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Ethics panel discussion during the BERC inaugural event.

Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership

The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership promotes and celebrates principled leadership through academic research, teaching, and outreach activities.

New developments

"Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson" podcast: Who is Capitalism? A conversation about Homeland Elegies with Ayad Akhtar and Azish Filabi

The Center's podcast, Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our third podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: Playwright, novelist, screenwriter, Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author of Homeland Elegies, Ayad Akhtar as well as the reviewer of Homeland Elegies, Associate Professor of Ethics and Executive Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College of Financial Services, Azish Filabi, JD.

Michaelson, Akhtar and Filabi discuss Akhtar's recent book, Homeland Elegies, exploring the role capitalism played - and continues to play - in simultaneously building and crushing lives in the name of the American dream.

This book review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?"

To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending August 31, 2021.

With special thanks for the support of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at the American College of Financial Services and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.

Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award

The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award is a special award designed to honor the namesake of the Center, Ken Melrose, to honor principled leaders in our community who have made a positive impact on the common good and to promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

Nominations are now closed. Award to be announced on November 17, 2021.

Our mission and values.

The Melrose and The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership connects learning in the liberal arts and humanities to leadership practice, meaningful work for employees, and the greater societal purpose of business in advancing the common good.

Storytelling. Serving. Practice. Future. Purpose.

Our work.

  • Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award
  • Meaningful Work
  • Business Ethics Resource Center powered by U.S. Bank
  • Publications
  • Journal of Business Ethics
  • Podcast, Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson
  • Creative Programming Partnerships
  • Corporate / Community Outreach

    • Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award

    Coming Fall 2021.

    Meaningful Work

    Read Christopher Michaelson's oped published in the Conversation May 2020 relating to meaningful essential work.

    Tentative plans to host the International Meaningful Work Conference anticipated 2023.

    Tentative plans are also being made to co-host a faculty seminar on preparing students for careers for the common good with the University of St. Thomas Center for Catholic Social Thought and other partners in 2023.

    Business Ethics Resource Center powered by U.S. Bank

    The Business Ethics Resource Center powered by U.S. Bank (BERC) is an open-access website that makes business ethics resources available freely to the public with the intent to educate business leaders and assist them in building and maintaining strong organizational cultures of ethics and compliance in the businesses and industries they serve. BERC provides users with the opportunity to gain a foundational ethics and compliance understanding as well as learn best practices and offer solutions to ethics and compliance challenges commonly experienced by small- and medium-sized businesses in the United States.

    Check out BERC's downloadable, practical ethics compliance toolkits!

    New in 2021 is the BERC one-of-a-kind ethical decision-making tool called Empowering Ethics. Designed to to help business owners and organizations make better ethical decisions for their business, their stakeholders, and the common good, Empowering Ethics is a free, user-friendly tool. Try it today!

    Publications

    Please find below academic and popular press publications by the Center team as well as members of the Opus College of Business Principled Leadership Working Group.

    Articles and commentaries in refereed scholarly publications

    • Michaelson, C. In Press. Leadership and character(s): Behavioral business ethics in "War and Peace." Journal of Business Ethics.
    • Michaelson, C. In Press. How a catchy bass line might someday resonate beyond my business ethics classroom: Rock music in management learning. Management Learning.
    • Michaelson, C. In Press. A normative meaning of meaningful work. Journal of Business Ethics.
    • Tosti-Kharas, J., Michaelson, C. In Press. To mean is to be perceived: Studying the meaning of work through the eyes of others. Academy of Management Perspectives.
    • Michaelson, C., Tosti-Kharas, J. 2019. Serving self or serving others? Close relations's perspectives on ethics and calling. Journal of Vocational Behavior 114: 19-30.
    • Beigi, M., Callahan, J., Michaelson, C. 2019. A critical plot twist: Changing characters and foreshadowing the future of organizational storytelling. International Journal of Management Reviews 21(4): 447-465.
    • Gerde, V., Michaelson, C. 2019. Global perspectives on business ethics from the 40th anniversary conference of the Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University (Editorial introduction). Journal of Business Ethics 155(4): 913-916.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. A list of novels for teaching business ethics in the 21st century. Management Teaching Review 2(3): 235-249.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Virtual Special Issue on Humanities and Business Ethics (Editorial essay). Journal of Business Ethics, DOI 10.1007/s10551-017-3538-y.
    • Finnegan, A., Klein, M., Michaelson, C., and White, S. 2016. Can business help to cultivate peace and well being? A pedagogical case study. Journal of Business, Peace and Sustainable Development 8: 55-69.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. Useless and disinterested: How literature makes us better (Commentary). American Journal of Bioethics' Neuroscience 7(2): 95-96.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. A novel approach to business ethics education: Exploring how to live and work in the 21st century. Academy of Management Learning Education 15(3): 588-606.
    • Gerde, V., and Michaelson, C. 2016. Institutional constraints and enablers: An introduction to the special topic forum on extreme operating environments (Editorial introduction). Business and Society 55(7): 927-933.
    • Brunnquell, D., and Michaelson, C. 2016. Moral hazard in pediatrics. American Journal of Bioethics 16(7): 29-38.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. Business in the work and world of David Foster Wallace. Journal of Management Inquiry 25(2): 214-222.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Executive compensation and moral luck. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 34(2): 237-258.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Accounting for meaning: On §22 of David Foster Wallace's 'The Pale King'. Critical Perspectives on Accounting 29: 54-64.
    • Michaelson, C., and Gerde, V. 2015. How to live without certainty, without being paralyzed by hesitation: An introduction to the special topic forum on extreme operating environments (Editorial introduction). Business and Professional Ethics Journal 33(2-3): 205-209.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. How reading novels can help management scholars cultivate ambiculturalism (Commentary). Academy of Management Review 40(1): 147-149.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. The competition for the tallest skyscraper and its implications for global ethics and economics. Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Journal Issue IV: 20-27 (covered in The Media Line, 13 May 2015).
    • Michaelson, C., Pratt, M.G., Grant, A.M., and Dunn, C.P. 2014. Meaningful work: Connecting business ethics and organization studies. Journal of Business Ethics 121(1): 77-90.
    • Glac, K., and Michaelson, C. 2012. What is a good answer to an ethical question? Journal of Business Ethics Education 9: 233-258.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Reading leaders' minds: In search of the canon of 21st century global capitalism. Asian Journal of Business Ethics 1(1): 47-61.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. Morally differentiating responsibility for climate change mitigation: An analogy with Tolstoy's Master and Man. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 30(1-2): 113-136.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. Whose responsibility is meaningful work? Journal of Management Development 30(6): 548-557.
    • Michaelson, C. 2010. Business and/as/of the humanities. Journal of Business Ethics Education 7: 201-212.
    • Michaelson, C. 2010. Revisiting the global business ethics question. Business Ethics Quarterly 20(2): 237-251 (covered in Economics Week, 14 May 2010)).
    • Michaelson, C. 2009. Teaching meaningful work: Philosophical discussions on the ethics of career choice. Journal of Business Ethics Education 6: 43-67.
    • Michaelson, C. 2009. Meaningful work and moral worth. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 28 (1-4): 27-48.
    • Michaelson, C. 2008. Moral luck and business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics 83(4): 773-787.
    • Michaelson, C. 2008. Work and the most terrible life. Journal of Business Ethics 77(3): 335-345.
    • Michaelson, C. 2006. Compliance and the illusion of ethical progress. Journal of Business Ethics 66(2-3): 241-251.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. 'I want your shower time!' Drowning in work and the erosion of life. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 24(4): 7-26.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. Dealing with swindlers and devils: Literature and business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics 58(4): 359-373.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. Meaningful motivation for work motivation theory (Commentary). Academy of Management Review 30(2): 235-238.
    • Michaelson, C. 2004. Business and ethics after September 11. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 12(1-2): 259-300.
    • Michaelson, C. 2001. Is business ethics philosophy or sophism? Business Ethics: A European Review 10(4): 331-339.

