Feature Channels: Business Ethics

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Released: 1-May-2009 4:00 PM EDT
Law Student Research Finds Ministers Struggling to Address Payday Lending
University of Iowa

A University of Iowa law students examines why payday lending services are so successful in areas with large populations of evangelical Christians, whose faith suggests they should stay away from such businesses because of Biblical teachings against usury.

Released: 21-Apr-2009 12:20 PM EDT
Forget About Greed, Envy Makes the World Go Round; Compensation Plans Can Make Or Break a Firm
Washington University in St. Louis

Envy is the new greed according to professors at Washington University in St. Louis. While greed has been blamed for most of financial sector's problems, new research indicates envy is the real culprit. Researches warn envy is driving top talent from Wall Street and the banking industry and it could wreak even more havoc on the economy in the months to come.

Released: 6-Mar-2009 10:55 AM EST
Are CEOs Overpaid?
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Amid the current economic turmoil, the debate over CEO pay has intensified. Now more than ever, the propriety of large salaries and bonuses for CEOs is leading people to ask, "Are CEOs overpaid?"

Released: 30-Jan-2009 8:00 AM EST
Lawsuit Alleges Bank of America Vital To Success of Internet Ponzi Scheme
Berk Law

Victims of an Internet-based Ponzi scheme filed a lawsuit against Bank of America and the organizers of the scheme in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Using elaborate misrepresentations, including numerous video postings on YouTube, organizers induced victims from around the country to purchase so-called "ad packages" from the following entities: AdSurfDaily, AdSurfDaily Cash Generator, Golden Panda Ad Builder, and La Fuente Dinero.

   
Released: 19-Jan-2009 10:15 AM EST
SEC Should Require Disclosure of CEO Illness
Dick Jones Communications

The Securities and Exchange Commission should directly classify the health of a firm's CEO as a material fact requiring disclosure, which it does not now do. So say researchers in a forthcoming journal article. Their work is timely in light of Apple's announcement that CEO Steve Jobs is taking a medical leave of absence.

Released: 24-Dec-2008 7:00 AM EST
Foundational Business Values Do Their Work in Silence
Misericordia University

Perhaps the only people who find some delight in the current economic crisis are analysts and ethicists. The financial meltdown has spawned a number of intriguing questions that challenge market paradigms and invite examination of key ethical questions related to business.

Released: 29-Oct-2008 2:00 PM EDT
Exorbitant CEO Compensation: Just Reward Or Grand Theft?
Halstead Communications

"Walking into a bank with a gun and demanding money from a teller is one way to steal money," says David O. Friedrichs, Professor and Distinguished University Fellow, Sociology/Criminal Justice, The University of Scranton. "Walking into a corporate boardroom and securing from the board's compensation committee, made up of cronies, paid consultants, and even relatives, compensation of millions "“ sometimes tens of millions or hundreds of millions "“ is another way to steal money.

   
Released: 8-Oct-2008 7:00 AM EDT
MBA Program Addresses Human and Ethical Sides of Business Today
Misericordia University

From Wall Street to Main Street USA, it is fair to say that few people have been immune to today's financial crisis. The fallout has affected 401(k) plans, may cause unemployment and certainly has damaged the psyche of the American consumer who fuels our economy.

Released: 27-Aug-2008 8:55 AM EDT
Boards of Directors Face Uncertain Futures When Companies Restate Earnings
University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business

Corporate board members associated with firms that restate earnings may lose their jobs for reasons that have nothing to do with the numbers. Jo-Ellen Pozner, Assistant Professor in Organizational Behavior at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, found that social mechanisms may play a larger role in penalizing board directors than is accounted for in classical economic theory.

Released: 15-Aug-2008 5:05 PM EDT
Wal-Mart Put Chill on Expression in Workplace, Says Professor
Vanderbilt University

The recent controversy about whether Wal-Mart Stores Inc. unlawfully pressured employees to vote against Democrats in November is another instance of the increasing erosion of free expression in the workplace, according to Bruce Barry, author of a book on this subject.

