Rafael Bras, Georgia Tech Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, detailed various ethical dilemmas he’s faced during his now 43-year career in academia in Ethical Lessons In My Leadership Journey as part of the Scheller College Of Business Cecil B. Day Program for Business Ethics Speaker Series.
Describing ethics as “behaviors relative to a set of values grounded in moral code,” and morals as “subjective, cultural, and tend to change over time,” it was during his first leadership appointment in 1982 when he deduced that patterns of behavior -- such as arrogance, jealousy, and narcissism -- lead to most ethical failures.
“I was not prepared for the myriad of issues, both ethical and behavioral, that came my way,” Bras said. “I had to make difficult decisions, but the experience taught me that we all make mistakes. Most of the time, the solution can be found in shared trust and conversation.”
Read more about Provost Bras’ speech and the The Cecil B. Day Program in Business Ethics Speaker Series on the Georgia Tech News website.