Jim Sinegal talks through a decision to do the right thing for his employees despite an economic cost to the company. Sticking to your word, even beyond what might be reasonably expected of you, reveals true character.
Use the following prompts to facilitate a guided discussion on this installment of Walking the Talk: Insights on Putting Ethics into Practice.
How can we define moral courage? Why is it so important?
What were the elements of Costco’s approach to administering a significant change for their employees – a healthcare cost increase – that helped ensure it was successful? How do these elements relate to the stakeholder concept in ethics?
What is the “business case” for going above what is required of you as an employer? In the example of the employee 401K bonuses, could you argue that it was a smart financial decision for the company?
How does Sinegal define “obligation” in terms of the relationship between employer and employee?
Like most universities with Division I athletics, Notre Dame doesn’t need to look far to find alumni making their mark in competition after graduation. But sports as an industry is big business - with big challenges, and ever-expanding opportunities for ethical leadership. We sat down with alumni working in the industry along with faculty member and NDDCEL Fellow Professor Brian Levey…
This is the challenging question posed by Kirsten Higgins, ND ’14, during her insightful interview on the present and future of renewable energy. She expanded on this question noting that as more companies become attuned to the costs—tangible and intangible…
It’s clear by now that ESG (environmental, social, and governance) factors are part of the 21st century business landscape. You can’t stroll through business or investing sites without coming across the term, but a simple commitment to ESG is not going to be enough for companies to justify their social license to operate. Consumers, especially Gen Z who have considerable market power, have gotten savvy to ‘greenwashing’ and ‘social washing’ by major companies and are demanding more transparency…