Released: 18-Jun-2007 1:35 PM EDT
CEOs Reap Financial Benefits from Mergers Regardless of Stock Performance
University of Washington

Chief executive officers often pursue acquisitions regardless of risk or potential outcome because they know their salaries will increase substantially, leaving shareholders to take the financial hit.

Released: 12-Dec-2006 6:50 PM EST
Former CEO: You Don't Need Greed to Succeed
Dick Jones Communications

Disgusted by a seemingly endless parade of executive scandals, former CUNA Mutual Life CEO Irv Burling explains in a new book how companies can grow and prosper without greedy disregard for employees.

Released: 30-Oct-2006 1:55 PM EST
Five Years Later: Leadership Lessons from Enron and Andersen
Baylor University, Hankamer School of Business

Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business will host its annual Business Ethics Forum entitled "Five Years Later: Leadership Lessons from Enron and Andersen" November 1-3. The forum will discuss some of the major ethical issues and lessons learned from Enron and Andersen, from their rich history and tradition to their demise.

   
Released: 16-Oct-2006 2:55 PM EDT
More Corporate Boards Involved in Ethics Programs
Conference Board

More corporate boards are becoming actively involved in providing oversight into companies' ethics and compliance programs, according to a report released today by The Conference Board.

Released: 4-Oct-2006 5:55 PM EDT
CEOs Rewarded for Layoff Decisions
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A University of Arkansas finance professor studied 229 firms that laid off employees at least once between 1993 and 1999 and found that governing boards reward chief executive officers for the decision to let employees go. Specifically, for the year after a layoff occurred, CEOs of these firms received 22.8 percent more in total pay than CEOs of firms that did not have layoffs.

Released: 25-Sep-2006 2:15 PM EDT
Stock Analysts Likely Punished for Unfavorable Recommendations
University of Washington

Investor relations professionals retaliate against analysts who don't give favorable stock recommendations on their companies by excluding them from analyst-firm meetings and refusing to answer questions during conference calls, according to a new study.

Released: 16-Aug-2006 8:10 PM EDT
Experts Available to Address Backdating of Stock Options
Washington University in St. Louis

Granting options doesn't align managers interests with that of shareholders, Washington University finance professors say. The practice of backdating should come as a surprise.

Released: 16-Aug-2006 9:00 AM EDT
Experts Call Expensing Stock Options Improper Accounting
University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business

Thirty leading accounting, economic, business experts call on SEC to repeal new stock options expensing rule.

Released: 3-May-2006 3:50 PM EDT
Leadership, Not Codes, Are True Test of a Company's Ethics
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Walking the talk. A company's statements about its ethics must mirror its conduct. Companies and their leaders can establish formal codes of behavior but if they are not reinforced by strong ethical climates, the organizations can be vulnerable to various kinds of wrongdoing.

   
Released: 20-Apr-2006 4:00 PM EDT
Performance and Profits Can Stop Discrimination
Central Michigan University

An economics professor found that profits and performance can break down discrimination in professional sports leagues and may apply to other labor markets.

Released: 6-Apr-2006 4:55 PM EDT
Even Good Employees Act Up If Supervisors Mistreat Them
University of Florida

Even model employees can become negative and unproductive if their bosses are rude or mean-spirited, according to a new University of Florida study.

Released: 13-Dec-2005 2:45 PM EST
Honesty in the Workplace Sorely Lacking
Steven Gaffney Company

When people bemoan the lack of honesty in corporate America, images of Enron, WorldCom and Martha Stewart come to mind. But honesty issues have a significant impact on virtually every workplace in America, says consultant Steven Gaffney.

