Lester J. Fernandes Chair in Business Ethics, McGill University

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The McGill Desautels Faculty of Management is seeking a candidate for the Lester J. Fernandes Chair in Business Ethics.

Research and practice in management increasingly emphasize the importance of ethically grounded attention to societal concerns, including a commitment to business practices that exceed the basic requirements of legal and regulatory frameworks. Every aspect of management has an ethical dimension, and scholarly research in the field articulates and examines those dimensions. Whether principles-based or pragmatic in nature, business ethics research is rooted in exploring the moral underpinnings of management decisions and activities, and in displaying ways to apply ethical frameworks to the practice of management. Ethical foci include, but are not limited to: minimizing psychological harm to consumers; corporate social responsibility; trust, transparency, compliance, and fairness in financial dealings; prioritizing product safety; protecting vulnerable populations; ensuring data privacy, security, transparency, and explainability; developing unbiased algorithms and responsible data use; addressing the social impacts of AI and IT-induced biases; equitable compensation policies; combating labour discrimination and other unethical behavior by corporations, government, and NGOs; exposing and redressing systemic obstacles to advancement for historically marginalized communities and workers; fair resource and information dissemination; sustainable growth aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals; ethical sourcing and fair labor practices across value chains; integrating ethics into analyzing complex decisions; and ethical coordination of aid in crises.

The Chair will lead cutting-edge research, mentor faculty and students, and engage in teaching and thought leadership in areas related to the ethical dimensions of the management discipline, as well as foster partnerships with industry to promote ethical business practices.

Application Requirements:

Applicants should upload (1) letters of intent, as well as (2) the documents listed below:

1. signed letter of interest, indicating your specific field of management
2. curriculum vitae
3. research statement
4. teaching statement
5. service statement

Make sure you upload all documents with the CV on Workday.

Cover letters of interest can be addressed to:

Professor Saibal Ray
Desautels Faculty of Management
McGill University
1001 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1G5

The position will remain open until it is successfully filled.

Questions about the position should be directed to Desautels Academic Affairs at academicaffairs.mgmt@mcgill.ca.

Qualifications

Successful candidates must be tenured professors in a field of management and have the following qualifications and experience.

Applicants must have:

1. A PhD in any field of Management, Philosophy, Sociology, Economics, or a related discipline.
2. Current academic position (at least tenured Associate) in any field of Management or a related discipline.
3. Considered to be a world-renowned academic leader in a particular area of business ethics.
4. A demonstrated commitment to excellence in research, evidenced by a significant publication record in top-level management journals or top disciplinary journals and a strong pipeline of ongoing research related to ethical issues in business (e.g., certain example research topics of interest have been listed above) in journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics and Business Ethics Quarterly.
5. A demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching.
6. Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and diverse academic environment.

Preference will be given to candidates who also demonstrate:

1. Proven ability to secure competitive research grants.
2. A commitment to advancing the field of ethics in management through interdisciplinary collaboration and social impact.
3. A demonstrated commitment to engaging with industry initiatives focused on ethical business practices.
4. Evidence of interdisciplinary approaches to ethical business practices.
5. Experience developing innovative ethics-related courses or programs.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Drive impactful, high-quality research and contribute to leading academic journals (as author as well as in editorial capacity).
2. Supervise PhD students and mentor early-career scholars in business ethics.
3. Teach undergraduate and graduate courses, especially in business ethics, corporate social responsibility (CSR), equitable business practices, and related fields.
4. Work with the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity (LCBEE) to maintain existing relationships and develop new collaborations with industry, government, non-profit sectors, and other faculties at McGill to address real-world ethical challenges.
5. Champion ethical practices and collaborate with the LCBEE to continue integrating ethics into management curricula.
6. Work with the LCBEE to enhance its existing activities in public outreach and thought leadership on business ethics issues.
7. Participate in academic and service leadership within the Desautels Faculty of Management.
8. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability within the academic and business communities.

McGill University

McGill is a leading research-intensive university located in the heart of Montreal. With 80 current tenured/tenure-track professors, the Desautels Faculty of Management is committed to continued growth. The Faculty has 2,300 B.Com. students, 250 MBA/EMBA/MM students, 76 Ph.D. students, as well as a wide range of executive education offerings.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Faculty members conduct research with a variety of approaches. Professors have diverse disciplinary backgrounds and enjoy a high level of independence in their research and teaching endeavors. McGill’s emphasis is on research quality, innovation, and impact. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

Montreal boasts an experience between North America and Europe. It is a bilingual city with a vibrant restaurant scene, diverse and dynamic cultural offerings, numerous leisure and recreational activities, and country getaways within a short driving distance. Housing costs, government-funded health care, subsidized day care and free public primary and secondary education help make living in Montreal more affordable. It is also family-friendly and deemed the 4th best city in North America for quality of life in the 2018 Mercer survey.

More information about the Desautels Faculty of Management can be found at: https://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/about

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigor and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.