Ed is an American philosopher and Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration at UVA Darden School of Business. He is best known for his work on stakeholder theory. Besides his six honorary doctorates, he has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the World Resources Institute and Aspen Institute, the Humboldt University Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility, the Academy of Management and the Society for Business Ethics. Ed is a prolific writer and his books, such as “Strategic management — a stakeholder approach”, “Managing for Stakeholders” and “Stakeholder Theory” are seminal works, and his articles are frequently cited.

Besides his passions for writing, making music and martial arts, teaching is close to his heart. The ability to enable students to think critically and take different perspectives earned him several awards throughout his career. Moreover, Ed suggests that “we are only as good as the stories we tell” — he has worked with many executives and companies around the world to enable new narratives and help to make business and ultimately the world a little better.

Frank Martela is a cross-disciplinary researcher with a PhD in both philosophy (University of Helsinki) and organisational research (Aalto University). He is a University lecturer at Aalto University and docent of well-being psychology at the University of Tampere and has spoken to hundreds of audiences worldwide, with lectures at Universities on four continents, including Stanford University and Harvard University. His steadily expanding research was published in numerous academic journals within psychology, philosophy and organisational design. As an expert in the meaning of life, Frank has been interviewed for the New York Times, Le Monde, Die Süddeutsche Zeitung and many others.

In addition to his academic work, Frank is also one of the co-founders and current chairman of the board of Filosofian Akatemia Oy, a company with expertise in measuring engagement, motivation and meaningfulness at work and consulting organisations on how to make work-life better. His most recent book is called “A Wonderful Life”.

Alejo Sison is a professor for business ethics at the School of Economics of the University of Navarre. He is Visiting Ordinary Professor at the Busch School of Business of the Catholic University of America and Adjunct Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University. He was President of the European Business Ethics Network (EBEN) from 2009 to 2012. In 2019 he was elected to the board of the Society for Business Ethics and in 2023 he will be President.

His research is at the juncture of ethics, economics, and politics, with a focus on the virtues and the common good. In our interview, we discuss a virtue ethics perspective on the theory of the firm, corporate governance, the moral capital of leaders, Ethics and AI, and also his latest sole-authored book on “Happiness and Virtue Ethics in Business: The Ultimate Value Proposition” (Cambridge University Press, 2015). 

✿ ABOUT BLAINE FOWERS

Blaine Fowers (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin in 1987) is Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Miami. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. His primary scholarly interest is in exploring the moral dimension of psychology, both in research and practice. He is currently directing the Goal Orientations and Life Success (GOALS) Project, which is focused on documenting the existence and functioning of higher order goals and investigating the links between pursuing inherently valuable goals and human flourishing. He is the author of The Evolution of Ethics, Virtue and Psychology, Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness, and a co-author of Frailty, Suffering, and Vice: Flourishing in the Face of Human Limitations and Re-envisioning Psychology.

He is the 2016 winner of the Joseph Gittler Award for Contributions to the Philosophical Foundations of Psychology and was a Distingusished Visting Professor at the University of Birmingham, UK in May, 2016. Blaine has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on virtue and practical wisdom in psychology. 

Alicia Hennig is an Associate Professor of Business Ethics at the Technical University of Dresden. With extensive experience in intercultural work and research, her academic expertise spans various research fields, including political theory, Chinese philosophy in business and management, virtue ethics in business, ethics in finance, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and sustainability. She holds a Magna Cum Laude doctorate in Applied Philosophy and Ethics from the Technical University Darmstadt in Germany.

Alicia Hennig's notable contributions to academia extend beyond research; she is an experienced lecturer and guest lecturer, having taught courses on cultural and intercultural issues, comparative philosophy, and business ethics. Her international academic journey has taken her to institutions in China, Spain, the United Kingdom, and more, and she is one of the few contemporary business ethics scholars who is actively “translating” Chinese culture and thinking for a Western context. She is an outspoken critic of postmodern capitalistic systems in both East and West and of Chinese mercantilism in Academia. 

Paul Adler is a Professor of Management and Organization, Sociology, and Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California. He holds the Harold Quinton Chair in Business Policy, and currently serves as the President of the USC Academic Senate. He began his education in Australia and moved to France in 1974, where he received his doctorate in Economics and Management while working as a Research Economist for the French government. He came to the USA in 1981, and before arriving at USC in 1991, he was affiliated with the Brookings Institution, Barnard College at Columbia University, Harvard Business School, and Stanford’s School of Engineering.

Paul has published widely in academic journals, and edited several books, including The Firm as a Collaborative Community: Reconstructing Trust in the Knowledge Economy (2006), The Oxford Handbook of Sociology and Organization Studies: Classical Foundations (2009), The Oxford Handbook of Sociology, Social Theory, and Organization Studies: Contemporary Currents (2014), and co-authored Healing Together: The Labor-Management Partnership at Kaiser Permanente (2009). His most recent book is The 99 Percent Economy: How Democratic Socialism Can Overcome the Crises of Capitalism (2019).

Paul has served as chair of the Technology and Innovation Management Division and of the Critical Management Studies Interest Group of the Academy of Management, and served as President of the Academy of Management in 2013–14. 

Mike O'Donnell is an esteemed sociologist renowned for his incisive critique of neoliberalism and his visionary perspective on revitalizing democracy. He holds the distinguished title of Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Westminster (UK), where his scholarly pursuits have spanned diverse domains of social theory, social movements, political theory and sociology, identity and difference. Mike's intellectual journey has seen him traverse the academic landscapes of both Britain and the United States, where he has not only conducted extensive research but also shared his knowledge as an accomplished teacher.

His pivotal contributions include authoring "Crises and Popular Dissent" and co-authoring "Alternatives to Neoliberalism: Towards Equality and Democracy." In his work, Mike masterfully dissects the rise of neoliberalism, explores the dynamics of social movements, and envisions a progressive political future. His call to extend democracy into economic and cultural institutions as a means to achieve material and social equality has been particularly influential. Mike's rich body of work continues to inspire those seeking transformative political, economic, and social policies in today's world.