I have enjoyed reading Ethix since its debut. I usually turn immediately to the back page to read the Ethics at Work column. The dilemmas posed are interesting and challenging, and they help me to think how I might respond were I ever to find myself in a similar situation. I have often retold Al’s story about laptops for meeting registration (“Inappropriate Technology,” Issue 28). As a former software engineer who now helps people to live well with technology, I recently had the pleasure of writing an article for Ethix for the first time (“Technology: Love It or Hate It,” Issue 57). Congratulations on 10 years of publication!
Rosie Perera
Vancouver, British Columbia
As the current economic crisis indicates, the most difficult areas to bring into any real discussion of ethics are finance, economics, business, and technology. Into precisely those areas, Ethix has valiantly ventured under the able leadership of Al Erisman. Not only that, but Al has also taken himself far and wide around the world in order to bring a multicultural and global perspective to the journal. How he manages to do all that and maintain such high print quality in the journal on a tiny budget is a complete mystery to me. So I say: Three cheers for Ethix! From all of us who are concerned about ethics in the modern world, Ethix deserves full support!
Prabhu Guptara
Wolfsberg, Switzerland
Ethix is by far the most serious and advanced publication I have read on business, technology, and ethics. Its mode of discourse is not “holier than thou,” but full of business acumen. Ethix actively looks for schools of thoughts in the business world — maybe not in the mainstream. It has successfully created a space for dialogue on issues about value, justice, integrity, and meaning in the business community.
Philip Wu
Hong Kong
After being introduced to Ethix magazine, I have used its content selectively as guidelines for ethical conducts in business training, as well as in my personal life. What I appreciate most are the Conversations with business leaders because real-life ethical business issues are brought to light. I also enjoy discussions related to the importance of corporate culture, such as the Conversation with retired COO of Wal-Mart, Donald Soderquist. I would like to see more cases related to violation of business ethics in real life and how these cases are responded to. I would also like to see more reviews on books concerning ethics in business.
Januar Darmawan
Jakarta, Indonesia
When I think of Ethix, the word, “integrity” and its neighbor “integrate” come to mind. The publication lives up to its tagline of “promoting the integration of good business, appropriate technology and sound ethics.” I find it refreshing to listen in on the Ethix Conversations Al Erisman holds with men and women who are intentional about integrating good character with everyday business. Long live integrity and Ethix!
Mark Neuenschwander
Bellevue, Wash.
Ethix magazine is an invaluable resource for anyone concerned with the right and wrong decisions that cause businesses to thrive, or lead to disasters that can destroy. Ethix provides insight by relating the stories of individuals, their decisions, and the consequences of those decisions, enabling us to learn from the mistakes and profit from the successes.
As a leadership development consultant, I share these stories with clients and colleagues alike. I’ve not found another source that deals so honestly with the many situations that can result in a breakdown in ethics, even if the intentions are honorable. Ethix shows us the slippery slope, and therefore helps us to avoid going over the edge. It gives practical application to a largely theoretical topic. I recommend this magazine highly.
Jan Victor
Chicago, Ill.
Ethix shines light on a general need that may not have been addressed directly before. What are the questions at the conjunction of business, technology, and ethics? One of the aspects of Ethix that I have found so refreshing and illuminating is the variety of contexts represented — from automobile dealerships to furniture makers, from The Boeing Company to Starbucks, from the U.S. Senate to the Central African Republic. So the message is quite clear: The questions at the interplay of ethics, technology, and business are quite universal. Thank you for inspiring us to reflect on issues that matter to who we think we are.
David Gautschi
Troy, N.Y.
For 10 years Ethix has provided a unique examination of the ethical challenges posed by technology on the conduct of business, education, and government. I find myself thinking about what I read in Ethix when selecting and conducting my consulting engagements. Ethix makes that easy: Mr. Erisman and his associates have distilled an elixir for business excellence out of their extensive conversations with leaders from every sector. Like an aircraft checklist, the 10 Principles, Nine Good Reasons, Eight Traits, and Seven Factors (at ethix.org) provide ready guidance on how I conduct myself and how I encourage my clients to do likewise.
