2021–22
"Governance Matters: Reconciling DEI Values, Intentions, and Impacts"
March 31, 2022, a workshop with Vernetta Walker and the NH Center for Nonprofits
Nonprofit leaders recognize that addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion is crucial to advancing their missions. Many boards are embracing the work with a strong sense of urgency, and have articulated their commitments to DEI, but may be seeking guidance and inspiration to move beyond intentions to action. In this interactive workshop with Vernetta Walker, board-staff leadership teams discussed the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. (In-person only)
"Politics and Business"
April 26, 2022, with Daniel Korschun
Business executives have traditionally avoided political controversy. But in a surprising and dramatic turn of events, many companies are now taking public positions on a number of divisive issues. Dr. Daniel Korschun presents his latest research on corporate activism and a view of what lies ahead.
"Business in a Time of Disinformation"
March 3rd, 2022, with Robert McNulty
Because disinformation can influence public perceptions of all other issues, the dramatic growth of disinformation over the last decade has become one of the most important social issues we face. Because business is one of the major shapers of the contemporary information environment, any effort to respond to disinformation will require that business address its relationship with disinformation and truth. In this installment of the "Corporations and the Common Good" series, Dr. Robert McNulty discusses how our permissiveness regarding deceit and disinformation has significant implications for the conduct of business.
"7 Ethical Lenses: Through the Kaleidoscope"
November 16, 2021, with Linda Fisher Thornton
Leaders need a clear line of sight to ethical choices, but their most pressing issues are complex and involve many stakeholders. Linda Fisher Thornton, Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Richmond and author of 7 Lenses, shares seven perspectives for “seeing” ethical responsibility that provide a multidimensional view. Together the 7 Lenses provide a kaleidoscopic perspective on ethical responsibility and an eye-opening picture of what it means to “do the right thing.”
"Bitcoin and Blockchain: The Age of Decentralized Ledgers"
December 2, 2021, with Doug Pepe
We live our lives in a world of ledgers. Perhaps unknowingly. Bank accounts, car titles, mortgages, and securities – every facet of our financial life is maintained on a ledger of some form. Even our birth, marriage, and death is recorded on a ledger. Historically, we needed a trusted party to maintain all of these ledgers accurately. But that era is gone. The year 2009 witnessed the birth of the decentralized ledger, and it is beginning to grow to maturity.
Doug Pepe joins Stephan Unger, Associate Professor, Economics and Business, Saint Anselm College for a conversation on the history, possibilities, and implications of living in this new era – the age of the decentralized ledger.
2020–21
"Honorable Business"
April 27, 2021, with James Otteson
Many businesses today take positions on current ethical and political issues. Why? James Otteson, Ph.D, offers a five-point code of ethics for the honorable businessperson who, by following these rules, contributes to a just and humane society.
"When to Speak Out: Three Common Questions to Answer Before Taking a Public Position on Social Issues"
April 7, 2021, with Paul Argenti
The first webinar presentation of our series “Corporations and the Common Good: How Should Businesses Respond to Social Issues?” features Paul A. Argenti, Professor of Corporate Communication, The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Argenti offers a three-pronged test for determining when to speak out about social issues based his recent Harvard Business Review article, When Should Your Company Speak up about a Social Issue.
"Better, Not Perfect"
February 17, 2021, with Max Bazerman
Max Bazerman, Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, draws from philosophy, psychology, and behavioral economics to discuss how we can make more ethical choices by aspiring to be better, not perfect.
"Governance Matters: Missions and Mindsets in the Moment"
November 19, 2020, with Cathy Trower
Cathy Trower, President of board consulting firm Trower & Trower, expresses her thoughts on the best governance a board can deliver to support its crucial missions
"Care and Presence of Leadership in a Crisis"
October 22, 2020, with Joanne B. Ciulla
Joanne B. Ciulla, Director in the Institute for Ethical Leadership, presents her insight on how leader's should best respond in times of crises.
2019–20
"Governance Matters"
June 1, 2020, with Susan Meier & Alan Cantor
Susan Meier and Alan Cantor, two inspiring nonprofit gurus, reflect on board engagement and culture and the critical role of governance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"A Culture Built on Trust"
June 24, 2020, with Larry Cunningham & Ellen Richstone
Larry Cunningham and Ellen Richstone, offer their perspectives on building a culture of trust, one that helps employees succeed, and in turn helps the company and all other constituencies prosper, achieving an organization’s ultimate purpose.