    Book chapters and entries

    • Michaelson, C. 2020. The sandpiper and the clam struggle. In Wendelin Küpers and Matthew Statler (Eds.), Leadership and Wisdom. New York: Routledge.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Do we have to do meaningful work? In Ruth Yeoman, Katie Bailey, Adrian Madden, Marc Thompson (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Meaningful Work. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Gini, A., and Michaelson, C. 2018. Work-Life Balance. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Aesthetics. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Collectivism. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Quality of life. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. David Foster Wallace's Love-Hate Relationship with Consumer Capitalism. In E. Brutton, C. Kampmeier, and A. Kontos (eds.), Normal 2014: Selected Works from the First Annual David Foster Wallace Conference. Gilson, Illinois, USA: Lit Fest Press.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Moral luck. In the Wiley Encyclopedia of Management - Business Ethics. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Terrorism. In the Wiley Encyclopedia of Management - Business Ethics. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. World Economic Forum. In the Wiley Encyclopedia of Management - Business Ethics. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Literature and the canonical values of capitalism. In D. Koehn and D. Elm (eds.), Aesthetics and Business Ethics. Dordrecht: Springer.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. The value(s) of work. In Jeffrey J. Froh and Acacia Parks-Sheiner (eds.), Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A Guide for Instructors. Washington, DC, USA: American Psychological Association.
    • Michaelson, C. 2009. Values and capitalism. In Jeffery Smith (Ed.), Normative Theory and Business Ethics: 195-208. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Ethics and the tobacco industry. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 2: 794-799. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007 (revised 2016 for 2nd edition). Humanities and business ethics. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 3: 1081-1084. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Meaningful work (revised 2016 for forthcoming 2nd edition). In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 3: 1355-1358. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Moral luck (revised 2016 for 2nd edition). In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 3: 1426-1428. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Reputation management. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 4: 1820-1823. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Terrorism (revised 2016 for 2nd edition). In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 5: 1068-2071. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2002. Philosophy out of the cave. In Laura Duhan Kaplan (Ed.), Philosophy and Everyday Life: 214-221. New York, USA: Seven Bridges Press.

    Reviews, teaching materials, proceedings, and other publications

    • Michaelson, C. 2020. "'Death is very close,' from Man on Wire, starring Philippe Petit." Sage Business Cases.
    • Michaelson, C. 2020. "The whitewashing scene, from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain." Sage Business Cases.
    • Michaelson, C. 2020. "India's 'Pad Man': Making menstrual hygiene affordable for women." Under-Told Stories Learning Modules.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Review essay on G.S. Morson and M. Schapiro's Cents and Sensibility: What Economics Can Learn from the Humanities. Organization Studies 40(7): 1089-1096.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. Review of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Abdulrahman Munif's Cities of Salt, Zadie Smith's The Embassy of Cambodia, and Dave Eggers' The Circle. Academy of Management Learning & Education 15(1): 195-198.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Exploring capitalist fiction (book review on Edward C. Younkins' Exploring Capitalist Fiction). Business Ethics Quarterly 25(1): 151-154.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Business students should read great novels: The power of literary words for management education. Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Cantor Fitzgerald and September 11. Journal of Business Ethics Education 9: 411-420.
    • Michaelson, C., Glac, K., and Koehn, D. 2011. Reflections on the third Shanghai international conference on business ethics 2010. Society for Business Ethics Newsletter 21(3): 20-21.
    • Michaelson, C. 2006. Just work (book note on Russell Muirhead's Just Work). Business Ethics Quarterly 16(1): 110.
    • Michaelson, C. 2006. The grid (teaching note on Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi). Ethics in Film 001.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. A slice of trouble (teaching note on Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing). Ethics in Film 003.
    • Michaelson, C. 2004. A Cantor's prayer for meaningful work. Proceedings of the International Society for the Study of Work and Organizational Values.

    Other media publications and blog

    • VanBuren III, H. & Michaelson, C. 2021. What businesses can learn from conflict zones to promote sustainable community. Minneapolis Star Tribune. Online at https://www.startribune.com/what-business-can-learn-from-conflict-zones-to-promote-sustainable-community-peace/600077066/

    • Michaelson, C. 2021. Tommie Experts: Meaningful work as a way to wellness. St. Thomas Newsroom. Online at https://www.news.stthomas.edu/tommie-experts-meaningful-work-as-a-way-to-wellness/

    • Michaelson, C. 2020. Clap all you like now but workers with meaningful jobs deserve to be values in a post-coronavirus economy too. The Conversation, May 26. Online at https://theconversation.com/clap-all-you-like-now-but-workers-with-meaningful-jobs-deserve-to-be-valued-in-a-post-coronavirus-economy-too-136472.

