Merlanti Ethics Program

The Merlanti Ethics Program fosters activities and develops resources to strengthen ethics and corporate social responsibility education in College of Business curriculum and in the business community. These activities increase student awareness of business ethics issues, heighten self knowledge, and develop skills for dealing with business ethical dilemmas.

The program provides research resources as well as sources of information for companies seeking guidance on business ethics and corporate social responsibility issues. It has sparked an infusion of ethics/corporate social responsibility into COB curriculum.

The Merlanti Ethics Program also sponsors the annual Merlanti Ethics Best Practices Award, which recognizes areas businesses that practice corporate social responsibility and ethical leadership. In addition, the program awards annual grants to a business faculty member and a university faculty member who conduct ethics research.

Ann Arbor entrepreneurs Ernest and Jeanne Merlanti set program's foundation through meetings with EMU and COB leaders. The Merlantis' concerns about ethics stems from their long experience working with corporate America. Ernest Merlanti founded Personnel Systems, Inc. in 1970 to resolve some of the problems companies face in hiring quality employees.