Page 1 2
3 4
NEW ROBINSON INSTITUTE HELPS COMPANIES GRAPPLE WITH REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS
When John Knapp and Steve Olson founded the Southern
Institute for Business and Professional Ethics in 1993, they
were looking to make a difference. They wanted to create
an organization that was unlike other ethics groups,
which provided a forum for discussion but did little to
influence what really happened. “We wanted to get in the
trenches and grapple with the real problems of the day,” said Knapp. By working hand in hand with companies
and organizations, the Southern Institute has made a
difference and has helped organizations make wise
decisions when ethical issues were in the balance.
 Now the Institute hopes to leverage this success even further
as a unit of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business.
On January 1 the Southern Institute became part of the College.
Knapp continues as director, with Olson as associate
director. Both also have faculty backgrounds and will teach at
the Robinson College.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
"Sharing a real-world approach with Robinson is just one of the
reasons this combination of Robinson with the Southern Institute
is ideal," said Knapp. "As a well-recognized center for ethics,
we bring a strong reputation to Robinson, while in turn benefiting
from the College’s recognition as a premier business school.
Then there's the depth and international reputation of the Robinson
College, which will be a major asset for us in the future."
Just how the Southern Institute has been making a difference is
well documented. In 2000 a record $192.5 million settlement
of a class-action discrimination case by Coca-Cola set off a
wave of concern in corporate America about how to deal with
the challenges of managing diversity. As a result of the efforts
of the Southern Institute, senior executives from 40 of the
Southeast region’s largest employers (including five universities)
were able to share best practices and develop diversity
policies that remain in effect today.
Then there was the work done by the Institute with international
delegations on behalf of the U.S. State Department and the tailored
training developed for governor’s appointees to the boards
of more than 50 Georgia agencies. The Southern Institute also
helped the Atlanta Board of Education create the first Citizens
Ethics Commission. And these are just a few of the projects
pursued regularly by the organization.
Continued on next page
Top | Next
Page 
|
