News, Press & Media
Often times, we find ourselves talking about ethical leadership with the lens of the for profit sector. In truth, we need to look closely at ethical leadership across all sectors. In particular, we are frequently reminded of the challenges that remain in the nonprofit sector around executive director compensation. Organizations must approach this issue with caution, diligence, and transparency in order to avoid bad press and shaking public trust.
James Abruzzo, Co-founder of Institute for Ethical Leadership, asserts that a board of a large nonprofit organization must agree upon and follow an eight step approach to achieve “best practices” in executive compensation. Access these recommended eight steps here.
More Media Coverage
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
As each new story of a high-profile company grappling with bribery and corruption scandals, workplace misconduct and potential FCPA exposure breaks, it’s becoming more and more evident that the business world is becoming less and less ethical. In this environment, a conference on ethical leadership is well-placed, especially when it has a focus on ethics in higher education.
At the 2012 Ethical Leadership Conference at Rutgers Business School last week, some of the brightest speakers on ethics presented their thoughts on how to connect with tomorrow’s workforce today, to instill in them a culture of ethics.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
In an informal survey conducted by the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School, we found many universities employ a compliance officer, but rarely, a chief ethics officer. Staff and students are taught to comply with rules and laws regarding sexual harassment, conflict of interest and plagiarism. But most universities don’t have training programs to help them recognize and evaluate ethical dilemmas.
Friday, April 6, 2012
When it comes to association CEO salaries, the old aphorism holds true - the rich do get richer, and at a more rapid clip than the not-quite-as-rich, according to the latest CEO Update Inside Compensation analysis.
Newark, NJ
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership will host its Third Annual Ethical Leadership Conference on May 3 and 4.
Each year the Institute for Ethical Leadership hosts a conference to address ethical issues within the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership will host its Third Annual Ethical Leadership Conference on May 3 & 4, 2012. Each year the Institute for Ethical Leadership hosts a conference to address ethical issues within the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors. This year senior leadership from colleges and universities around the country will come together to discuss what it takes to build an organizational culture imbued in ethics and how leaders from across sectors can learn from each other to enhance and renew organizations that benefit civil society. Ralph Izzo, PhD, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of PSEG and Chairman of the Rutgers University Board of Governors, will deliver the keynote address on Friday, May 4th.
Dallas, TX
Monday, February 6, 2012
Nancy Brinker, founder and chief executive of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, took home $417,000 in salary in 2010, according to financial documents posted on the charity’s Website, and paid 50 top executives more than $100,000 each.
What the Dallas-based foundation spent on staff and administrative expenses included $20 million for advertising and promotion, $14 million for “office expenses’’ and more than $14 million for consulting and professional services. Another $7 million was spent on contract labor and $3 million for travel. Komen officials did not return calls and emails seeking comment on Monday.
Brinker, who also serves on Komen’s board of directors, traveled first class on airlines with the explicit permission of the board she chairs.
The expenses are disclosed in financial reports on the charity’s website. Komen operations have been under intense scrutiny since last week when a plan to stop giving grants to Planned Parenthood triggered blistering criticism of Komen’s leadership.
James Abruzzo, a management and global business instructor at Rutgers Business School, said the picture that emerges from the Komen documents does raise concerns, however.
The fact that Komen is making severance payments to four top executives is a cause for concern about the way the organization is run, Abruzzo said.
As for Brinker’s salary and first-class travel, while it may be deserved, it probably sends the wrong message to potential donors, he added.
“When you’re trying to raise money from other people, it sends a bad signal," he said.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
By now everyone has heard the story of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship and its captain, Francesco Schettino, who has come under fire for abandoning the ship as it was sinking. Although the saying is, "the captain should go down with the ship," many people are not exactly sure of the ethical consequences of the situation.
While many people will have different responses to this particular episode, the sinking of the Costa Concordia has raised the interesting question of what is a business leader or owner's ethical responsibility to his or her customers and employees when facing a life-threatening or dangerous situation?
According to Ann Buchholtz, professor of leadership and ethics and research director at the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School, leaders must ensure safety to employees and consumers, regardless of the situation.
"Safety from harm is one of the basic rights of consumers," Buchholtz told BusinessNewsDaily. "In fact, we are approaching the 50th anniversary of the 'Consumer Bill of Rights' that President Kennedy introduced in a speech to Congress (on March 15). The first, and arguably the most basic right, is the right to safety – 'to be protected against the marketing of goods which are hazardous to health or life.' Of course, the use of any product or service entails some degree of risk, but what happened to the Costa Concordia passengers is beyond the pale."
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Trying to compare nonprofit salaries and figuring out a way to gauge fair pay for such work is a complicated and subjective task, said James Abruzzo, a nonprofit compensation specialist for DHR International.
“It’s not apples to apples all the time,” said Abruzzo, who helps nonprofits set compensation levels.
For instance, those in the health care sector of the nonprofit world, such as hospital directors, are typically paid on the higher end of the scale, Abruzzo said. That’s the case in Lawrence, as Gene Meyer, Lawrence Memorial Hospital president, is second only to KU Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger in salary. Meyer is paid about $440,000.
Typically, the higher the budget and fundraising needs, the higher the salary, Abruzzo said.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Nonprofits aren't known for minting millionaires, but a few nonprofit executives have pulled down seven-figure pay packages at least once in the past few years, an analysis has found.
While seven-figure pay packages are rare, hundreds of employees of nonprofits in the region make six-figure salaries, according to tax returns examined . The Post looked at hundreds of tax returns filed by dozens of organizations and focused on the 55 nonprofits with more than $9 million a year in revenue.
