Order by clicking on the links. Here are some books we find
useful in ethics officer work in setting goals of organizations and moving
the organization toward those goals.
The first edition of Levine's Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict into
Collaboration was an Executive Book Club Selection, named one
of the 30 Best Business Books of 1998, and featured in several business magazine
reviews. Now, in 2009, it has been revised and published in 2009. It's getting new rave
reviews from people who know management. For example,
"A marvelous book. By contrasting the old “win/lose” paradigm with
the new “win/win” paradigm, Levine focuses on a number-one problem. Namely, how
we solve problems. The mind set, the skill set, and the context are beautifully
interwoven in this well illustrated analysis."
~Dr. Stephen Covey, author The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Leonard Bucklin
would like to say a little more about Stewart Levine's second
revision of Getting to Resolution. A
disclaimer here - Levine is one of the persons Bucklin might
recommend if you ask Corporate-Ethics.US to handle a problem
in your corporate culture, or want to improve your corporate
governance.
I'm a lawyer used to being called in when a
company is in trouble, and I write this review from that
perspective. Getting to Resolution is loaded with good advice for business
persons and attorneys. This book is for you to eliminate conflict
and get collaboration. That's the down-to-earth reason for reading
this book. If you are a business manager wanting to drive your
department, or the company, successfully, or an attorney looking for
advice that makes you a better attorney --- Getting to Resolution is
a "must read".
I found it enjoyable to read what Levine says;
he's a good writer. Beyond that, he is one of the few people who are
truly original thinkers. His theoretical overview of conflict
resolution makes sense [Part three explains the principles (his
ideas) for resolving conflict.] Every theory is backed with facts or
solid reasoning. For example, the gem in a footnote on page 249: "1.
Collaboration is a key driver of overall performance of companies
around the world. Its impact is twice as significant as a company's
aggressiveness in pursuing new market opportunities (strategic
orientation) and five times as significant as the external market
environment (market turbulence). Collaboration can positively impact
each of the gold standards of performance--profitability, company
growth, and sales growth--to determine a company's overall
performance in the marketplace. [Citing a study sponsored by Verizon
and Microsoft.]" Levine makes you think about the priorities for
your time and why you should "get to resolution" with those around
you - yes even with that SOB attorney for the other side.
But beyond theory, this book lays out practical
"Steps 1,2,3..." that can be applied. For example, contract
negotiators and contract writers would get better contracts if they
would focus on what Levin puts forth in his chapter on "Crafting the
New Agreement" as "The Ten Essential Elements."
From my experience by working with corporations in
trouble, there is no doubt that a corporate manager (or someone
aspiring to be one) would be more successful if they read Getting to
Resolution. And, if you are an attorney (or working with them)
Levine lays out a way to better legal results.
And here is an expanded comment on why we recommend
The Art of Focused Conversation: 100 Ways to Access Group Wisdom in the
Workplace. Communication within many organizations has been reduced to
email, electronic file transfer, and hasty sound bytes at hurried meetings. More
and more, people appear to have forgotten the value of wisdom gained by ordinary
conversations.
The Art of Focused Conversation demonstrates what can be accomplished through
the medium of focused conversation. The first Part describes the theory and
background of the conversation method, which has been effectively used for group
consensus making in: 1) problem solving; 2) troubleshooting; 3) coaching; 4)
research and 5) interpretation of data. It also discusses how to prepare a
conversation, how to lead a conversation, and what the common mistakes are.
That first Part is enough reason to read the book. The rest of the
book is a bonus to you.
If you are a corporate attorney, you
might want.....
This is for corporate attorneys conducting an internal
investigation. This ABA best seller goes step-by-step
through the process of conducting a proper legal investigation.
Each chapter covers one aspect of the investigation, clearly
describing and advising on the methods, providing
practical tips, and help the corporate attorney avoid traps for
herself and her company.
Learn More Online >>>
A
valuable resource: the Ethics Resource CenterT
The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is a private, 85 year old, non-profit
organization devoted to independent research and the advancement of high ethical
standards and practices in public and private institutions. The ERC is a
resource for corporations committed to a strong ethics culture. ERC's expertise
also informs the public dialogue on ethics and ethical behavior. ERC analyzes
current and emerging issues and produces new ideas and benchmarks. They have survey materials of value. The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) has an electronic collection of
articles that were among those most viewed by Ethics Today subscribers, including
Business Ethics in the 21st Century
Students Building Character
Ethics and Compliance: One World or Two?
Globalizing a Code of Ethics
Why Small Organizations Need Our Help
How Do You Deal with a Situation When Your
Personal Values Clash with the Legitimate Business of an Organization?
What to Do After Your Code of Conduct is
Written
The Role of Leadership in Organizational
Integrity and Five Modes of Ethical Leadership
Conflicts of Interest
Ethics Effectiveness Quick Test Excerpt:
Leadership
Can You Distinguish a "Gift" from a "Bribe"?
And Who Is Responsible for Drawing This Line?
Are Unethical Decisions More a Function of the
Individual Decision Maker or the Decision Maker's Environment?
A number of ethics books and articles are found in the resources at Ethics
Updates. Ethics Updates is designed primarily to be used by ethics instructors
and their students. It is intended to provide updates on current literature, See
the Ethics Updates Home Page
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experts delivering customized ethics education.