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Bentley University

Bentley University is a national leader in business education. Centered on education and research in business and related professions, Bentley blends the breadth and technological strength of a university with the values and student focus of a small college. Our undergraduate curriculum combines business study with a strong foundation in the arts and sciences. A broad array of offerings at the McCallum Graduate School emphasize the impact of technology on business practice, including MBA and Master of Science programs, PhD programs in accountancy and in business, and selected executive programs. Enrolling approximately 4,000 full-time undergraduate, 250 adult part-time undergraduate, and 1,270 graduate students, Bentley is located in Waltham, Mass., minutes west of Boston and online at www.bentley.edu.break

http://www.bentley.edu

Corporate Excellence, Ethics, and the Role of IT

Mon, Feb 13, 2006

Deborah G. Johnson, University of Virginia ethicist, discusses the rethinking of corporate excellence and business ethics as the economy goes global through the use of Information Technology. Deborah G. Johnson is the Anne Shirley Carter Olsson Professor of Applied Ethics in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of the University of Virginia. Johnson received the John Barwise prize from the American Philosophical Association in 2004; the Sterling Olmsted Award from the Liberal Education Division of the American Society for Engineering Education in 2001; and the ACM SIGCAS Making a Difference Award in 2000. Johnson is the author or editor of *Computer Ethics*, *Computers, Ethics, and Social Values* (co-edited with Helen Nissenbaum), *Ethical Issues in Engineering*, and *Ethical Issues in the Use of Computers* (co-edited with John Snapper). She has published over 50 papers in a variety of journals and edited volumes. She co-edits the journal *Ethics and Information Technology* and co-edits a book series on Women, Gender, and Technology for University of Illinois Press. Active in professional organizations, Johnson has served as President of the Society for Philosophy and Technology, President of the International Society for Ethics and Information Technology (INSEIT), Treasurer of the ACM Special Interest Group on Computers and Society, and Chair of the American Philosophical Association Committee on Computers and Philosophy. Currently she serves on the Executive Board of INSEIT and the Executive Board of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. Presented by the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College (with support Verizon Communications).

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Power of How: Redefining Corporate Culture

Tue, Mar 28, 2006

In a world of increasing homogeneity and commoditization, Dov L. Seidman argues that how one does business or conducts oneself is one of the few remaining great opportunities for differentiation, competitive advantage and personal fulfillment. He cautions against allowing the hyper-connectedness and hyper-transparency of our 21st-century world to invite risk and reputation damage upon ourselves through ill-judged decisions and conduct. Instead, he says, organizations and individuals can succeed in such an environment by tapping into what he calls the "Power of How." Located in Los Angels, California, the LRN Corporation is the leading provider of legal, compliance and ethics education and management services. Seidman founded LRN, more than 12 years ago to help companies and their employees 'do the right thing.' With uncompromising commitment to this mission and vision, Seidman has successfully grown an organization that is having a significant impact on the ways employees and management behave in the workplace. An innovator and leader in ethics and compliance management and corporate governance solutions, LRN works with 230 organizations many of which are the world's largest companies, including 3M, Viacom, DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Raytheon, The Dow Chemical Company, Tyco, and United Technologies Corporation. LRN helps companies foster and fortify corporate cultures that encourage self-regulation based on shared values, rather than simply acquiescing to externally imposed rules.

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Data, Dollars, and Unintentional Subversion of Human Rights

Mon, Feb 12, 2007

Thomas White argues that one of the unanticipated consequences of some recent decisions in the IT industry is a disregard for the importance of privacy as a fundamental human right. Given the speed of technological change in the IT industry, it should surprise no one that ethical issues in the industry develop at a brisk pace as well. It should also come as no surprise that, in such a fast-paced environment, decisions made with good intentions may have serious unintended consequences. In each case, companies cite good intentions for their decisions--maximizing profit, operating legally, for example. However, White contends that the explanations that these companies offer for their behavior is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature and role of business particularly in a democracy. He also argues that a richer understanding of business will lead to better decisions.

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Ethical Challenges in Business: A Leadership Perspective

Wed, Mar 28, 2007

Bill George explores ethical challenges in business from a leadership perspective, offering insights on what can cause leaders to lose their moral bearings. He believes, as do the 125 leaders interviewed for his new book, *True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership*, that leaders succumb to ethical failures and deviations not because of a lack of knowledge or understanding of ethical principles and premises but because they have neglected to develop and ground themselves in five key areas, which serve to locate one's ethical "true north."

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Rebuilding a Company after a Near Fatal Ethics Breakdown

Tue, Oct 7, 2008

John Swainson of CA, Inc., one of the world's largest independent software companies, describes the challenges he faced when he was brought on as CEO to rebuild the company's culture and reinvigorate its business after a serious ethics breakdown.

