Koeze Business Ethics Initiative at Grand Valley State University

Ivanka Trump has officially become a White House employee this week to address concerns about her role within the administration’s staff. Becoming a paid employee holds her to the same ethical standards as all White House employees; however, questions remain about her business interests, which include a successful fashion line.

Ivanka's White House post raises questions on murky business ties The Trump daughter remains the sole beneficiary of her namesake company.

Ivanka Trump is now holding an office in the White House. In response to ethical questions, Ivanka said she will hold herself to the same ethical standards as any other government employee, though she is not technically an employee. Is this enough? Some are saying no.

Ivanka Trump set to get West Wing office as role expands The first daughter will not, however, become a government employee, raising ethics questions.

The European Union is making waves with a new ruling banning women from wearing traditional headscarves at work. The court stated that private companies are permitted to bar workers from wearing religious symbols under certain conditions, and is not exclusive to one religion in particular. Is this setting a dangerous precedent worldwide, or creating a workplace of neutrality?

Reality Check: Did EU court ban Islamic headscarf at work? - BBC News The ECJ has ruled that companies can ban Islamic headscarves from workplaces in certain circumstances.

President Trump and his staff have been in the news about their ethical conduct, and the Office of Government Ethics has told them they are not exempt from ethical rules. In the end, it’s all about how we interpret the word “agency.”

U.S. Ethics Official To White House: No, These Rules Definitely Apply To You After Kellyanne Conway urged shoppers to buy Ivanka Trump's fashion line, the Office of Government Ethics urged punishment. The White House says the agency's rules don't apply to its workers.

The White House asserted this week that broad swaths of federal ethics regulations do not apply to people who work in the Executive Office of the President. Ethics experts say this sets the Trump White House apart from past administrations. What do you say?

Experts Say White House's Conway Response Raises Major Ethical Questions In the White House's letter to the Office of Government Ethics this week about Kellyanne Conway, there's a passage that is potentially far more significant than a clothing endorsement.

On its face, conscious consumerism is a way for individuals to do their part in purchasing ethically. Buying “green” products, upcycling clothing and using less take priority over becoming politically active. Essentially, hitting the corporations where it hurts the most – their bottom line. How effective is it and is there a better way? Becoming more involved and placing the money into political action might be the way to make a real difference.

Conscious consumerism is a lie. Here’s a better way to help save the world Choosing fashion made from h**p or grilling the waiter about how your fish was caught is no substitute for systematic change.

Can the color and design of a logo play a role in how much you trust (or don’t trust!) a company? Check out this infographic that really has us thinking about logos and their colors.

Company logos - how colours persuade you to trust a brand [graphic] - ValueWalk A new infographic from Towergate Insurance draws on up-to-date research to take a look under the hood of brand color use amongst companies in varying sectors. The infographic analyzes 26 sectors; from restaurant outlets, to apparel and accessories brands; communication services, to home improvement ...

A story emerging out of Washington D.C. this week questions a whistleblower’s agenda. What are the consequences in the new administration and the climate change debate?

Climate change whistleblower alleges NOAA manipulated data to hide global warming ‘pause’ The climate change debate went nuclear Sunday over a whistleblower’s explosive allegation that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association manipulated data to advance a political agenda by hiding the global warming “pause.”

In what was one of the most powerful Super Bowl LI ads, Audi addresses the gender pay gap.

Audi Uses Super Bowl Ad To Tackle The Gender Pay Gap "What do I tell my daughter? Do I tell her that her grandpa’s worth more than her grandma?"

This Thursday please join the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative for an evening with venture capitalist Cindy Padnos from 6-7:20 pm
at the Loosemore Auditorium in DeVos Center on Grand Valley's downtown campus.

To learn more about this, and other upcoming events visit: https://www.gvsu.edu/seidman/ethics/upcoming-events-42.htm

A new post is up on the KBEI Ethical Discourse Blog. Follow the link to read more!

https://www.gvsu.edu/seidman/ethics/ethical-discourse-the-kbei-blog-10.htm

The preliminary results are in: Just how trustworthy are Michigan's public companies?

Highlights - Seidman College of Business - Koeze Business Ethics Initiative - Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 3, 2016 – Just how trustworthy are Michigan businesses? A new survey from the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative at Grand Valley State University gave middle-of-the-road marks to most of the state’s top 25 publicly traded companies.