What should a company do with investors’ money? If a company gives back to the community, how do managers gauge how much is enough? Can it ever be too much? These are some of the questions we discussed at the inaugural “Ethical Pizza” luncheon. The debate, which was moderated by Dean Sheehan, gave me the chance to hear the opinions of about 40 students and faculty members regarding the ethics of corporate social responsibility.

Just as I had anticipated, the debate at times became quite spirited, but the informal setting allowed everyone a chance to participate. It was interesting to hear the varying viewpoints from all participants; first-year students had as much to say as chaired professors, and all points seemed to contribute to the development of the conversation. Although we did not conclude with one collective answer, the lunch did provide a novel learning experience and a great new way to interact with the faculty.

The Ethical Pizza luncheons are a series of bi-weekly events that invite members of the MBA program to discuss ethical issues that are currently making headlines.

-Matt Michaux
Matt is first-year student in the MBA program. He graduated in 2006 from the Smeal College with bachelor’s degrees in business administration and economics. Most recently, he worked for Duff & Phelps in Philadelphia in their international corporate value consulting division.