Charles Zola, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, and associate professor of Philosophy, will present the next talk in the Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series with “Business Ethics: Why Bother?” on Thursday, October 6 at 4 p.m.
The talk will be held on the Mount Saint Mary College campus at 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh, N.Y. in the Dominican Center, room 218.
Zola’s talk explores the history and development of business ethics as it has unfolded in American society, with special attention focused on its relevance for schools of business.
When we hear of a business that has made questionable moral decisions, one may wonder if business ethics courses are effective. Zola argues that business ethics is not oxymoronic, but that good ethics is good business and an indispensable component of the business curriculum.
Speaking about this research, Zola notes, “Although I have taught business ethics courses for a number of years, I had never considered the history and development of the discipline. Moreover, I have recently become intrigued about issues related to the effectiveness or assessment of business ethics courses. My research in this area was prompted by a request to submit a chapter for a proposed book on the topic of business education, as well as my personal conviction that the study of ethics is essential for living life well.”
Zola earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Scranton and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in Philosophy, with distinction, from the Institute of Philosophy of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. In addition to his current positions at Mount Saint Mary College, he has taught at the University of Scranton, Penn State University, Hazleton, and is the former executive director of the Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania at Misericordia University.
Zola has published articles concerning the ethical obligations children have to their elderly parents and has made numerous presentations on ethics and elder care ethics for health care professionals. His areas of interest are the Catholic intellectual tradition, applied ethics, and elder care ethics.
The goal of the college’s iROC is to provide a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with the college and local communities. Presentations include research proposals, initial data collection, and completed research projects.
Mount Saint Mary College, ranked a Top-Tier University by U.S. News & World Report, offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs for careers in healthcare, business, education, social services, communications, media, and the liberal arts.