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Business Ethics featuring Stephen M.R. Covey

July 23, 2012

Trust and its hidden power to change lives and profoundly impact organizations will be Stephen M.R. Covey's focus at an upcoming business ethics symposium at Colorado State University's College of Business.

CSU and the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming will present the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Leadership Symposium on Business Ethics Aug. 16-17.

The symposium, “A Matter of Trust,” will feature Covey, best-selling author of “The Speed of Trust” and “Smart Trust.”

Trust and success

Covey will pull from his compelling works to further explore why trusted people have a greater potential to succeed, and why high-trust organizations outperform low-trust organizations by nearly three times.

“The process of building trust is an interesting one, but it begins with yourself, with what I call self-trust, and with your own credibility, your own trustworthiness,” Covey said. “If you think about it, it's hard to establish trust with others if you can't trust yourself.”

Managing complex ethical issues

The objective of the symposium is to provide business professionals with relevant tools and practice to manage the complex ethical issues that surface in today’s workplace. Participants will earn a Certificate in Business Ethics.

In addition to Covey, a variety of noteworthy speakers and presenters have been selected to lead sessions in the symposium.

Speakers and presenters

• Understanding Ethical Issues in Marketing: Kelly Martin, assistant professor of marketing and Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow, will facilitate discussion and interactive exercises where participants navigate ethical dilemmas related to various aspects of marketing.
• Applying Ethical Decision-Making at Work: Soy-Dri Behavioral Simulation – O.C. Ferrell and Linda Ferrell, Bill Daniels professors of Business Ethics at the University of New Mexico, will lead participants in organizational ethical decision-making through an interactive session that permits role playing to resolve real-world ethical dilemmas.
• Corporate Governance and Business Ethics Case Study: Tyco International – Eric M. Pillmore, senior adviser at the Deloitte Center for Corporate Governance, will have participants explore the topic of corporate governance and business ethics through an analysis of the transformation of Tyco from an image of poor governance to a role as a leader in corporate governance. Pillmore will provide an insider’s view on how an ethical culture was restored to the company and lessons learned from the experience.

Business Ethics Panel

Business Ethics Panel – Several prominent members of the Northern Colorado business community will define the dynamic ethical challenges present in their respective industries and how they are addressed. Panelists also will discuss generational differences in relation to ethics and how their businesses address the issue of time theft on the job. Pam King, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, will provide opening and closing remarks. Mike Pierce, founder of Ethical Dynamics, will serve as moderator.

Panelists include: Kevin Unger, president, Poudre Valley Hospital; Laurie Macomber, CEO, Blue Skies Marketing/Social Media Pilots; Eric Thompson, president and CEO, The Group Inc.; Chad McWhinney, CEO and co-founder, McWhinney; Harry Devereaux, president, Home State Bank; Christine Chin, former president and publisher, Fort Collins Coloradoan; and Diane Zile, chief people officer, OtterBox.

“For more than a decade, one business scandal after another has surfaced in national and international headlines, each seeming more egregious than the last,” said Mary Beth Lewis, director of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at CSU. “As current business professionals and educators of the next generation of business leaders, we are facing a crisis of broken trust with our customers, our communities, our employees and our students. Through the combined expertise of our presenters, this symposium will respond to this crisis with practical applications of successful methods for creating and restoring trust in all levels of an organization.”

Daniels Fund support

This Leadership Symposium on Business Ethics is made possible through the support and leadership of the Daniels Fund, reflecting the interest in ethical business practices of Bill Daniels, its namesake. The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative sponsors business ethics studies and research at seven U.S. universities, including Colorado State University.

More information

Individual cost to attend the symposium is $450, which includes breakfast, luncheon and evening networking event meals. To register for the conference or to learn more, visit the website.