Chris MacDonald is hosting a Twitter chat on March 27, at 1 pm EDT on behalf of EPAC. He hopes this will be the first in a series of such chats. Participation is open.
The topic: “Fostering a ‘culture of ethics’ within organizations: tips and challenges.”
The recent letter by former Goldman Sachs employee Greg Smith highlights the importance of organizational culture. In his letter, published in the New York times, Smith wrote:

“…culture was always a vital part of Goldman Sachs’s success. It revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients.”

This is a very high-profile example of the crucial role that culture plays in organizational ethics and organizational behaviour more generally.

During this EPAC Twitter Chat, he will discuss questions such as:

What do we mean when we use a term like “ethical organizational culture” or “culture of ethics”?
What are the key markers for determining the presence, or absence, of a culture of ethics?
Is a “culture of ethics” different from a culture that enables ethical behaviour?
What ‘tools’ does your organization use to manage culture?
What ‘tools’ have you found work best?
What can people with ethics/values roles at the middle of the organization do to help manage ‘tone at the top’?

To participate: please head to Twitter at 1 pm (Eastern) on the 27th, and use the hashtag #EPACchat.

It is with great sadness I learned of his death today.Here is one of many tributes to Rush

Through an ambitious and critical revision of Michel Foucault’s investigation of ethics, James D. Faubion develops an original program of empirical inquiry into the ethical domain

A wonderful reflection by Pico Iyer “ABOUT a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began — I braced myself for mention of some next-generation stealth campaign — was stillness. …”

As the authors note”Altruism is a key component of a functioning society, but it is constantly in danger of being exploited. Social scientists have long sought a reasonable explanation for why altruism exists. One widely accepted assumption is that groups recognize altruistic contributions by conferring status on the generous person, whether that be through higher social rank, recognition, or simply respect. Yet this theory is not perfect, as it fails to explain why leaders who behave selfishly make it into power.”

“The information age, with the Internet and so on, has evolved into an age of social media, with social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and the ubiquitous use of text messaging with cell phones. This has changed the way that people relate to one another. Add to this the ever-growing use of iPods, listening to music all day long, and the proliferation of video games, so that many people are now connected to music, gaming, texting and social networking wherever they are, all day and night. Each of these developments has brought both benefits and detrimental side effects. In any case, these developments are having a profound effect on people. I should like to explore how Buddhism may be of help to amplify the benefits and lessen the harms that are coming from this social change. So let me point out a few points that are benefits of this social media, and then disadvantages that are there, and what Buddhism has to offer in the face of these developments. “  The article  continues  here at  The Buddhist Archives of Dr. Alexander Berzin.

” Moral  distress is  when you can see the best path through a situation, but the institution won’t permit it.”

Joan Halifax

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“Whenever it comes up plagiarism is a hot button topic and essays about it  tend to be philosophically and morally inflated. But there are really only two points to make. (1) Plagiarism is a learned sin. (2) Plagiarism is not a philosophical issue.”

Stanley Fish

Here is a wonderful post by Tim Bonnemann, founder  of Intellitics ,on the ethics of public participation:

“It seems the topic of ethics and integrity in public participation is coming up more often these days (see my comments here, here).

Just for the record, these are the rules by which we at Intellitics abide.

First, we have IAP2’s Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation:

Second, IAP2’s Code of Ethics for Public Participation Practitioners:

The International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Code of Ethics for Public Participation Practitioners supports and reflects IAP2’s Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation. The Core Values define the expectations and aspirations of the public participation process. The Code of Ethics speaks to the actions of practitioners.

Preamble

As members of IAP2, we recognize the importance of a Code of Ethics, which guides the actions of those who advocate including all affected parties in public decision-making process. In order to fully discharge our duties as public participation practitioners, we define terms used explicitly throughout our Code of Ethics. We define stakeholders as any individual, group of individuals, organizations, or political entity with a stake in the outcome of a decision. We define the public as those stakeholders who are not part of the decision-making entity or entities. We define public participation as any process that involves the public in problem-solving or decision-making and that uses public input to make better decisions.

This Code of Ethics is a set of principles, which guides us in our practice of enhancing the integrity of the public participation process. As practitioners, we hold ourselves accountable for these principles and strive to hold all participants to the same standards.

PURPOSE. We support public participation as a process to make better decisions that incorporate the interests and concerns of all affected stakeholders and meet the needs of the decision-making body.

ROLE OF PRACTITIONER. We will enhance the public’s participation in the decision-making process and assist decision-makers in being responsive to the public’s concerns and suggestions.

TRUST. We will undertake and encourage actions that build trust and credibility for the process among all the participants.

DEFINING THE PUBLIC’S ROLE. We will carefully consider and accurately portray the public’s role in the decision-making process.

OPENNESS. We will encourage the disclosure of all information relevant to the public’s understanding and evaluation of a decision.

ACCESS TO THE PROCESS. We will ensure that stakeholders have fair and equal access to the public participation process and the opportunity to influence decisions.

RESPECT FOR COMMUNITIES. We will avoid strategies that risk polarizing community interests or that appear to “divide and conquer.”

ADVOCACY. We will advocate for the public participation process and will not advocate for interest, party, or project outcome.

COMMITMENTS. We ensure that all commitments made to the public, including those by the decision-maker, are made in good faith.

SUPPORT OF THE PRACTICE. We will mentor new practitioners in the field and educate decision-makers and the public about the value and use of public participation.”

On rare occasions I am introduced to something that I can only begin to understand by being in touch with my capacity to go beyond myself  and touch the transcendent way of knowing .Images from the Hubble telescope  do it to me all the time.

So too  does  the work of five network scientists at Harvard and their connections to other researchers in this dynamic, discipline-melding field. Join them  and delight yourselves as they explore the web-like  structures that support everything from friendship  to cellar behaviour.