Media releases

• Brock expert says adhering to law not enough when it comes to politicians and finances

  Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 15 February 2023 – R0014

  Ontario Premier Doug Ford is under criticism for having real estate developers attend a stag and doe event where they made monetary gifts to his daughter and future son-in-law.

  Paul Dunn, Professor of Business Ethics in Brock University’s Goodman School of Business, says the optics of the situation must be considered alongside what is legal.

  “Adhering to the letter of the law is rarely sufficient,” says Dunn. “Integrity means following its spirit.”

  Dunn says the standards held by professional accountants are an example for others when considering the optics of their decisions.

  When an accountant conducts an audit, if there is not independence, the audit opinion lacks credibility, he says.

  “Consequently, if accountants think there may be the appearance of impropriety, then they should walk away, even from lucrative audits.”

  While the Office of the Integrity Commissioner cleared the Premier of any wrongdoing, Dunn says Ford created the appearance of impropriety because government officials must be seen to be independent in “both fact and appearance.”

  “He shattered the spirit of the law by including at his daughter’s stag and doe the developers who have a vested interest in currying the goodwill of the Premier,” says Dunn. “He was tried in the court of public opinion and found wanting.”

  As the government attempts to recover from the incident, Dunn has a piece of advice for those wishing to maintain integrity in their corporate decisions.

  “Integrity has a price, and the price is that it can’t be bought,” he says.

  Brock University Professor of Business Ethics Paul Dunn is available for media interviews on the topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209

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  Categories: Media releases

• New Brock course to help community tackle social innovation challenges

  Tuesday, February 14, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 14 February 2023 – R0013

  A new short course being offered at Brock University aims to teach skills needed to help address some of the world’s most pressing problems.

  Delivered over four sessions, Foundations in Social Innovation Skills will offer an introduction to different types of social innovation as well as the skills needed to become a socially innovative thinker.

  The course will focus on how to identify social innovation problems, the skills needed to address those issues and how to handle potential barriers to the social innovation process.

  Social innovation is about “creating solutions that put people and the planet first, and enhancing collaboration across government, business and the non-profit world,” says Wesley Helms, Associate Professor in Strategic Management and Social Innovation at Brock’s Goodman School of Business. “Social innovation is an increasingly relevant topic in our workplaces and communities.”

  Course participants will learn key skills and frameworks needed to identify and tackle social innovation challenges, whether working in government, business or the non-profit sector.

  To provide insight into real-world social innovation challenges, the course will integrate a community partner into the cases, exercises and problems being explored. The course’s first partner will be Goodwill Niagara, with sessions looking at challenges surrounding the charitable donation of goods and thrift stores.

  “A lot of what we’ll be focusing on is how to become a socially innovative changemaker and the skills that are needed to solve the social and environmental challenges that will be confronting us in our workplaces and daily lives,” Helms says.

  In addition to his role at Brock, Helms is also a Research Fellow at the Center for Social Innovation at the University of Cambridge, which is a partner in developing the course.

  Foundations in Social Innovation Skills will be offered in four in-person sessions March 21, 23, 28 and 30, each from 4 to 6 p.m. at Brock’s main campus.

  The course is open to Brock students as well as the wider community. Participants who successfully complete all the course requirements will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.

  Registration for Foundations in Social Innovation Skills is open and offered through the Brock LINC. Cost is $49 plus tax for Brock students and $99 plus tax for community members.

  For questions about the course, please contact Brock LINC Program Manager Cassie Conte at cconte@brocku.ca

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209 

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  Categories: Media releases