    • Finnegan, A. and Michaelson, C. 2020. Advice on landing a first job in the pandemic. Minneapolis Star-Tribune, September 6.
    • Michaelson, C., Lepisto, D.A., Pratt, M.G., Hedden, L., and Brown, J. 2020. Why corporate purpose statements often miss their mark. strategy+business, August 17. Online at https://www.strategy-business.com/article/Why-corporate-purpose-statements-often-miss-their-mark.
    • Zwieg Daly, N., with Lawrence, T., Michaelson, C., and Wilkinson, L. 2020. Some recommended reading on diversity, inclusion for business. Minneapolis Star-Tribune, August 2.
    • Michaelson, C., and Zwieg Daly, N. 2020. Corporate giving is just a piece of what's needed to heal the Twin Cities. Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 28.
    • Michaelson, C. 2020. How CEOs, experts, and philosophers see the world's biggest risks differently. The Conversation, January 27. Online at https://theconversation.com/how-ceos-experts-and-philosophers-see-the-worlds-biggest-risks-differently-128382.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, July 12). 3 Keys to building an ethical business culture. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C.M. (2019, June 21). Good fiction should be on your summer reading list for business. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, March 29). Why companies need to recognize differences between compliance and ethics. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Why the Davos elites are still relevant. The Conversation, 25 January. Online at https://theconversation.com/why-the-davos-elites-are-still-relevant-110411. Reprinted in the San Francisco Chronicle and other newspapers.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, January 25). Managers have critical role in setting ethical standards. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, January 4). Businesses need to aim for more than turning a profit. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Looking for career advice? Read great literature. Star-Tribune. Online at http://www.startribune.com/looking-for-career-advice-read-great-literature/501671441.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, November 3). What great business leaders need to get right. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N.(2018, September 22). Companies shouldn't exploit their organizational citizens. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, August 26). Did your co-worker just get an award for your idea? Here's how to react. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, July 28). Resist the temptation to ask employees to hype company online. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, July 14). Does your business face ethics issue? Cast a wide net when seeking advice. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, May 25). Let ethics guide your decisions. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. These are the books President Trump should read on his way to Davos. The Washington Post, 23 January. Online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/gdpr-consent/?destination=%2fnews%2fposteverything%2fwp%2f2018%2f01%2f23%2fthese-are-the-books-president-trump-should-read-on-his-way-to-davos%2f%3f&utm_term=.04a5d4d00ec2 (reprint of The Conversation piece below).
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Trump goes to Davos: Four books he should read on first trip to gathering of global elites. The Conversation, 22 January. Online at https://theconversation.com/trump-goes-to-davos-4-books-he-should-read-on-first-trip-to-gathering-of-global-elites-90075.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Branding your social mission. Star-Tribune Outside Consultant, 22 May. Online at http://www.startribune.com/the-need-to-be-genuine-incorporating-your-social-mission-with-your-corporate-brand/423240503/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Dostoevsky titles that ominously foreshadowed the presidency of Donald J. Trump. McSweeney's Internet Tendency, 3 May. Online at https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/dostoevsky-titles-that-ominously-foreshadowed-the-presidency-of-donald-j-trump.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Capitalism reading list. Ethical Systems, 17 February. Online at http://www.ethicalsystems.org/content/reading-succeed.
    • Michaelson, C., and Tosti-Kharas, J. 2016. Work worth dying for? The Huffington Post, 9 September. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/work-worth-dying-for_b_11939748.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Reading for leading: Can novels help develop tomorrow's CEO's skills? PwC CEO Insights blog, 17 August. Online at http://pwc.blogs.com/ceoinsights/2015/08/reading-for-leading.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Seven good novels that will make you a more resilient leader. PwC Risk Insights blog, 17 June. Online at http://pwc.blogs.com/resilience/2015/06/seven-good-novels-that-will-make-you-a-more-resilient-leader.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Making work meaningful. University of St. Thomas Opus Magnum blog, 24 April. Online at http://www.stthomas.edu/news/making-work-meaningful/.
    • Finnegan, A., Ketcher, K.T., Klein, M., Michaelson, C., Nelson-Pallmeyer, J., Ngeh, E., Schlabach, G., Seltzer, J., and White, S., 2015. Building peace on campus. University of St. Thomas Newsroom, 24 April. Online at http://www.stthomas.edu/news/building-peace-campus/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Cheering on income equality, from Davos to Melbourne. The Huffington Post, 27 January. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/cheering-on-income-equali_b_6550756.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. The violence spills off the field. Star-Tribune, 17 September. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/275368831.html. (Also in The Huffington Post, 17 September. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/the-violence-spills-off-t_b_5838026.html)
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Business novels and good character(s). Ethical Systems, 24 March. http://ethicalsystems.org/content/business-novels-and-good-characters.
    • Michaelson, C. 2013. Meaningful work in The Pale King: In Memory of David Foster Wallace, Five Years On. The Huffington Post, 10 September. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/meaningful-work-in-the-pa_b_3895759.html. (covered by The Howling Fantods (11 September 2013)
    • Michaelson, C. 2013. Is it legal? Yes. Ethical? Perhaps. Underhanded? Definitely. The Huffington Post, 19 August. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/michael-chang-underhand-serve_b_3768181.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2013. Leadership and the stories we tell. PwC CEO Insights Blog. 15 April. Online at http://pwc.blogs.com/ceoinsights/2013/04/leadership-and-the-stories-we-tell.html.
    • World Economic Forum, in collaboration with PwC (project lead). 2013. Resilience practices: One-year follow-up analysis of Global Risks 2012 cases. Online at http://reports.weforum.org/global-risks-2013/view/section-seven-online-only-content/resilience-practices-one-year-follow-up-analysis-of-global-risks-2012-cases/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. On meaningful work and the good life. University of St. Thomas Exemplars.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Romney can't buy happiness. The Huffington Post, 17 October. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/romney-cant-buy-happiness_b_1974167.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Rise and shine: Skyscrapers and global well being. The Huffington Post, 12 September. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/rise-and-shine-skyscraper_b_1870678.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Kentucky's identity paradox. The Huffington Post, 25 June. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/kentucky-one-and-done-players_b_1624382.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Tolstoy in Rio: A climate change analogy. The Huffington Post, 21 June. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/tolstoy-in-rio-a-climate-_b_1608401.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. We are all traveling salesmen. The Huffington Post, 30 May. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/death-of-a-salesman_b_1552475.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. What is meaningful work? 5 questions with Prof. Michaelson. University of St. Thomas Opus Magnum blog. Online at http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/2012/05/17/what-is-meaningful-work-5-questions-with-prof-michaelson/
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Imagining the presidential canon: A thought experiment in American politics. The Huffington Post, 4 April. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/imagining-the-presidential-canon_b_1400581.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Mann meets humanity in Davos. The Huffington Post, 31 January. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/davos-2012_b_1245312.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. Tis better to give than to give back. University of St. Thomas Opus Magnum blog. Online at http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/2011/12/12/%e2%80%98tis-better-to-give-than-to-give-back/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. September 12, 2001, 3 o'clock a.m. National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Online at http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/submission/4109001.
    • Michaelson, C. 2010. The importance of meaningful work. MIT Sloan Management Review 51(2): 12-13 (covered in Forbes.com, 11 March 2010) and Campus Career Counselor, March 2010)). In print and online at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/2010-winter/51202/the-importance-of-meaningful-work/.
    • Michaelson, C. (with MBA candidates Nicholas Blawat, Christina Stevenson, Kelly Thorne, Paul Topping, and Marc Volpe). 2004. The lobster, the squid, and the Cadillac El Dorado: MBA candidates battle for future control of the swamplands'. The Wharton Journal 50(4): 8-9.
    • Michaelson, C., and Ponemon, L.A. 2000. Values added: Rules and values in ethical decision making. Strategic Finance February: 24, 75.