Ethix continues to remind me how important it is to consider the unintended consequences of new technology; usually they are predictable and manageable; but only if leaders take time to dive into details and implications before embracing and endorsing new ideas. I’ve been a faithful subscriber and recruited a number of associates to do likewise, I am now looking forward to Ethix: The Book. Keep up the exceptional work; technology is not standing still, and there are ever more inventions out there that offer opportunity to improve our world, though they also have a dark side to open new avenues for misuse.
Peter Morton
Langley, Wash.
Congratulations to Al Erisman and the entire Ethix team as the 10-year, 60-issue mark is achieved. It was my honor and privilege to be Al’s co-founder and co-editor for the first half of this journey, and I have continued to be a subscriber and fan ever since. Ethix is hands down the most interesting and valuable publication of its kind. Issue after issue, Ethix brings us fascinating interviews from the business and leadership trenches, helpful reviews, opinion pieces, cases, and counsel. Three cheers and four stars!
David W. Gill
Oakland, Calif.
Don’t change a thing! I love this magazine and look forward to receiving it. For the past several years I have placed my “read” copy in the “Reading Room” of the Academy of Lifelong Learning (a program of the University of Delaware). More than 2,000 seniors have access to this room, and I assure you your magazine is very well read. Also, I just passed along a recent issue on IT technology, to my son David, president of 215 Secure. He really enjoyed reading it. Guess what he is getting for his next Christmas present — a subscription!
Bill Pearson
Wilmington, Del.
I was introduced to Ethix and the Institute for Business, Technology and Ethics in June of 2002. Ever since, Ethix has become a bimonthly read that I always look forward to. My favorite Conversation was with Al Weiss, president, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He had five principles for how he conducts himself in life, both personally and professionally, and I still refer to them and speak about them in some of my speaking engagements.
Ethix is insightful, thought-provoking, and honest in its assessment of business, technology, and ethics, and has never been afraid to tackle a controversial subject like religion in the workplace and whether or not it belongs. It should be required reading for every CEO and senior officer and anyone looking to achieve success in business. Keep doing what you are doing but somehow market yourself better so that more business leaders come in contact with your publication.
Congratulations on 10 years of responsible journalism that has contributed greatly to American business.
Bud Boughton
Greenwood, Ind.
When Ethix arrives, it quickly goes into my briefcase for the commute’s read. Sometimes it takes a while (there’s always a backlog of reading) but it always gets read. Almost always there’s an article that I pass along to someone else in my organization. I like that it presents a different focus each issue — this forces me to look at ethics holistically (not just a small, technical niche), from different people’s perspectives and circumstances. I read it all. That kind of discipline keeps me from missing some important point.
Jeffrey Gifford
Cleveland, Ohio
The Ethix Conversation is what I really look forward to reading when I get the latest issue of Ethix. A big reason for this is your ability to conduct an interview in a way that reveals something of the personality and character of leaders from a variety of businesses and organizations. It is exciting to see how many leaders are applying good ethics in extremely diverse and challenging situations. Ethix offers concrete examples of reasons to be hopeful in a world that is desperate for real hope.
Gary Nielsen
Columbus, Ohio
I teach one of the “societal impact of information technology and computing” courses that counts for the required “ethics component” for the ABET accreditation Towson University has for our computer science program. I use articles from Ethix in my lecture, and also use it as a reference for their research papers, when it has articles that fit the topics they’ve chosen.
Joyce Currie Little
Baltimore, Md.
It always is a pleasure to read the latest issue of Ethix. The thoughts raised are interesting and different from what I commonly see elsewhere. I was particularly interested in the C.A.R. discussions. It seems so puzzling how people can be living in abject poverty when just under the ground there is an abundant wealth of natural resources. I guess corruption is mankind’s most difficult problem.
Stan Jensen
Palo Alto, Calif.
My feeling about the matter really comes down to the inspiration I get from the work you all do at Ethix. In small business, I find it is critical to be inspired by something other than the bottom line.
Bob Vomaske
Fort Collins, Colo.