"The Power of And: Responsible Business Without Tradeoffs"
May 14, 2020, with Ed Freeman
Ed Freeman, University Professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, offered his insight on the evolving business field of ethics. He formulated his explanation around the basis of five key ideas that will create new values for the business realm.
"A Matter of Balance: Managing the Tension Between Philanthropy and Democracy,"
December 4, 2019, with Ben Soskis
Ben Soskis, explored the ethical and moral aspects of resent trends in philanthropy and charitable giving and their impact on public policy.
2018–19
"Justice and the Market"
April 17, 2019, with John Ramsay
John Ramsay, Chief Market Policy Officer of IEX Group, sat down with moderator Mike Nikitas of Nikitas Communications to discuss his experience during the financial crisis. He offered some thoughts on the role of a stock exchange, using private sector employment, sound regulation, and stakeholder engagement to further ethical principles and transparency in financial markets.
"Socially Responsible Investing: Is It Worth It?"
March 13, 2019, with Aimee B. Forsythe, Anthony Eames, & Mike Nikitas
Anthony Eames and Aimee B. Forsythe discussed the history, evolution, and impact of socially responsible investing with moderator Mike Nikitas of Nikitas Communications. They discussed how many investment firms have developed products using ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) or other socially responsible criteria in response to market demand.
"The Ethics of Board Diversity"
December 6, 2018, with Vernetta Walker, Beth Boland, & Jeff Feingold
Leading governance experts Beth Boland and Vernetta Walker participated in a forum on the meaning and ethics of board diversity and how to address the topic within a board.
"Justice Within the Workplace: The Power of Structures, not Persons"
October 22, 2018, with Daniel Finn
Dr. Daniel Finn, Professor of Theology offered his insight into the dynamics of fairness, power, and the restrictions and opportunities which are generated by the social structure at our workplaces.
2017–18
"Ethical Leadership for the 21st Century"
April 23, 2018, with Cynthia Cooper
Cynthia Cooper shared her personal experiences at WorldCom as well as critical ethics and governance lessons from some of the largest corporate scandals. She discussed the fall of WorldCom, the power of choice and how to recognize ethical dilemmas.
"The Wisdom of Finance: Discovering Humanity in the World of Risk and Return"
April 10, 2018, with Mihir A. Desai
Harvard professor Mihir Desai takes up the cause of restoring humanity to finance, an industry whose reputation has been bruised and battered from decades of greed and corruption. Desai’s position directly challenges popular positions by critics who explicitly demean the values of the marketplace and money and who say dealing in finance often drives out a sense of ethics.
"Maintaining Values in a Competitive Market"
November 30, 2017, with Lisa Drake, Mark Buckley, & Dina Frutos-Bencze
Panelists Lisa Drake of Stonyfield Farm, Inc. and Mark Buckley of Staples, Inc. were joined by moderator Dina Frutos-Bencze, Ph.D. of Saint Anselm College for a discussion about how a company maintains its values, vision and mission through efficient and innovative business practices, rooted in a business ethic that always defaults to what is "right."
"Corporate Responsibility in America: Tenacity and the Institutional Insight"
September 26, 2017, with Kenneth E. Goodpaster
Kenneth E. Goodpaster, Ph.D. Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics, offered an explanation of the tenacity with which Americans have held on to the idea of "corporate responsibility." He advanced three basic convictions behind America's aspiration to uphold relative market freedom for business enterprises in the face of frequent moral failure.
2016–17
"Reviving Values: Why Wall Street Culture Really Goes Awry, and How to Bring It Back"
April 28, 2017, with Susan M. Ochs
Susan M. Ochs discussed her research on mindsets and culture in the financial services industry, and their implications for risk management, innovation and reform efforts. She explained some of the factors that contributed to the Wells Fargo scandal.