    Non-academic white papers

    • Ethics & Compliance Initiative (Michaelson, C. lead author and working group co-chair). 2019. Essential skills and qualities of the ethics and compliance professional: Today and in the future.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers and LRN (Michaelson, C., editorial board and author team). 2016. Connecting the dots: How purpose can join up your business.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board and author team). 2016. 19th annual global CEO survey ('Redefining Business Success in a Changing World').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board and author team). 2015. 18th annual global CEO survey ('A Marketplace Without Boundaries?').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2014. 17th annual global CEO survey ('Fit for the Future').
    • World Economic Forum and PwC (Michaelson, C., interviewee). 2013. Examining the leadership, trust, organisational performance and societal value equation.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2013. 16th annual global CEO survey ('Dealing with Disruption').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2012. 15th annual global CEO survey ('Delivering Results').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2011. 14th annual global CEO survey ('Growth Reimagined').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2010. 13th annual global CEO survey ('Setting a Smarter Course for Growth';).
    • Jourdan, C. and Michaelson, C. 2009. Extending Enterprise Risk Management to address emerging risks (briefing paper for a workshop in association with the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting).
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2009. 12th annual global CEO survey ('Redefining Success').
    • World Economic Forum Global Risk Network in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2008. Global Growth@Risk.
    • Michaelson, C. and Lambin, S. 2008. Managing and capitalising on global risks in a connected world (briefing paper for a workshop in association with the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting).
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2008. 11th annual global CEO survey ('Compete & Collaborate: What is Success in a Connected World?').
    • World Economic Forum Global Risk Network in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2007. Global Growth@Risk.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2007. Global risk, reward, business, and society: Collaborate or collapse? (briefing paper for a workshop in partnership with the World Economic Forum Global Risk Network).
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., advisory team). 2007. 10th Annual Global CEO Survey ('Balancing the Global Equation').
    • Michaelson, C. 2001. What is effective compliance? PricewaterhouseCoopers re: Business, (online) and PricewaterhouseCoopers CFO Direct Network.
    • Di Florio, C., Michaelson, C., O'Brien, T.M., and Trent, B. 2001. Corporate governance: Compliance at the core. PricewaterhouseCoopers re: Business.
    • Michaelson, C., and Ponemon, L.A. 2000. Ethics at the core: Risk management and beyond. Investment Management Perspectives 2: 4-11.

    Journal of Business Ethics

    As co-editors for the Books (& More) Review section of the Journal of Business Ethics, Michaelson and Zwieg Daly accepted their first reviews published in Winter 2021. Unique to academic convention, these reviews, which are ordinarily available only to academic subscribers, will be freely available to the business community and general public for eight weeks in an effort to continue bridging the academic and practitioner communities.

    The Journal of Business Ethics publishes reviews of scholarly books as well as relevant nonfiction, fiction, documentaries, films, plays, television shows, art exhibits, and so on that advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society. In addition to answering the question, "Is this book/film, etc. worth reading/viewing?", these reviews should answer the question, "What ideas or questions will this book/film, etc. illuminate for anyone with an interest in business ethics?"

    Read the most recent review, Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar, reviewed by Azish Filabi, JD, Associate Professor of Ethics and Executive Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College of Financial Services.

    Previous reviews:

    Du, Shuili. Reimagining the Future of Technology: “The Social Dilemma” Review. J Bus Ethics (April, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04816-1

    Kim, Tae Wan. Flawed Like Us and the Starry Moral Law: Review of Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan. J Bus Ethics 170, 875–879 (February, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04758-8

    Podcast, Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson

    The Center's podcast, Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.” Listen below:

    Who is Capitalism? A conversation about Homeland Elegies with Ayad Akhtar and Azish Filabi (August, 2021).

    What is the Dilemma in the Social Dilemma? A conversation about Netflix's Popular Documentary with Shuili Du and Lisa Abendroth (June, 2021).

    All About AI Ethics: A conversation about Ian McEwen’s Machines Like Me with Tae Wan Kim (April, 2021).

    Creative Programming Partnerships

    In the spirit of connecting learning in the liberal arts and humanities to leadership practices, we are exploring programming partnerships with arts organizations to further inspire principled leadership. Read our column in the Star Tribune August 2020 to deepen your knowledge about social justice and leadership through art and the humanities.

    Our inaugural creative programming partnership was held in December 2019! Essential work, counting what counts, and leaving a legacy: These are just some of the themes discussed during the virtual event on December 8: a performance, panel, and partnership between the Guthrie Theater and the Melrose and the Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas.

    guthrie

    Corporate / Community Outreach

    Read our Business Forum commentary published in the Star-Tribune July 2020 to gain an understanding of the Center's future work to maximize the value of rebuilding the Twin Cities for the common good with public-private partnerships to connect community interests with corporate resources.

    Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award

    Coming Fall 2021.

    Meaningful Work

    Read Christopher Michaelson's oped published in the Conversation May 2020 relating to meaningful essential work.

    Tentative plans to host the International Meaningful Work Conference anticipated 2023.

    Tentative plans are also being made to co-host a faculty seminar on preparing students for careers for the common good with the University of St. Thomas Center for Catholic Social Thought and other partners in 2023.

