Business Ethics

With the 2020 presidential election season in full swing, Facebook faces a big test. Will the social media giant repeat the mistakes of 2016, when Russian propagandists used the site to target American voters, and Cambridge Analytica, a political firm with ties to the Trump campaign, obtained millions of users’ data without their knowledge?

The convergence of racism, economic downturns and public health crises reflect wicked problems in complex systems fraught with inequality. Enduring strains of racism play out overtly and subtly, both violently in the streets and systemically in the workplace. So what now? Laura Morgan Roberts offers three zones of action as we move forward.

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd and national protests for racial justice, businesses and leaders are working to embrace a defining moment for racial equality.

Faced with limited customer flow, forced shut down of operations and a looming economic recession, the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic leaves small-business owners to make decisions with little idea of what the future may hold. What lessons can they take from the success and resiliency of businesses that have survived crises in the past?

Professor Ed Freeman and Joseph Burton, Executive Director, Institute for Business in Society, discuss purpose driven business and the effects of COVID-19.

COVID-19 has sent us into a grand and growing telework experience. How do organizations, employees and leaders function in a world in which operations must continue but face-to-face may be impossible? Included: alternatives to in-person communication and physical contact, developing relationships virtually, and managing yourself and productivity.

The coronavirus has spread around the world rapidly. Here, one Darden professor examines the financial implications versus the ethical ones. What would an uncontrolled outbreak mean in the U.S.? What can we learn from China and Italy? And what questions should organizations be asking?

Business has the tools to solve the global climate crisis, but will business leaders have the will to drive the changes necessary to avoid the worst consequences of climate change?

These insights from Darden Ideas to Action articles unveil the value of ethical considerations from a variety of standpoints and in a variety of sectors. They contain lessons for business leaders, employees and consumers.

In an age in which the public is actively invested in the values of a company and reputations can change abruptly, corporate responsibility is both a moral and business imperative. Here, Darden experts offer insights on corporate social responsibility and the evolving relationship of business and society.