By Nick Erickson
In recognition of his commitment to researching ethical practices in businesses and organizations, George Washington University installed Joel Gehman as the Thaddeus A. Lindner and Sergius Gambal Professor in Business Ethics on Friday afternoon.
Established by former GW Trustee A. James Clark in 2004, the Lindner and Gambal Professorship is awarded to an individual who will teach future generations of GW School of Business (GWSB) students how to conduct their business careers with honesty and integrity, which were two central values to the life and legacy of Clark, who founded what is now the multi-billion-dollar Clark Construction Group.
Natalie Grandison, director of engineering initiatives at the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, said Clark regarded Lindner and Gambal as two of the most ethical people he had the pleasure of knowing, and establishing this professorship in their honor would inspire educators to follow their lead and implement ethical business practices in their teachings.
“The importance [Clark] placed on integrity was fully matched by his belief in the power of education to change lives,” Grandison said. “This is why this professorship is such an apt representation of his legacy. It joins his conviction that education is key to helping people achieve their potential with his desire to foster future generations of ethical, civic-minded business leaders.”
Gehman’s work investigating how grand challenges related to sustainability and values affect organizational strategies, technology innovation and institutional arrangements fit that bill. He was appointed to the role in August before being formally installed in a ceremony Friday at Duquès Hall with university officials, including President Mark S. Wrighton and Provost Christopher Alan Bracey, on hand.
GWSB’s vision is to cultivate ethical, inclusive and entrepreneurial leaders who make a positive impact on the environment, society and governance (ESG) locally and globally through market-responsive lifelong learning programs, innovative research and outreach to the business and policy community. Gehman felt like those commitments perfectly fit his research and will allow him an opportunity to take his impact to the next level.
“It would be hard for me to come up with a mission statement that resonates more with what I think I’m trying to do as a faculty member,” Gehman said.
Gehman believes this professorship also serves a broader role by creating spaces for others to take seriously issues around sustainability, ESG factors and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. His research, well known throughout the business community as he is the author of more than 50-peer reviewed articles and book chapters and has received over $5 million in funding, looks at these factors among publicly traded companies and among a new group of organizations called benefit corporations (B Corporations) that adopt legal requirements to give the environmental and social bottom lines parity with their financial considerations.
He said this work inspires his teaching, including GW M.B.A. students who research case studies about how organizations and businesses engage in ethical dilemmas and GW Ph.D. students are who are studying issues such as climate change disclosures.
The Lindner and Gambal Professorship also allows him to put his research into practice.
“Part of what I enjoy about being a professor is the opportunity to help translate the best of what we know from research into practical use,” said Gehman, who thanked the examples set by Lindner and Gambal, as well as the generosity of Clark and his family and the GWSB for making this appointment possible. “Here, I think we have only scratched the surface.”
Wrighton said Gehman is already on a great trajectory to contribute mightily to the university, and this impact will be felt throughout the GW community and beyond.
“Dr. Gehman is already an established leader in the business school community,” Wrighton said. “He has an outstanding reputation, and I think it’s significant that this professorship is in business ethics, which is so important in the world today. I’m often asked the characteristics I’m looking for in new leaders, and I’m always committed to higher ethical standards.”
Linda Treviño, the distinguished professor of organizational behavior and ethics at Penn State University who mentored Gehman while he received his Ph.D. there, also spoke at the installation. She talked about their research on “values work” when Gehman was a student. She said Gehman was someone who always thought outside the box and that GW is fortunate to have someone of his great scholarly integrity and excellence.
“I’ve seen a lot of ethics chairs, and sometimes they don’t truly care about ethics,” she said. “This chair really does.”
GWSB Dean Anuj Mehrotra both opened and closed the program and left the audience with a final challenge to do right by GW students who aspire to do good in the world with their education, ambition and ethics.
“Let this be our legacy,” Mehrotra said. “And let the work Dr. Gehman does lead us into the future.”
