Are You a Happy Person?

Why Being Accountable for Your Actions Is So Important Several years ago, I authored a book about happiness and meaning in life titled Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior. I’ve heard from many people who read it, liked it, and said they would rethink how they... Read more →


Dangers of Cyberbullying

Talk to Your Child About the Dangers of Social Networking The term “social network” is how we connect to other people using a platform that supports online communication, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Video sharing services such as Snapchat and TikTok are popular among millennials and the Generation Zeers.... Read more →


21st Century Anti-Fraud Best Practices: What has Improved and What Still Needs to Change

OVERVIEW OF THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS: I am moderating a panel at the 2023 Ethics Symposium presented by the Public Interest Section of the American Accounting Association (AAA). The panelists are well-known observers of financial statement fraud and critics of audit failures. They will look back and forward to assess where... Read more →


What is Character?

Making Ethical Decisions It has been said that “The true test of a person’s character is how they behave in difficult times.” John C. Maxwell is credited with making this important observation. Maxwell is an American author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership. I... Read more →


U.S. Supreme Court Strips Away Race-Conscious College Admissions

An Analysis of the Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that effectively ends race-conscious admission programs at colleges and universities across the country. The decision reverses decades of precedent upheld over the years by narrow Supreme Court majorities. It... Read more →


Organizational Implications of Whistleblowing

Protections and Retaliation What makes one person speak out and blow the whistle on wrongdoing while another remains silent? Is it a “moral sense,” as Thomas Jefferson wrote, that instinctively motivates a person’s thoughts and actions? Is it motivated by avoiding harm to others? Is the act of blowing the... Read more →


Ethical Issues to Consider When Using ChatGPT

Controlling for the Risks I have previously blogged about moral questions to consider in the use of ChatGPT. It seems that virtually everyone is talking about its use. Educators fear that students will use it to write term papers. Those in the workplace have concerns about the security and privacy... Read more →