What is the Current State of Business Ethics?

By Linda Fisher Thornton I met with faculty members and students at Plymouth State University on October 3rd on the topic of "Decoding the Complexity of Doing the Right Thing." They had lots of questions, including the one answered in this video, "What it the Current State of Business Ethics?" This is a question that is 'top of mind' for many people as this year draws to a close.

Top 10 Posts 2014: Changing Ethical Leadership Expectations

By Linda Fisher Thornton There were 52 Leading in Context blog posts published in 2014, and the ones isted below are the 10 that were most popular with readers. They are focused on learning proactive ethical leadership and building a high-trust culture. If I had to describe the theme of these posts it might be "learning how to keep up with changes in ethical leadership expectations." As you review these reader favorites, think about how you will adapt to changing ethical leadership expectations in 2015.

Full Accountability For Ethics: The New Normal

By Linda Fisher Thornton I recently blogged about trends in ethical leadership, sharing 10 forces that are fueling a movement toward higher expectations for values-based leadership. Today I want to explore how those trends help explain what we are seeing in ethics cases in the news. Recent headlines have described more severe sanctions than people have seen in the past, in response to ethics problems in sports, politics, business and beyond. Some people may have wondered, "Why are people now being convicted for doing the same things that others before them have done?"

Business Ethics Trends

The Business Ethics Report 2009, published by the Ethics Resource Center at Ethicspoint.com, shows that while business ethics improved during the recession, there is concern about sustaining that improvement when the economy improves. 2009 Business Ethics Study by the St. James Ethics…