Jepson Research Symposium
Why do some leaders seemingly get a free pass to behave unethically?
Jennifer Billings, ’14, a leadership studies and philosophy, politics, economics, and law double major, spent her senior year pondering this question and conducting research to find out.
“It’s really troubling to think that we would give leaders moral leeway,” she says. “I wanted to try to determine why a leader with a sordid past could attain and hold a leadership position while consistently making unethical decisions.”
She chose to dig deep into the life of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former managing director of the International Monetary Fund and member of the French Socialist Party. He resigned as managing director of the IMF in 2011 after allegations that he had sexually assaulted a hotel employee.
Joanne Ciulla, an expert in international leadership and ethics, was her mentor and adviser for the research. “It was great working with Dr. Ciulla,” says Billings, who is pursuing a concentration in international leadership. “And I found the research fascinating.”
Billings was one of 16 students who showcased research in April at the third annual Jepson Research Symposium. The symposium is held in Jepson Hall and includes student exhibits, remarks by faculty who are advising honors students and a reception. The moral responsibility of followers, leadership in health care, wealth inequality, the importance of recruiting minority leaders to work with youth in need, and leadership and the liberal arts were among the topics.
Leadership studies students conduct research for honors, concentrations, during the summer, or during an independent study. Research grants are available for students who want to work in close collaboration with a faculty mentor during the summer.
“We look at the big questions, and we do that in deep and detailed ways,” says Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. “We look at what’s right and how to improve systems that exist. The symposium is a great opportunity for students to showcase their work on these important questions. It’s one of the best things we do.”