UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Associate Teaching Professor of Supply Chain Management Susan Purdum was selected to receive the inaugural Excellence in Business Ethics Education Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to business ethics education.
The college award, sponsored by the Linda Treviño Excellence in Business Ethics Program Fund Endowment and presented by the Tarriff Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, aims to acknowledge faculty members who effectively integrate business ethics and social responsibility in their courses.
Purdum, who teaches in the Department of Supply Chain & Information Systems at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, was chosen as the first recipient of the award for her innovative approach to incorporating ethical considerations and values into the curriculum. Her efforts highlight the importance of ethical leadership in the workplace, according to department chair Kevin Linderman, who nominated Purdum.
“Sue is a very passionate teacher, and she's always leading the path innovating new courses and curriculum,” Linderman said.
Integrating Ethics into the Curriculum: “Business Ethics Maturity Model for the Supply Chain Major”
“It was an honor to pioneer the creation of a maturity model in ethics, values and compliance for the supply chain management major,” Purdum said. "The maturity model illustrates where ethical principles and practices are embedded in the major and where our faculty can introduce content from foundational awareness to practical application and principled leadership.”
In the introductory course to supply chain management, students learn why an ethical mindset is important for the corporation. Later in the curriculum, emphasis shifts to conceptualizing ethical and socially responsible principles through practical application: case studies, emerging industry topics and mock negotiations. During this timeframe, students may be on their first internship where they may be pulled into complex issues like trading partner negotiations, business contracts or regulatory compliance of supply. According to Purdum, they need to conduct themselves professionally and model ethical behavior accordingly.
“Employers expect our students to have what it takes for success and today, that means the technical knowledge and skills for principled leadership in the workplace,” she said.
Linderman added that Purdum has taken the concept of applying ethics to the curriculum to prepare students for life beyond graduation.
“We want our students to have a good understanding of ethics and be ethical students, and Susan has translated that into the curriculum,” Linderman said. “This allows students to play out in practice the realities of dealing with suppliers and how you manage your suppliers to make sure they’re complying in a more ethical fashion.”
About the Excellence in Business Ethics Education Award
The Excellence in Business Ethics Education Award was created by an endowment made by Frederik and Sonja Wenzel. Frederik is an alumnus of the Penn State Smeal College of Business and, along with his wife, established the Linda Treviño Excellence in Business Ethics Program Fund Endowment in honor of Linda Treviño, Distinguished Professor of Organizational Behavior and Ethics in the Smeal College of Business. Starting with her 1986 conceptual article proposing a model of ethical decision making in organizations, her research on the management of ethical conduct in organizations is widely cited and is known internationally.
Through their donation, the Wenzels aim to support the develop of more robust business ethics education and equip Smeal students for the business world. The award is administered by the Penn State Tarriff Center, helping to incentivize faculty to incorporate business ethics into their courses, making ethical leadership and social responsibility integral components of business education at Penn State.