The magazine for alumni and friends of the UB School of Management
Issue link: http://ubschoolofmanagement.uberflip.com/i/1084949
Spring 2019 Buffalo Business 15 Ethics are woven throughout the curriculum of every program. In his business law class, Chris Nickson prompts discussion around situations where legal compliance may not, ethically, be enough. Jim Lemoine researches morality in leadership (see Insights, page 20), and encourages his students to de- bate ethical issues and even defend the positions of those with whom they disagree to really understand the opposing perspective. Even classes in finance, ac- counting, strategy and other areas wrestle with ethi- cal issues and such topics as the gender pay gap. "We cannot emphasize ethics too strongly," Tesluk says. "We should be intentional and mind- ful of how we infuse ethics inside and outside of the classroom, so as we develop the leaders of tomorrow, ethics cut across the culture of the entire school." In classes, student club meetings and other events, student interest in current events and trends—including #MeToo—can push the conver- sation beyond theory. Lemoine is developing a case study from the Kavanaugh hearings to illustrate the murky subject of ethics on both sides of the aisle. Referencing recent #MeToo allegations and real-world case studies, Emily Grijalva demonstrates the pervasiveness of the issue and discusses concepts like quid pro quo. Elsewhere in the Organization and Human Resources Department, Nick Everest, clini- cal assistant professor, says his students chose to dis- cuss gender-based discrimination and harassment two semesters in a row, while frequent student ques- tions spurred Kate Bezrukova, associate professor, to add course content last fall on how men and women negotiate differently. "Our job in the School of Management is to ed- ucate our students to be impactful in their careers," says Erin O'Brien, MBA '00, assistant dean and direc- tor of graduate programs. "We do that by teaching them how to lead and helping them develop techni- cal and communication skills—and we need to edu- cate them on these issues too. We have to give them tools to recognize and deal with harmful situations, and we need to have open conversations that include everyone, so our graduates can lead inclusive organi- zations and change that culture." x #METOO " Women's issues are greater than #MeToo. It's an important conversation because everyone should feel safe at work, but the real problem is women's human potential being underused." Mara Swan, BS '81 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL STRATEGY AND TALENT MANPOWERGROUP