Leaders on Ethics: Real-World Perspectives on Today's Business Challenges

by John C. Knapp Ph.D.

Overview

Beat the competition. Go global. Influence government. Persuade customers. Increase shareholder value. These are among the pressures to perform in today's business environment, and the consequences of failure can be dire. Leaders must stay ahead of competitors and deliver results, all while trying to do the right thing by employees, customers, communities, and other stakeholders. Yet the opportunities to cross ethical boundaries are widespread and compelling. What are leaders learning as they face these challenges? Over a dozen of today's most influential leaders—people who grapple with ethical dilemmas on a near-daily basis—share real-world perspectives from the trenches, showing the breadth of ethical challenges facing today's leaders in a variety of industries and professional fields.

Leaders on Ethics is a window into the minds of some of our most prominent leaders. It features first-hand presentations by CEOs and other nationally known executives, originally given to their peers during discussion forums at The Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics. In addressing subjects ranging from marketing with a conscience to promoting workplace diversity to dealing with the implications of globalization, these leaders provide a wide variety of perspectives on the ethics of leadership. Along the way, they reveal successes and failures and present lessons learned in navigating the tumultuous waters of today's society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275996710
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/30/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	136
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

John C. Knapp is University Professor and Mann Family Professor of Ethics at Samford University. He is also the Leadership Director, Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, at Samford. He has also been visiting lecturer at the University of Wales and Adjunct Professor of Ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary. Knapp is the editor of For the Common Good: The Ethics of Leadership in the 21st Century (Praeger, 2007).

Table of Contents

Preface     vii
Introduction     ix
The Changing Role of Business in Society     1
Crisis as a Platform for Change: Lessons from Coke and Corporate America   Deval L. Patrick     3
Unenlightened Self-Interest: The Wrong Response to Market Capitalism   Daniel Yankelovich     12
Restoring Corporate Trust: The New Imperative for Ethics, Integrity, and Diversity   John F. Ward     19
Ethical Governance and the Future of Free Enterprise   Steve Odland     26
What Can the World's Religions Tell Us about Ethics in Business?   Edward Zinbarg     35
Ethical Concerns of Industry Sectors and Other Fields     41
The Ethical Crises in the Accounting and Auditing Profession   James E. Copeland, Jr.     43
Integrity and Profits: Can Companies Have Both in a World Where Sex Sells?   Debra S. Waller     51
The Moral Basis of Competitiveness   Karen Katen     55
Excellence without a Soul? Higher Education and the Shaping of Moral Character   Harry R. Lewis     64
Leadership and Ethics in Organizations     71
Building Trust in Trying Times   Gerald Grinstein     73
Delivering on Diversity Leadership: A Walk in the Other Guy's Shoes   Cal Darden     80
Leading with Values   Charles M. Brewer     86
Have You Hugged a Teamster Lately?   Robert J. Rutland     97
Leadership Challenges of Building a Company in Today's Environment   John Wieland     103
Ethics First: A Reform Agenda for City Government   Shirley Franklin     107
Index     111
About the Editor and Contributors     115

What People are Saying About This

James S. O'Rourke IV

"This is, in so many ways, a remarkable collection of essays and speeches on ethics. It's remarkable for the character and quality of the authors, as well as the candor and honesty with which they've written. This book is more, though. It's a gathering of stories about how business works--and sometimes doesn't--and how business executives are confronted with the ugly reality of their decisions and the lives affected by them. Whether you're a student of business or an experienced manager, you'll find this a fascinating read. The lessons are profound, poignant, and timeless."

—

James S. O'Rourke IV, Professor of Management, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame

James C. Murphy

"By bringing together in one volume the insights of some of the most thoughtful leaders of some of America's greatest companies, John Knapp provides a valuable service to all who believe that business ethics is a fundamental driver of business success. The strong voices we encounter in this volume show a thoughtful commitment to the ethical dimensions of business leadership, they command the skills needed to make a persuasive and lively argument, and they demonstrate the courage to speak out, even when it may mean controversial critiques of their own companies or professions. This book should be read by every executive in business today both as a primer on ethical business leadership, and as a guide to action in an increasingly complex and challenging global business environment."

—

James C. Murphy, Ph.D., Executive Director, International Business Ethics Institute

Robert E. Gaylord (Brig. Gen.

"If you are tired of the avalanche of leadership theory-du- jour books crowding the shelves, you'll find Leaders on Ethics a refreshing addition to the discussion. John Knapp has masterfully assembled a remarkable collection of real leaders who have walked the talk, not just talked the talk--not just theory, ethical leadership in action. Leaders of all sectors--social, private, and public--will find these real-world discussions instructive, thought provoking, and inspiring from people in the fight every day."

—

Robert E. Gaylord (Brig. Gen., U.S. Army, Ret.), President and CEO, Leader to Leader Institute

James C. Murphy

"By bringing together in one volume the insights of some of the most thoughtful leaders of some of America's greatest companies, John Knapp provides a valuable service to all who believe that business ethics is a fundamental driver of business success. The strong voices we encounter in this volume show a thoughtful commitment to the ethical dimensions of business leadership, they command the skills needed to make a persuasive and lively argument, and they demonstrate the courage to speak out, even when it may mean controversial critiques of their own companies or professions. This book should be read by every executive in business today both as a primer on ethical business leadership, and as a guide to action in an increasingly complex and challenging global business environment."

James S. O'Rourke IV

"This is, in so many ways, a remarkable collection of essays and speeches on ethics. It's remarkable for the character and quality of the authors, as well as the candor and honesty with which they've written. This book is more, though. It's a gathering of stories about how business works—and sometimes doesn't—and how business executives are confronted with the ugly reality of their decisions and the lives affected by them. Whether you're a student of business or an experienced manager, you'll find this a fascinating read. The lessons are profound, poignant, and timeless."

Robert E. Gaylord (Brig. Gen.

"If you are tired of the avalanche of leadership theory-du- jour books crowding the shelves, you'll find Leaders on Ethics a refreshing addition to the discussion. John Knapp has masterfully assembled a remarkable collection of real leaders who have walked the talk, not just talked the talk—not just theory, ethical leadership in action. Leaders of all sectors—social, private, and public—will find these real-world discussions instructive, thought provoking, and inspiring from people in the fight every day."

Editorial Reviews

These 15 high-powered contributors understand very well that the ethics of modern society has changed rapidly, as evidenced by the behavior of ordinary individuals as well as by the heads of major businesses. They urge readers to consider maintaining an uncompromisingly high level of ethics despite what others get away with, at least for a time, and comment on using crisis as a platform for positive change, recognizing unenlightened self-interest, restoring corporate trust, tying high ethical standards to governance and free enterprise, and learning from the world's great religions. They get more specific on ethical issues in accounting and auditing, in markets where sex sells, in competitive situations, and in higher education. They urge leaders to be trustworthy, sensitive to diversity, accepting of others regardless of class or union affiliation, and capable of putting high values and ethics first.” —Reference & Research Book News

From the Publisher