Nonprofits' economic clout is reflected in hefty paychecks for top executives, said James Abruzzo, a compensation expert at executive search firm DHR International in Newark, N.J. Skilled executives are in short supply, he said. And because nonprofits make their tax returns public, CEOs know how much their peers make, and that has helped to push up pay.
"The trend is that compensation has been rising very quickly," Abruzzo said. "Combine scarcity with transparency, and maybe a little greed - maybe - and that's what you end up with."
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Calls for better ethics education at business schools are growing in the wake of the financial crisis and the Occupy movement. In this interview, two business school leaders discuss innovative ways that different schools are injecting business ethics into their curricula.
First up is Adlai Wertman, founding director of USC's Society and Business Lab. Wertman is expert on the interplay between business, society, and business school because he has significant experience in all three worlds. He spent 18 years at a managing director and manager of Prudential Securities, and has worked at several other major banks. He was president and CEO of Chrysalis, a Los Angeles-based non-profit that serves the homeless.
Next up in our tour of business ethics education is the Rutgers University Institute for Ethical Leadership, which provides supplemental ethics education to Rutgers business students and continuing education for professionals. Alex Plinio is co-founder of the institute. He teaches at the school and also runs a consulting and coaching firm, Alex J. Plinio and Associates.
(Source: Carnegie Council)
Newark, NJ
Monday, November 28, 2011
Once again Rutgers University in Newark will honor individuals and organizations from the campus for exemplary leadership in connecting Rutgers-Newark with the Greater Newark community. The annual Chancellor’s Community Engagement Awards will be given out at a Dec. 15th ceremony that recognizes the valuable relationships that faculty, staff and students have created in Newark and with surrounding communities.
This year's honorees include The Institute for Ethical Leadership.
Newark, NJ
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
In the aftermath of the 2002 Tyco International scandal, involving the excesses by its former chairman and CEO and other senior managers, Tyco International’s new CEO, Ed Breen, assembled a new senior management team to lead the company’s efforts to build an ethical organizational culture. The Institute for Ethical Leadership (IEL) at Rutgers Business School welcomes three key executives to its speaker series titled “The Tyco Story: Past Present & Future – How to Recover from Unethical Management Behavior”. During the November 14th event, the Tyco executives will discuss their experiences working closely with senior management to build and promote a culture of ethics and integrity across a highly-diversified global company.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Dr. Joe Cerami, Director of the Leadership Program at The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University, chaired a roundtable discussion on at John Jay College of the City University of New York, for the Second Annual Northeast Conference on Public Administration (NECoPA 2011). The roundtable included James Abruzzo, the co-founder of the Institute for Ethical Leadership at the Rutgers Business School (RBS), and Jeanne Marie Col of John Jay College and formerly the United Nations Senior Interregional Adviser in Governance and Public Administration. The Conference theme was on Building Trust and Confidence in the Public Service. Click here to read more.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Institute for Ethical Leadership (IEL) at Rutgers Business School is pleased to announce a 2-year $50,000 grant from American Express Foundation to help support the Nonprofit Emerging Leaders Certificate Program. This three-day leadership program provides training and education to 18-20 mid-level managers, interested in building their skills and developing their talents, through a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on personal and professional leadership. Participants gain skills to improve their performance to someday lead a nonprofit organization.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Senior executives from 12 nonprofit organizations in the Newark area have been selected to participate in The Prudential Foundation Nonprofit Executives Leadership Fellows Program, which launches this week at the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School.
The goal of the two-year program is to help nonprofit leaders increase their knowledge and skills while broadening their perspective on how to effect critical change. The Fellows will meet once a month as a group for formal instruction and peer-to-peer discussions led by a facilitator. They will also participate in leadership and management training sessions, emotional intelligence assessment and...
Newark, NJ
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Aspen Institute’s Business & Society Program released the 2011-2012 Global 100 of Beyond Grey Pinstripes and for the first time, Rutgers Business School (RBS) is overall ranked #34 in the world.
Newark, NJ
Monday, September 12, 2011
Senior executives from 12 nonprofit organizations in the Newark area have been selected to participate in The Prudential Foundation Nonprofit Executives Leadership Fellows Program, which launches this week at the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School.
The goal of the two-year program is to help nonprofit leaders increase their knowledge and skills while broadening their perspective on how to effect critical change. The Fellows will meet once a month as a group for formal instruction and peer-to-peer discussions led by a facilitator. They will also participate in leadership and management training sessions, emotional intelligence assessment and coaching, and guidance in mentoring other leaders within their organization.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Today's advice comes from Harvard professor of leadership Bill George's interview with Rutgers Business School.
Newark, NJ
Saturday, July 16, 2011
High school students from the greater Newark area study the ethical implications of our increasing use of robots in science, combat and everyday life. Sponsored by Merck through Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership, students attend the week-long session for free, experiencing college life while learning about important philosophical issues and developing critical thinking skills. Special thanks to Akshaar for providing video of the robotic arm in action.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Institute for Ethical Leadership (IEL) at Rutgers Business School seeks to create awareness and education about the importance of ethical leadership. Under the direction of co-founders Alex J. Plinio and James Abruzzo, the IEL aspires to establish itself as the place that leaders, across all sectors, look to for guidance, partnership, and support to develop and improve the ethical culture among their executive and board leadership and within their organizations.
In April, IEL hosted “Authentic Leadership in the Age of Social Media” with the pharmaceutical company Merck, where Bill George, former Chairman and CEO of Medtronic and Harvard Business School Professor of Leadership, inspired and entertained his audience with both personal and professional stories about leadership and development. He later sat down for a Q&A session to talk with us about the role of business schools and organizations play on promoting authentic leadership for 2011 and beyond.
Bill George Ethics Institute for Ethical Leadership Leadership Merck The Institute for Ethical Leadership
