CWU Business Speaker To Address Ethics

May 11, 2004

Contact: Dr. Roy Savoian (509-963-1955/fax 509-963-3042/e-mail: savoianr@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- During the past few years, corporate headlines have repeatedly surprised, frightened and disturbed the American public. News items about Enron, WorldCom, Tyco and many others have focused attention on corruption, greed and malfeasance.

What are the lessons learned from these headlines and, more importantly, how instructive are these stories for understanding business ethics and corporate responsibility?

"People have been left wondering where these corporate misdeeds and scandals began and whether there is an end in sight," Dr. Roy Savoian, dean of the Central Washington University College of Business (COB), says.

As a way to answer those questions, COB will host the 2004 Lecture in Business Ethics Thursday, May 13. Dr. J. Michael Stebbins, director of the Gonzaga University Institute of Ethics, will discuss "Personal Ethical Competence: A Critical Management Asset" at 3:30 p.m. in Shaw-Smyser 115 and via distance education links to CWU-Lynnwood, CWU-Moses Lake, CWU-Pierce County, CWU-SeaTac, CWU-Wenatchee and CWU-Yakima.

Stebbins' research has included organizational ethics, decision-making theory, ethical leadership and the relationship of organizational strategy and policy to the public good. As director of the Gonzaga Institute of Ethics he is applying the research results to the design of ethics programs aimed at students, faculty, staff, alumni, professional groups outside the university, businesses and other organizations.

Stebbins' CWU lecture is sponsored through funds provided by Fritz and Joan Glover, of Ellensburg, "who share a commitment to the education of our students and an interest in advancing the discussion on campus about business ethics and corporate responsibility," Savoian adds.

Fritz Glover, a former member of the CWU board of trustees, now serves on the COB advisory board.

"Part of providing a high-quality business education involves teaching students to feel and understand the importance of integrity, good judgment and maintaining the highest standards of excellence in their work," Glover says. "I believe that this lecture will be a significant step toward that goal."

For more information about the presentation, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation, call (509) 963-1955, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.