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Health Care Challenge: Balancing Fairness and Business

Tue, Mar 25, 2008

Bruce G. Bodaken discusses the choices must we make as a society to give every American an equal chance at a healthy life. As a life-or-death issue, access to health care presents moral issues not faced by most industries. Every day, health plans decide whom to accept for coverage, what therapies to approve, and which providers may deliver medical care. Insurers in our society face a dilemma: the well insured are demanding more tests, high-tech treatments, brand-name drugs, and the right to see more specialists, while some 47 million Americans are uninsured and are at greater risk for debilitating disease and an earlier death. What choices must we make as a society to give every American an equal chance at a healthy life?

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Ethics of Globalization: Oyxmoron or Path to Peace?

Thu, Oct 6, 2005

Mike Eskew, who serves as chairman and chief executive officer of UPS, discusses the ethics of globalization. A native of Vincennes, IN, Eskew graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of Business. Eskew began his UPS career in 1972 as an industrial engineering manager in Indiana. His advancement continued in various positions of increasing responsibility, including time with UPS's operations in Germany and with UPS Airlines. In 1994, Eskew was named corporate vice president for industrial engineering. Two years later he became group vice president for engineering. Eskew has served as a member of the UPS Board of Directors since 1998. In 1999, he was named executive vice president and a year later was given the additional title of vice chairman. Eskew held this position prior to assuming his current role on January 1, 2002. Under Eskew's direction, UPS, the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, is expanding its capabilities into new lines of business that complement the company's global package delivery operations. UPS is developing increasingly sophisticated solutions for its customers by synchronizing the movement of goods, information and funds. These expanded capabilities include multi-modal transportation services, sophisticated technologies, international trade management, supply chain consulting and financial services. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Eskew is a Trustee of The UPS Foundation and The Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is the country's largest foundation dedicated to disadvantaged youth. In 2003, Eskew was appointed to the President's Export Council and was elected chairman of the US-China Business Council in 2004. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the 3M Corporation. He was recently elected to the IBM Board of Directors, and as Chair of the Business Strengthening America's Steering Committee. Presented by the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College, made possible through the generous support of Raytheon Company.

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Strong Ethics, Smart Business

Tue, Apr 12, 2005

Anne Mulcahy , CEO of the Xerox Corporation, one of the most enduring brands in business today, discusses social responsibility, ethics, and business. The Xerox Corporation is the global leader in document management solutions with close to $16 billion in annual revenues. At its helm is Mulcahy, a 28-year veteran of Xerox who began her career selling copiers in Boston. Over the last three years, Mulcahy has led the company through a massive transformation, reinventing Xerox into an innovative technology and services enterprise that helps businesses deploy smarter document management strategies and find better ways to work. Building on Xerox's rich heritage of social responsibility, Mulcahy ensures that the company's business decisions and actions are aligned with a clear set of corporate values. Mulcahy was named CEO of Xerox on August 1, 2001, and chairman on January 1, 2002. Mulcahy most recently was Xerox president and chief operating officer from May 2000 through July 2001. She began her Xerox career as a field sales representative in 1976 and assumed increasingly responsible sales and senior management positions. In addition to the Xerox board, Mulcahy is a member of the boards of directors of Target Corporation and Citigroup, and is a member of The Business Council. She is also a board member of Catalyst, a nonprofit organization supporting women in business. This lecture is presented by the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College, through the generous support of Raytheon Company. The Center is a partner in the Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility. This event is co-sponsored by Bentley's Institute for Women in Leadership.

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Rushwood Kidder on Ethics in a Troubled World

Mon, Feb 7, 2005

Rushworth Kidder discusses his book, *Moral Courage, Digital Distrust: Ethics in a Troubled World*, which uses real-life stories from business, education, government, sports, and other areas to explain what moral courage is, what it does, and how we can develop it. Kidder's previous book, *How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living*, has been praised by Jimmy Carter as "a thought-provoking guide to enlightened and progressive personal behavior." His prolific writings often involve him in interviews with business and governmental leaders around the world. Kidder also serves as executive editor of *Ethics Newsline* the world's first weekly, Internet-based, ethics information service, for which he writes a weekly column. Prior to founding IGE, Kidder was senior columnist for *The Christian Science Monitor*, an international daily newspaper highly regarded for its depth, balance, and ethical stance. Additionally, Kidder founded the Institute for Global Ethics (IGE) in 1990. Headquartered in Camden, Maine (with other offices in Washington DC, New York City and London), IGE's mission is to promote ethical behavior in individuals, institutions and nations through research, public discourse and practical action. Kidder brings more than 30 years of insight to his discussions of corporate and global ethics. Presented by the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College, through the generous support of Verizon Communications. The Center is a partner in the Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility.

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Information Technology and Intellectual Property

Mon, Mar 29, 2004

Norman E. Bowie, chair of corporate responsibility at the University of Minnesota, discusses the issues surrounding information technology and intellectual property.

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