Executive Ethics

Ethical Dilemmas and Challenges for the C-Suite

Edited by:
Scott A. Quatro, Covenant College
Ronald R. Sims, William & Mary

Published 2008

Foreword by Dennis W. Bakke, best selling author of "Joy at Work". Afterword by C. William Pollard, best selling author of "The Soul of the Firm."

Scott Quatro and Ronald Sims have put together an impressive group of experts that delve into the essential elements of C-suite leadership; especially, ethics-driven leadership. The book reminds us that the "bottom line" is more complicated now. Profits are only part of the equation. The post Sarbanes–Oxley era requires more than ethics-related compliance. It calls for the creation of an ethics-driven ethos as well. This book begins the dialogue toward such an ethos. This timely volume is unified in its collective voice, but uniquely diverse in its independent voices, as it draws on the wisdom and experiences of twenty-nine different contributors from both industry and the academy.

This book will also help you understand how organizations can maximize the fun, effectiveness, and experienced meaningfulness of the people who work there. The fundamentals are simple and easy to understand. Unfortunately, few C-suite leaders can bring themselves to lead consistently following these fundamentals. An ethical organizational leader must continuously remind the organization why the organization exists, and why what it does is important. People will not work with energy, engagement, and consistency without a purpose they intensely believe is worthwhile. Leaders must continually find ways to articulate the importance of individual peoples' efforts toward that end.

CONTENTS
Foreword, Dennis W. Bakke. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Crafting a Culture of Character: The Role of the Executive Suite, William I. Sauser, Jr. Ethical Mandates for Corporate Success: Critical Lessons for C-Suite Executives, Frank A. Brock. Purpose Matters, Dennis W. Bakke. The Inescapability of Worldview for Business Ethics: The Root of C-Suite Beliefs, Values, and Affections, Niel B. Nielson. Humility in Leadership: Abandoning the Pursuit of Unattainable Perfection, Erik Hoekstra, Antony Bell, and Scott R. Peterson. The Value of Values in the C-Suite, Tim Hatcher. A C-Suite Challenge: Preventing Ethical Breaches, Ronald R. Sims. Profit Matters: Christian Religiosity as Support for Milton Friedman's Provocative Claim, Scott A. Quatro. Global Stakes: Globalization's Challenges and Opportunities for Stakeholder Theory, Lance R. Wescher. Environmental Ethics: Achieving Corporate Sustainability to Save the Planet, Robert Johnson. Ethics and Corruption from the Perspective of the CFO, William T. Geary. Human Resources Management as a Champion for Corporate Ethics: Moving Towards Ethical Integration and Acculturation in the HR Function and Profession, Jerry W. Gilley, Sharon K. Anderson, and Ann Gilley. Ethics and the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO): Challenges in the Post-Sarbanes–Oxley Act Era, Monica Evans, Milorad M. Novicevic, M. Ronald Buckley, and Kathleen M. Buckley. Immigrants as Non-Traditional Expatriates: A Corporate Ethical Imperative for Improved Adjustment and Integration, Gerhard Fink and Charles M. Vance. Ethics in Diversity Management Leadership, Amy E. Kahn and Douglas J. Maxwell. Job Design and Affect: Ethical Implications for the C-Suite, Thomas H. Hawver, Jeffrey M. Pollack, and Ronald H. Humphrey. Rational Nonconformity with Ethical Standards in Fundraising by Nonprofit Managers, Herrington J. Bryce. Afterword, C. William Pollard. About the Contributors.