    Business Ethics Resource Center powered by U.S. Bank

    The Business Ethics Resource Center powered by U.S. Bank (BERC) is an open-access website that makes business ethics resources available freely to the public with the intent to educate business leaders and assist them in building and maintaining strong organizational cultures of ethics and compliance in the businesses and industries they serve. BERC provides users with the opportunity to gain a foundational ethics and compliance understanding as well as learn best practices and offer solutions to ethics and compliance challenges commonly experienced by small- and medium-sized businesses in the United States.

    Check out BERC's downloadable, practical ethics compliance toolkits!

    New in 2021 is the BERC one-of-a-kind ethical decision-making tool called Empowering Ethics. Designed to to help business owners and organizations make better ethical decisions for their business, their stakeholders, and the common good, Empowering Ethics is a free, user-friendly tool. Try it today!

    Publications

    Please find below academic and popular press publications by the Center team as well as members of the Opus College of Business Principled Leadership Working Group.

    Articles and commentaries in refereed scholarly publications

    • Michaelson, C. In Press. Leadership and character(s): Behavioral business ethics in "War and Peace." Journal of Business Ethics.
    • Michaelson, C. In Press. How a catchy bass line might someday resonate beyond my business ethics classroom: Rock music in management learning. Management Learning.
    • Michaelson, C. In Press. A normative meaning of meaningful work. Journal of Business Ethics.
    • Tosti-Kharas, J., Michaelson, C. In Press. To mean is to be perceived: Studying the meaning of work through the eyes of others. Academy of Management Perspectives.
    • Michaelson, C., Tosti-Kharas, J. 2019. Serving self or serving others? Close relations's perspectives on ethics and calling. Journal of Vocational Behavior 114: 19-30.
    • Beigi, M., Callahan, J., Michaelson, C. 2019. A critical plot twist: Changing characters and foreshadowing the future of organizational storytelling. International Journal of Management Reviews 21(4): 447-465.
    • Gerde, V., Michaelson, C. 2019. Global perspectives on business ethics from the 40th anniversary conference of the Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University (Editorial introduction). Journal of Business Ethics 155(4): 913-916.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. A list of novels for teaching business ethics in the 21st century. Management Teaching Review 2(3): 235-249.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Virtual Special Issue on Humanities and Business Ethics (Editorial essay). Journal of Business Ethics, DOI 10.1007/s10551-017-3538-y.
    • Finnegan, A., Klein, M., Michaelson, C., and White, S. 2016. Can business help to cultivate peace and well being? A pedagogical case study. Journal of Business, Peace and Sustainable Development 8: 55-69.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. Useless and disinterested: How literature makes us better (Commentary). American Journal of Bioethics' Neuroscience 7(2): 95-96.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. A novel approach to business ethics education: Exploring how to live and work in the 21st century. Academy of Management Learning Education 15(3): 588-606.
    • Gerde, V., and Michaelson, C. 2016. Institutional constraints and enablers: An introduction to the special topic forum on extreme operating environments (Editorial introduction). Business and Society 55(7): 927-933.
    • Brunnquell, D., and Michaelson, C. 2016. Moral hazard in pediatrics. American Journal of Bioethics 16(7): 29-38.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. Business in the work and world of David Foster Wallace. Journal of Management Inquiry 25(2): 214-222.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Executive compensation and moral luck. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 34(2): 237-258.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Accounting for meaning: On §22 of David Foster Wallace's 'The Pale King'. Critical Perspectives on Accounting 29: 54-64.
    • Michaelson, C., and Gerde, V. 2015. How to live without certainty, without being paralyzed by hesitation: An introduction to the special topic forum on extreme operating environments (Editorial introduction). Business and Professional Ethics Journal 33(2-3): 205-209.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. How reading novels can help management scholars cultivate ambiculturalism (Commentary). Academy of Management Review 40(1): 147-149.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. The competition for the tallest skyscraper and its implications for global ethics and economics. Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Journal Issue IV: 20-27 (covered in The Media Line, 13 May 2015).
    • Michaelson, C., Pratt, M.G., Grant, A.M., and Dunn, C.P. 2014. Meaningful work: Connecting business ethics and organization studies. Journal of Business Ethics 121(1): 77-90.
    • Glac, K., and Michaelson, C. 2012. What is a good answer to an ethical question? Journal of Business Ethics Education 9: 233-258.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Reading leaders' minds: In search of the canon of 21st century global capitalism. Asian Journal of Business Ethics 1(1): 47-61.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. Morally differentiating responsibility for climate change mitigation: An analogy with Tolstoy's Master and Man. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 30(1-2): 113-136.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. Whose responsibility is meaningful work? Journal of Management Development 30(6): 548-557.
    • Michaelson, C. 2010. Business and/as/of the humanities. Journal of Business Ethics Education 7: 201-212.
    • Michaelson, C. 2010. Revisiting the global business ethics question. Business Ethics Quarterly 20(2): 237-251 (covered in Economics Week, 14 May 2010)).
    • Michaelson, C. 2009. Teaching meaningful work: Philosophical discussions on the ethics of career choice. Journal of Business Ethics Education 6: 43-67.
    • Michaelson, C. 2009. Meaningful work and moral worth. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 28 (1-4): 27-48.
    • Michaelson, C. 2008. Moral luck and business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics 83(4): 773-787.
    • Michaelson, C. 2008. Work and the most terrible life. Journal of Business Ethics 77(3): 335-345.
    • Michaelson, C. 2006. Compliance and the illusion of ethical progress. Journal of Business Ethics 66(2-3): 241-251.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. 'I want your shower time!' Drowning in work and the erosion of life. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 24(4): 7-26.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. Dealing with swindlers and devils: Literature and business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics 58(4): 359-373.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. Meaningful motivation for work motivation theory (Commentary). Academy of Management Review 30(2): 235-238.
    • Michaelson, C. 2004. Business and ethics after September 11. Business and Professional Ethics Journal 12(1-2): 259-300.
    • Michaelson, C. 2001. Is business ethics philosophy or sophism? Business Ethics: A European Review 10(4): 331-339.

