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CommonWealth Magazine - Spring 2005

Taking Social Responsibility Seriously: At the Isenberg School, Social Responsibility Begins on Day One

Photo: Students participating in the Responsibility Fair
'Fair Trade Coffee' panelists at the Responsibility Fair.


“We see special value in steps the School of Management is taking to give students an ethical compass. By having students examine social responsibility so early in their years at UMass, the school can give the issue traction,” observed the Daily Hampshire Gazette on its editorial page on November 15. (editorial available here) In its editorial, the Gazette was applauding the Isenberg School’s Business and Social Responsibility Fair, which had filled the Campus Center Auditorium during two November evenings with scores of project displays, accompanied by the students who had created them. In teams of three and four, all 550 Isenberg School freshmen participated over the two evenings, eagerly explaining their projects, which examined the Enron and Tyco scandals, Donald Trump’s activities as a corporate citizen, the Red Sox’ long-time partnership with the Jimmy Fund, the imbroglios of Martha Stewart, and a wealth of other topics.
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William Savel '55 on Business Ethics and Evolving Business Values

Photo: William Savel '55

As I look back on forty years in business, twenty of them as a divisional head or CEO, I reflect on what has happened to our ethical values and the religious beliefs that our Judeo/Christian heritage has supposedly given us as both individuals and as businessmen and businesswomen. As we have pursued the golden calf for recognition and material success, we’ve lost our commitment to honesty and decency toward our fellow man and have become selfish along with much of society. We’ve created a class system between the super rich and their stock options, huge bonuses, incredible buyouts and golden parachutes and the disenfranchised who have lost their jobs, their pensions and their dignity as company after company has downsized, reengineered, taken massive write-offs or merged. Hundreds walk away with millions while thousands lose their jobs and wind up on welfare. Where does the responsibility lie? Should we feel responsible at all? After all, the prosperity of our company, our industry, and our economy is really the key measure for society, isn’t it? If so, with America leading the rest of the world in overall prosperity, we’ve fulfilled our mission. Or have we? ...more