   
Released: 2-Nov-2005 9:20 AM EST
New Corporate Initiatives Reflect Changing Trend in Foreign Aid
Solae Company

Foreign country assistance in this area has traditionally been along the lines of food aid and cash donations. To be an effective and sustainable project, local companies need to be involved to create financial development and local economy stimulation.

Released: 9-May-2005 12:55 PM EDT
Soliciting Organs Over the Internet
Harvard Medical School

The Harvard Medical School Division of Medical Ethics will host a public forum, titled "Soliciting Organs Over the Internet," which will bring together an Internet donor matching service MatchingDonors.com and ethicists to discuss the changing landscape of organ donation.

30-Mar-2005 11:00 AM EST
British Hospitals Need Clinical Ethicists
British Medical Journal

"We need to introduce clinical ethicists in hospitals in the United Kingdom," says a researcher in medical ethics.

Released: 18-Mar-2005 3:20 PM EST
Students Value Ethics Education
University of Alabama at Birmingham

According to a recent study, though much has been written about business ethics education, there is little consensus about its effectiveness.

Released: 28-Feb-2005 11:40 AM EST
Government-Mandated Ethics Codes Do Little To Influence Executive Behavior
Penn State Smeal College of Business

Regulatory or governmental mandates that call for the implementation of corporate ethics codes do less to influence the strategic decisions of financial executives than pressure from key market-related stakeholders with economic ties to the firm.

Released: 19-Nov-2004 11:00 AM EST
Biomedical Ethics
University of Virginia

University of Virginia expert on biomedical ethics.

Released: 8-Nov-2004 9:30 AM EST
Ethics and the Corporate Structure
University of Alabama at Birmingham

A study co-authored by UAB forensic accounting expert Tommie Singleton, Ph.D. examined companies with and without clear ethics compliance policies.

7-Oct-2004 5:30 PM EDT
Correlation Between Values and Salary Preferences of Business Executives
Kansas State University

Executives who downplay ethics and values in their decision making may also be the ones who prefer extraordinarily high salaries for themselves.

Released: 15-Sep-2004 1:20 PM EDT
When to Hire Independent Investigators to Resolve Ethics, Other Crises
Conference Board

Chief executives are increasingly likely to consider conducting independent investigations to help resolve major legal and regulatory dilemmas and challenges to their companies' integrity, The Conference Board notes in a report released today.

Released: 6-Aug-2004 4:30 PM EDT
MBA Graduates Want to Work for Caring and Ethical Employers
Stanford Graduate School of Business

A survey of more than 800 MBAs from 11 leading North American and European schools found a substantial number were willing to forgo some financial benefits to work for an organization with a better reputation for corporate social responsibility and ethics.

Released: 4-Jun-2004 6:20 AM EDT
Recommendations Regarding Ethics of Pesticide Testing in Humans
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

A group of nationally recognized experts made up of ethicists, physicians, toxicologists, and policy analysts released a series of ethical and public policy recommendations regarding the testing of pesticides in humans.

Released: 4-Mar-2004 4:20 PM EST
Boards of Directors Get More Involved in Companies’ Ethics Programs
Conference Board

New governance standards have caused a growing number of boards of directors worldwide to become more involved in companies' ethics programs, according to a report released today. The report includes a far-reaching review of best governance practices on ethics.

Released: 3-Feb-2004 10:20 AM EST
AIMR Revises Code and Standards
CFA Institute

Although it seems timely for AIMR to update its Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct given recent headlines about problems in the financial services industry, in fact the proposed changes are the result of an 18-month process of drafting and review.

Released: 6-Nov-2003 6:40 AM EST
Healthcare Ethics Center Created to Explore Medical Ethics Issues
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

To explore these increasingly complex issues, UCLA Healthcare has created the UCLA Healthcare Ethics Center. The center's mission is to provide education, service and research to enhance the practice of medicine for patients, families, professionals and the public.