    Book chapters and entries

    • Michaelson, C. 2020. The sandpiper and the clam struggle. In Wendelin Küpers and Matthew Statler (Eds.), Leadership and Wisdom. New York: Routledge.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Do we have to do meaningful work? In Ruth Yeoman, Katie Bailey, Adrian Madden, Marc Thompson (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Meaningful Work. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Gini, A., and Michaelson, C. 2018. Work-Life Balance. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Aesthetics. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Collectivism. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Quality of life. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. David Foster Wallace's Love-Hate Relationship with Consumer Capitalism. In E. Brutton, C. Kampmeier, and A. Kontos (eds.), Normal 2014: Selected Works from the First Annual David Foster Wallace Conference. Gilson, Illinois, USA: Lit Fest Press.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Moral luck. In the Wiley Encyclopedia of Management - Business Ethics. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Terrorism. In the Wiley Encyclopedia of Management - Business Ethics. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. World Economic Forum. In the Wiley Encyclopedia of Management - Business Ethics. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Literature and the canonical values of capitalism. In D. Koehn and D. Elm (eds.), Aesthetics and Business Ethics. Dordrecht: Springer.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. The value(s) of work. In Jeffrey J. Froh and Acacia Parks-Sheiner (eds.), Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A Guide for Instructors. Washington, DC, USA: American Psychological Association.
    • Michaelson, C. 2009. Values and capitalism. In Jeffery Smith (Ed.), Normative Theory and Business Ethics: 195-208. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Ethics and the tobacco industry. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 2: 794-799. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007 (revised 2016 for 2nd edition). Humanities and business ethics. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 3: 1081-1084. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Meaningful work (revised 2016 for forthcoming 2nd edition). In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 3: 1355-1358. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Moral luck (revised 2016 for 2nd edition). In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 3: 1426-1428. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Reputation management. In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 4: 1820-1823. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2007. Terrorism (revised 2016 for 2nd edition). In Robert W. Kolb (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society v. 5: 1068-2071. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
    • Michaelson, C. 2002. Philosophy out of the cave. In Laura Duhan Kaplan (Ed.), Philosophy and Everyday Life: 214-221. New York, USA: Seven Bridges Press.

    Reviews, teaching materials, proceedings, and other publications

    • Michaelson, C. 2020. "'Death is very close,' from Man on Wire, starring Philippe Petit." Sage Business Cases.
    • Michaelson, C. 2020. "The whitewashing scene, from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain." Sage Business Cases.
    • Michaelson, C. 2020. "India's 'Pad Man': Making menstrual hygiene affordable for women." Under-Told Stories Learning Modules.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Review essay on G.S. Morson and M. Schapiro's Cents and Sensibility: What Economics Can Learn from the Humanities. Organization Studies 40(7): 1089-1096.
    • Michaelson, C. 2016. Review of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Abdulrahman Munif's Cities of Salt, Zadie Smith's The Embassy of Cambodia, and Dave Eggers' The Circle. Academy of Management Learning & Education 15(1): 195-198.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Exploring capitalist fiction (book review on Edward C. Younkins' Exploring Capitalist Fiction). Business Ethics Quarterly 25(1): 151-154.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Business students should read great novels: The power of literary words for management education. Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Cantor Fitzgerald and September 11. Journal of Business Ethics Education 9: 411-420.
    • Michaelson, C., Glac, K., and Koehn, D. 2011. Reflections on the third Shanghai international conference on business ethics 2010. Society for Business Ethics Newsletter 21(3): 20-21.
    • Michaelson, C. 2006. Just work (book note on Russell Muirhead's Just Work). Business Ethics Quarterly 16(1): 110.
    • Michaelson, C. 2006. The grid (teaching note on Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi). Ethics in Film 001.
    • Michaelson, C. 2005. A slice of trouble (teaching note on Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing). Ethics in Film 003.
    • Michaelson, C. 2004. A Cantor's prayer for meaningful work. Proceedings of the International Society for the Study of Work and Organizational Values.

    Other media publications and blog

    • VanBuren III, H. & Michaelson, C. 2021. What businesses can learn from conflict zones to promote sustainable community. Minneapolis Star Tribune. Online at https://www.startribune.com/what-business-can-learn-from-conflict-zones-to-promote-sustainable-community-peace/600077066/

    • Michaelson, C. 2021. Tommie Experts: Meaningful work as a way to wellness. St. Thomas Newsroom. Online at https://www.news.stthomas.edu/tommie-experts-meaningful-work-as-a-way-to-wellness/

    • Michaelson, C. 2020. Clap all you like now but workers with meaningful jobs deserve to be values in a post-coronavirus economy too. The Conversation, May 26. Online at https://theconversation.com/clap-all-you-like-now-but-workers-with-meaningful-jobs-deserve-to-be-valued-in-a-post-coronavirus-economy-too-136472.