"Doing Business with a Mission"
March 21, 2017, with John Boatright & Rebecca Hamilton
"The Promise and Perils of For-Profit Social Enterprise" with John Boatright
"B Corps: Creating Benefit for All" with Rebecca Hamilton: Rebecca Hamilton
Dr. Boatright and Ms. Hamilton presented on social enterprise theory and practical applications of a for-profit social enterprise, specifically addressing B-corp status.
"Giving Voice to Values: The 'How' of Business Ethics"
November 14, 2016, with Mary C. Gentile
Giving Voice to Values (GVV) fills a long-standing and critical gap in our understanding of how to enable ethical practice. Developed by Gentile, a veteran of Harvard Business School and pioneer in both ethics and diversity management curriculum, GVV is being piloted in over 880 educational and executive settings.
"The Power of Noticing, Bounded Ethicality, and Being a Great Leader"
September 15, 2016, with Max H. Bazerman
Max Bazerman Ph.D., Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, offered an explanation of how leaders can make a decision that not only harms others, but is also inconsistent with his or her conscious beliefs and preferences. He explained how ‘blind spots’ not only prevent leaders from noticing critical challenges and opportunities, but can lead to unintentional unethical behavior.
2015–16
"The 2016 Voter Uprising Against Wall Street...and What to Do About It"
April 28, 2016, with Stephen Davis
Stephen Davis, Ph.D., presented on his recent book, What They Do With Your Money: How the Financial System Fails Us, and How to Fix It. Dr. Davis discussed what has gone wrong with our financial institutions and markets, and lay out an agenda for curtailing misalignments to better serve the investor.
"Unlocking the iPhone Controversy: The Future of Privacy, Freedom, and Security in the Digital Age"
April 12, 2016, with John E. Sununu
Former New Hampshire Senator John E. Sununu discussed the recent IPhone debate and its implications on personal privacy and national security.
"Market Basket - Inside an Historic Corporate Governance Crisis"
November 16, 2015, with Jay Childs, Daniel Korschun, Cindy Whelan, & Jim Fantini
This program examined the Market Basket case from multiple viewpoints - an employee, a vendor, a scholar/author, and a documentary filmmaker. Panelists included documentary film producer Jay Childs (“Food Fight”) and Dr. Daniel Korschun, Associate Professor, Marketing; joined by Market Basket, Epping store manager Cindy Whelan and Jim Fantini, vendor.
"The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act): Are We More Ethical?"
September 21, 2015, with Barney Frank & Joseph Keefe
Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank was joined by Joseph Keefe, President & CEO of PAX World Funds, to discuss the intentions and consequences of the Dodd-Frank Act, signed into United States federal law by President Barack Obama on July 21, 2010.
2014–15
"Berkshire Beyond Buffett - The Enduring Value of Values"
April 24, 2015, with Lawrence Cunningham
Lawrence Cunningham, a professor at George Washington University, is a leading authority on Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, corporate culture, and corporate governance. His presentation focused on Mr. Buffet’s ‘golden rule’ philosophy – treating his shareholders as he would want to be treated.
"Stewardship of the Future - Vision and Values for Value-add in Responsible Enterprises"
April 8, 2015, with Sandra Waddock
Dr. Sandra Waddock, Jenny Levy, and Jeff Baker explored some of the challenges we face such as sustainability, climate change, and equity and suggested some ways in which businesses can become part of the solution by integrating new business visions and values.
“How Governance Became Unethical and What to Do About It”
February 10, 2014, with Prabhu Guptara, Dr. Luke Miller, & Dr. Dale Kuehne
Professor Guptara’s presentation outlined a history of shifting values in American politics and society, and posited how in the 21st century. Professor Miller responded and presented the effects of the recent economic crisis on individuals and families. A question-and-answer portion with the audience followed, making for a very fruitful discussion about what Professor Dale Kuehne called "the topic that matters."
2012-2013
“Just for Profit? Considering the Social Purpose of the Company”
November 12, 2013, with Dr. Paul Mills, John Romps, & Dr. Dale Kuehne
Dr. Mills’ presentation focused on the fallout of the recent banking crisis and how many criticized the short-sighted practices that led to the collapse and world-wide shock, and how the same holds true in the fallout of corporate malpractice as seen in the Enron bankruptcy and more recently with Tyco. NHBR featured this seminar in an article dated December 13, 2013.