Released: 23-Sep-2003 6:20 AM EDT
Business Students, Faculty Examine the ‘Value of Values’
Baylor University

Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business will focus on the "value of values" Oct. 6-10 during the school's fifth annual Ethics Focus Week. A "Who's Who" of people from the business world will participate in special events, lectures and classroom activities centering on issues of business ethics.

Released: 12-Sep-2003 9:00 AM EDT
Media Bribery Study Identifies Potential Problem Countries
Purdue University

A communication study shows that bribery of the media is most likely to occur in China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan, says a communication expert. As more American companies work with international media, it's important to understand the ethics in other countries.

Released: 29-Aug-2003 4:00 PM EDT
Internet Ethics: College Students Say Downloading Copyrighted Material Is Not Unethical
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Lawsuits, privacy issues and anti-piracy software have made downloading music, videos and other intellectual property daily news. Researchers found 54 percent of respondents in a recent study thought that downloading copyrighted materials was not unethical, even if it was illegal.

   
Released: 18-Jun-2003 12:00 AM EDT
Ethics Officers Don't Train Their Boards in Ethics
Conference Board

Despite a continuing wave of ethical lapses in major corporations, large numbers of ethics officers say their boards of directors have never received training in ethics or compliance issues, The Conference Board reports in a survey released today.

11-Apr-2003 12:00 AM EDT
Images of War Raise Ethical Concerns
British Medical Journal

Graphic media images of Iraqi civilian casualties raise questions about the boundaries of media ethics and, more importantly, medical ethics.

Released: 1-Mar-2003 12:00 AM EST
Basics of an Ethical Education
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Recent corporate scandals suggest that greed can overrule intellect, honesty and morality. Can future debacles be avoided by teaching ethics?

Released: 20-Feb-2003 12:00 AM EST
Beyond Ethics: Applying Personal Faith to Business
Wake Forest University

The writings of Wesley and Luther, along with several other biblical scholars and texts, are required material in one Wake Forest University class this semester, "Christianity, Business and Business Ethics."

   
Released: 15-Feb-2003 12:00 AM EST
Ethics May Fall along Gender Lines
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Ethics in the workplace has been a hot topic for the past two years.

Released: 31-Jan-2003 12:00 AM EST
What Enron Can Teach Families about Love
Southern Methodist University

Corporate wrongdoings are ethical failings in the boardroom, but the behaviors -- greed, lying and hubris -- begin in the family. If you want ethical managers, business ethicists say raise ethical children.

Released: 21-Dec-2002 12:00 AM EST
Professors Support SEC Rules to Deter Corporate Fraud
Cornell University

Corporate law faculty support a rule recently proposed by the SEC that would make lawyers involved in executing corporate transactions more accountable for addressing client fraud. The effort was spearheaded by Cornell University law professor Roger Cramton and his co-authors of a book on law and ethics.

Released: 15-Oct-2002 12:00 AM EDT
Ethical Attitudes More Tolerant If Scenario Already Experienced
Baylor University

Business people who have already experienced an ethical dilemma have a much more tolerant view of questionable ethical behavior when confronted with similar situations.

Released: 15-Oct-2002 12:00 AM EDT
Current Business Students Have Higher Ethical Attitudes than 1980's Counterparts
Baylor University

Contrary to the "greed is good" business climate of the 1980's, business students nowadays are significantly more disapproving of questionable ethical situations, according to research done at Baylor University.

Released: 15-Oct-2002 12:00 AM EDT
Religiosity and Gender Significant Predictors of Attitudes About Business Ethics
Baylor University

The more frequently college students attend church, the more disapproving they are likely to be of ethically questionable business situations, according to joint research done at two universities in the United States. Other noteworthy predictors of ethical perceptions are the factors of gender and age.

Released: 8-Oct-2002 12:00 AM EDT
Ethics Focus Week Opportunity for Practical Learning
Baylor University

Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business will be providing special emphasis on issues of integrity during Ethics Focus Week, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, 2002. The week ends with a Roundtable on Integrity in Financial Reporting.



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