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The Center
for Responsible Leadership and Governance hosts "Meeting the Challenge of
Change"
By Sharon Meisner
The Center for Responsible Leadership and Governance at
Villanova University played host to “Meeting the Challenge of Change,” a
forum session designed to address issues of corporate responsibility and
leadership on Oct. 13 at the Villanova Conference Center.
A recent Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive
survey asked recruiters to rate business schools on a variety of student and
school attributes (Sept. 22, 2004). Of those attributes, 85 percent of
respondents consider personal ethics and integrity and 73 percent consider
leadership potential “very important.” These were the third and sixth
highest attributes (out of 20 total attributes) rated as very important by
recruiters.
“Given today’s corporate environment, it should come
as no surprise that recruiters and employers are placing an emphasis on a
candidate’s ethical compass as well as skills,” said Dr. Jonathan Doh,
director, Center for Responsible Leadership and Governance in the College of
Commerce & Finance. “The question facing many in academia and in business
is, can ethics be taught, and if so, how? With this conference we were
looking to address this issue head on.”
The conference, a half-day session, was comprised of
keynote addresses, a panel discussion and open forums, intended to provide
attendees with an opportunity to hear, and more importantly, comment on the
leadership challenges and practices that affect our organizations. The
conference goal was to arm attendees with the ideas and processes that
support values-based leadership, ethical decision making and quality
stakeholder relationships; in essence, the tools to teach and exhibit
personal ethics and integrity in daily life.
In addition to keynote speakers, participants
included:
- Eric Pillmore, senior vice president of corporate
governance, Tyco
- Rosemary Crane, company group chairman, Consumer
Pharmaceuticals and Nutritionals, Johnson & Johnson
- Robert E. Knowling, CEO, NYC Leadership Academy
- Judith Samuelson, executive director, Business &
Society Program, Aspen Institute
Launched
in November 2003, the Center for Responsible Leadership & Governance seeks
to promote values-based leadership, ethical decision making and quality
stakeholder relationships through education, scholarly research and outreach
to business, professional and non-profit organizations. |
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