics signals a renewed value on ethics, reflected in the marketplace by consumers and employees. Indeed, the courage of people serving currently in board and management roles has led them “to set goals to be realized over the long term, to serve interests beyond just those of financial investors, and to actively design the larger business system they operate within to promote ethical behavior, considering a broader set of stakeholders.” (Skeet, 2016)

 

Featured ESG Resources for Businesses and Leaders

The Rise of ESG
Board Meeting
Navigate here to Market Forces Make a Case For Ethics

Trends in governance as a strategic tool, enlightened markets, and the impact of ethics on business results.

Business Horizons textbook
Navigate here to Managing Organizational Ethics

How ethics becomes pervasive within organizations.

Exxon Mobil
Navigate here to Farsightedness in Corporate Leadership: Lessons from Pope Francis and Exxon Mobil

Corporate leaders must embrace farsightedness in order to protect the interests of all stakeholders.

Board Meeting
Navigate here to Ethics is the New "Power Tool" for Stock-Buying Decisions

Ethics is fundamental to genuine leaders -- the ones we want to follow, as opposed to those who are paid the most.

Featured Resources on the Environment
Board Meeting
Navigate here to Market Forces Make a Case For Ethics

Trends in governance as a strategic tool, enlightened markets, and the impact of ethics on business results.

Cartoon Man Carrying the Earth
Navigate here to Climate Literacy for Leadership

Business leaders can drive positive affect to climate change through their organizations.

Ann Skeet
Navigate here to Leadership Ethics and Laudato Si’

Response to John Denniston’s Public Lecture, “Our Future on a Shared Planet” Conference, Santa Clara University.

Featured Resources on Social Issues
A business meeting with diverse group of participants sitting at a conference table with laptops and notebooks engaging in a conversation
Navigate here to Resources for Leaders Managing Culture

Materials to help organizations understand how to manage culture for ethics.

Ethics by design slide
Navigate here to Ethics By Design: Culture Management

A Guide to Managing Your Culture for Ethics

How to build healthy organizations
Navigate here to Cultural Humility: A Leadership Virtue

Best Practices for Creating an Inclusive Culture Grounded in Employee Experience

Toxic Workplace
Navigate here to 9 Things Companies Should be Doing to Avoid Creating a Toxic Workplace

Shareholders must ensure that management builds employee morale and a company’s value.

Featured Resources on Governance Issues
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Navigate here to AI in the Service of Humanity

The Partnership on AI, in collaboration with Markkula Center for Applied Ethics staff, has published a paper offering a framework for workforce well-being in the age of artificial intelligence.

Wells Fargo (AP Photo/CX Matiash, File)
Navigate here to Lessons From Wells Fargo: 10 Key Takeaways

Scandal should spur investors to demand stronger boards.

Snapchat
Navigate here to Ethical Issues in Snap’s IPO: Evaluating Leadership Character

Companies with a controlling shareholder tend to underperform.

Top view of people around a table using technology devices
Navigate here to 5 Traits of Organizations that use Tech Responsibly

As new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and blockchain become mainstream, and their practical uses more pervasive, myriad new business opportunities will be created.

Find Resources by Type
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Navigate here to Workplace Diversity Dialogues

Diversity and inclusion problems in organizations are solvable if the issues are considered as ethical dilemmas. Explore resources on diversity and inclusion.

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Navigate here to Cases on ESG Topics

A list of case studies and tools related to ESG topics.

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Navigate here to Articles on ESG

A selection of articles pertaining to ESG topics.