    • Finnegan, A. and Michaelson, C. 2020. Advice on landing a first job in the pandemic. Minneapolis Star-Tribune, September 6.
    • Michaelson, C., Lepisto, D.A., Pratt, M.G., Hedden, L., and Brown, J. 2020. Why corporate purpose statements often miss their mark. strategy+business, August 17. Online at https://www.strategy-business.com/article/Why-corporate-purpose-statements-often-miss-their-mark.
    • Zwieg Daly, N., with Lawrence, T., Michaelson, C., and Wilkinson, L. 2020. Some recommended reading on diversity, inclusion for business. Minneapolis Star-Tribune, August 2.
    • Michaelson, C., and Zwieg Daly, N. 2020. Corporate giving is just a piece of what's needed to heal the Twin Cities. Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 28.
    • Michaelson, C. 2020. How CEOs, experts, and philosophers see the world's biggest risks differently. The Conversation, January 27. Online at https://theconversation.com/how-ceos-experts-and-philosophers-see-the-worlds-biggest-risks-differently-128382.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, July 12). 3 Keys to building an ethical business culture. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C.M. (2019, June 21). Good fiction should be on your summer reading list for business. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, March 29). Why companies need to recognize differences between compliance and ethics. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Why the Davos elites are still relevant. The Conversation, 25 January. Online at https://theconversation.com/why-the-davos-elites-are-still-relevant-110411. Reprinted in the San Francisco Chronicle and other newspapers.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, January 25). Managers have critical role in setting ethical standards. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2019, January 4). Businesses need to aim for more than turning a profit. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C. 2019. Looking for career advice? Read great literature. Star-Tribune. Online at http://www.startribune.com/looking-for-career-advice-read-great-literature/501671441.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, November 3). What great business leaders need to get right. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N.(2018, September 22). Companies shouldn't exploit their organizational citizens. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, August 26). Did your co-worker just get an award for your idea? Here's how to react. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, July 28). Resist the temptation to ask employees to hype company online. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, July 14). Does your business face ethics issue? Cast a wide net when seeking advice. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com.
    • Zwieg Daly, N. (2018, May 25). Let ethics guide your decisions. Star Tribune. Retrieved from https://startribune.com.
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. These are the books President Trump should read on his way to Davos. The Washington Post, 23 January. Online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/gdpr-consent/?destination=%2fnews%2fposteverything%2fwp%2f2018%2f01%2f23%2fthese-are-the-books-president-trump-should-read-on-his-way-to-davos%2f%3f&utm_term=.04a5d4d00ec2 (reprint of The Conversation piece below).
    • Michaelson, C. 2018. Trump goes to Davos: Four books he should read on first trip to gathering of global elites. The Conversation, 22 January. Online at https://theconversation.com/trump-goes-to-davos-4-books-he-should-read-on-first-trip-to-gathering-of-global-elites-90075.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Branding your social mission. Star-Tribune Outside Consultant, 22 May. Online at http://www.startribune.com/the-need-to-be-genuine-incorporating-your-social-mission-with-your-corporate-brand/423240503/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Dostoevsky titles that ominously foreshadowed the presidency of Donald J. Trump. McSweeney's Internet Tendency, 3 May. Online at https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/dostoevsky-titles-that-ominously-foreshadowed-the-presidency-of-donald-j-trump.
    • Michaelson, C. 2017. Capitalism reading list. Ethical Systems, 17 February. Online at http://www.ethicalsystems.org/content/reading-succeed.
    • Michaelson, C., and Tosti-Kharas, J. 2016. Work worth dying for? The Huffington Post, 9 September. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/work-worth-dying-for_b_11939748.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Reading for leading: Can novels help develop tomorrow's CEO's skills? PwC CEO Insights blog, 17 August. Online at http://pwc.blogs.com/ceoinsights/2015/08/reading-for-leading.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Seven good novels that will make you a more resilient leader. PwC Risk Insights blog, 17 June. Online at http://pwc.blogs.com/resilience/2015/06/seven-good-novels-that-will-make-you-a-more-resilient-leader.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Making work meaningful. University of St. Thomas Opus Magnum blog, 24 April. Online at http://www.stthomas.edu/news/making-work-meaningful/.
    • Finnegan, A., Ketcher, K.T., Klein, M., Michaelson, C., Nelson-Pallmeyer, J., Ngeh, E., Schlabach, G., Seltzer, J., and White, S., 2015. Building peace on campus. University of St. Thomas Newsroom, 24 April. Online at http://www.stthomas.edu/news/building-peace-campus/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2015. Cheering on income equality, from Davos to Melbourne. The Huffington Post, 27 January. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/cheering-on-income-equali_b_6550756.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. The violence spills off the field. Star-Tribune, 17 September. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/275368831.html. (Also in The Huffington Post, 17 September. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/the-violence-spills-off-t_b_5838026.html)
    • Michaelson, C. 2014. Business novels and good character(s). Ethical Systems, 24 March. http://ethicalsystems.org/content/business-novels-and-good-characters.
    • Michaelson, C. 2013. Meaningful work in The Pale King: In Memory of David Foster Wallace, Five Years On. The Huffington Post, 10 September. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/meaningful-work-in-the-pa_b_3895759.html. (covered by The Howling Fantods (11 September 2013)
    • Michaelson, C. 2013. Is it legal? Yes. Ethical? Perhaps. Underhanded? Definitely. The Huffington Post, 19 August. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/michael-chang-underhand-serve_b_3768181.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2013. Leadership and the stories we tell. PwC CEO Insights Blog. 15 April. Online at http://pwc.blogs.com/ceoinsights/2013/04/leadership-and-the-stories-we-tell.html.
    • World Economic Forum, in collaboration with PwC (project lead). 2013. Resilience practices: One-year follow-up analysis of Global Risks 2012 cases. Online at http://reports.weforum.org/global-risks-2013/view/section-seven-online-only-content/resilience-practices-one-year-follow-up-analysis-of-global-risks-2012-cases/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. On meaningful work and the good life. University of St. Thomas Exemplars.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Romney can't buy happiness. The Huffington Post, 17 October. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/romney-cant-buy-happiness_b_1974167.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Rise and shine: Skyscrapers and global well being. The Huffington Post, 12 September. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/rise-and-shine-skyscraper_b_1870678.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Kentucky's identity paradox. The Huffington Post, 25 June. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/kentucky-one-and-done-players_b_1624382.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Tolstoy in Rio: A climate change analogy. The Huffington Post, 21 June. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/tolstoy-in-rio-a-climate-_b_1608401.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. We are all traveling salesmen. The Huffington Post, 30 May. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/death-of-a-salesman_b_1552475.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. What is meaningful work? 5 questions with Prof. Michaelson. University of St. Thomas Opus Magnum blog. Online at http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/2012/05/17/what-is-meaningful-work-5-questions-with-prof-michaelson/
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Imagining the presidential canon: A thought experiment in American politics. The Huffington Post, 4 April. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/imagining-the-presidential-canon_b_1400581.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2012. Mann meets humanity in Davos. The Huffington Post, 31 January. Online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/davos-2012_b_1245312.html.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. Tis better to give than to give back. University of St. Thomas Opus Magnum blog. Online at http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/2011/12/12/%e2%80%98tis-better-to-give-than-to-give-back/.
    • Michaelson, C. 2011. September 12, 2001, 3 o'clock a.m. National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Online at http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/submission/4109001.
    • Michaelson, C. 2010. The importance of meaningful work. MIT Sloan Management Review 51(2): 12-13 (covered in Forbes.com, 11 March 2010) and Campus Career Counselor, March 2010)). In print and online at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/2010-winter/51202/the-importance-of-meaningful-work/.
    • Michaelson, C. (with MBA candidates Nicholas Blawat, Christina Stevenson, Kelly Thorne, Paul Topping, and Marc Volpe). 2004. The lobster, the squid, and the Cadillac El Dorado: MBA candidates battle for future control of the swamplands'. The Wharton Journal 50(4): 8-9.
    • Michaelson, C., and Ponemon, L.A. 2000. Values added: Rules and values in ethical decision making. Strategic Finance February: 24, 75.

    Non-academic white papers

    • Ethics & Compliance Initiative (Michaelson, C. lead author and working group co-chair). 2019. Essential skills and qualities of the ethics and compliance professional: Today and in the future.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers and LRN (Michaelson, C., editorial board and author team). 2016. Connecting the dots: How purpose can join up your business.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board and author team). 2016. 19th annual global CEO survey ('Redefining Business Success in a Changing World').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board and author team). 2015. 18th annual global CEO survey ('A Marketplace Without Boundaries?').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2014. 17th annual global CEO survey ('Fit for the Future').
    • World Economic Forum and PwC (Michaelson, C., interviewee). 2013. Examining the leadership, trust, organisational performance and societal value equation.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2013. 16th annual global CEO survey ('Dealing with Disruption').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2012. 15th annual global CEO survey ('Delivering Results').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2011. 14th annual global CEO survey ('Growth Reimagined').
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial board). 2010. 13th annual global CEO survey ('Setting a Smarter Course for Growth';).
    • Jourdan, C. and Michaelson, C. 2009. Extending Enterprise Risk Management to address emerging risks (briefing paper for a workshop in association with the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting).
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2009. 12th annual global CEO survey ('Redefining Success').
    • World Economic Forum Global Risk Network in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2008. Global Growth@Risk.
    • Michaelson, C. and Lambin, S. 2008. Managing and capitalising on global risks in a connected world (briefing paper for a workshop in association with the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting).
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2008. 11th annual global CEO survey ('Compete & Collaborate: What is Success in a Connected World?').
    • World Economic Forum Global Risk Network in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2007. Global Growth@Risk.
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., editorial team). 2007. Global risk, reward, business, and society: Collaborate or collapse? (briefing paper for a workshop in partnership with the World Economic Forum Global Risk Network).
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Michaelson, C., advisory team). 2007. 10th Annual Global CEO Survey ('Balancing the Global Equation').
    • Michaelson, C. 2001. What is effective compliance? PricewaterhouseCoopers re: Business, (online) and PricewaterhouseCoopers CFO Direct Network.
    • Di Florio, C., Michaelson, C., O'Brien, T.M., and Trent, B. 2001. Corporate governance: Compliance at the core. PricewaterhouseCoopers re: Business.
    • Michaelson, C., and Ponemon, L.A. 2000. Ethics at the core: Risk management and beyond. Investment Management Perspectives 2: 4-11.

    Journal of Business Ethics

    As co-editors for the Books (& More) Review section of the Journal of Business Ethics, Michaelson and Zwieg Daly accepted their first reviews published in Winter 2021. Unique to academic convention, these reviews, which are ordinarily available only to academic subscribers, will be freely available to the business community and general public for eight weeks in an effort to continue bridging the academic and practitioner communities.

    The Journal of Business Ethics publishes reviews of scholarly books as well as relevant nonfiction, fiction, documentaries, films, plays, television shows, art exhibits, and so on that advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society. In addition to answering the question, "Is this book/film, etc. worth reading/viewing?", these reviews should answer the question, "What ideas or questions will this book/film, etc. illuminate for anyone with an interest in business ethics?"

    Read the most recent review, Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar, reviewed by Azish Filabi, JD, Associate Professor of Ethics and Executive Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College of Financial Services.

    Previous reviews:

    Du, Shuili. Reimagining the Future of Technology: “The Social Dilemma” Review. J Bus Ethics (April, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04816-1

    Kim, Tae Wan. Flawed Like Us and the Starry Moral Law: Review of Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan. J Bus Ethics 170, 875–879 (February, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04758-8

    Podcast, Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson

    The Center's podcast, Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.” Listen below:

    Who is Capitalism? A conversation about Homeland Elegies with Ayad Akhtar and Azish Filabi (August, 2021).

    What is the Dilemma in the Social Dilemma? A conversation about Netflix's Popular Documentary with Shuili Du and Lisa Abendroth (June, 2021).

    All About AI Ethics: A conversation about Ian McEwen’s Machines Like Me with Tae Wan Kim (April, 2021).

    Creative Programming Partnerships

    In the spirit of connecting learning in the liberal arts and humanities to leadership practices, we are exploring programming partnerships with arts organizations to further inspire principled leadership. Read our column in the Star Tribune August 2020 to deepen your knowledge about social justice and leadership through art and the humanities.

    Our inaugural creative programming partnership was held in December 2019! Essential work, counting what counts, and leaving a legacy: These are just some of the themes discussed during the virtual event on December 8: a performance, panel, and partnership between the Guthrie Theater and the Melrose and the Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas.

    guthrie

    Corporate / Community Outreach

    Read our Business Forum commentary published in the Star-Tribune July 2020 to gain an understanding of the Center's future work to maximize the value of rebuilding the Twin Cities for the common good with public-private partnerships to connect community interests with corporate resources.

    Our story.

    Ken Melrose: Friend, mentor, former CEO of The Toro Company & quintessential principled leader.

    Building upon its forty-year foundation as the Center for Ethical Business Cultures, the newly renamed center housed in the Opus College of Business honors the legacy of former CEO of The Toro Company Ken Melrose thanks to The Toro Company and The Hoffman Family Foundation for their generous commitment of $3 million to the University of St. Thomas to create the Melrose and The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership. The four-year gift commitment creates a $3 million endowment with contributions totaling $2 million from The Toro Company and $1 million from The Hoffman Family Foundation.

    The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership promotes and celebrates principled leadership through academic research, teaching, and outreach activities. Melrose was a fervent champion for ethics and servant leadership. He served as chairman of the center's advisory board, held the university's Holloran Endowed Professorship and was a popular lecturer on business ethics and leadership.

    "Ken was forever a friend and mentor to me personally as well as a dear friend of our family. He was a very giving person who helped many people grow into better leaders at The Toro Company, St. Thomas, and beyond. My wife Tami and I are thrilled that The Hoffman Family Foundation can honor him and his legacy through an organization that so deeply shares his values," said Mike Hoffman, former chairman and CEO of The Toro Company.

    "Ken lived and breathed the values of ethical, principled and, more importantly, servant leadership. The Toro Company is forever changed by his impact and I'm grateful to continue this legacy for our region at St. Thomas," said Rick Olson, chairman and CEO of The Toro Company.

    "This generous gift will honor and celebrate Ken Melrose as a principled leader who promoted the values, practice and impact of servant leadership, said Stefanie Lenway, dean of the Opus College of Business. "This will also shine a spotlight on Toro and Opus and build their brands as co-leaders in promoting the efficacy of profitable business models based on purpose-driven strategies and values-based leadership."

    Video of Ken Melrose talking about The Toro Company

    Ken Melrose & The Toro Company

    Our sponsors.

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    Our team

    Nicole Zwieg Daly headshot

    Nicole Zwieg Daly, J.D, Ed.D.

    Executive Director & Adjunct Professor of Ethics & Business Law

    nmzwieg@stthomas.edu

    Our affiliations.

    Principles for Responsible Management Education logoInternational Humanistic Management Association logo