History
Created in 1990, the goal of the Burkenroad Institute is to increase the understanding of and promote through research and education the ethical decision making of business leaders. More and more, one hears of the moral obligations of business leaders to their customers, employees, communities, and the natural environment being discussed in conjunction with traditional "bottom-line" concerns. Increasingly, ethical leadership is not seen as something separate from business leadership. Thus, the demands made on business leaders continue to grow; and, the Institute, through research and education, continues to help meet the challenges of managing ethically. The Institute also fosters open forums among students, faculty, executives, and community leaders on the moral obligations of business professionals.

Mission Statement
The Institute is dedicated to aiding current and future managers to better understand the ethical dilemmas they confront in business. Its activities, therefore, focus on contributing to and disseminating a body of knowledge that addresses such value-laden choices. The Institute encourages fundamental research into the effects of personal values on economic judgments and decisions. The focus of the Institute is resolving the ethical dilemmas confronting managers and helping them recognize and respond to their moral obligations.

Annual Symposium on Business and Society
Through the Annual Symposium on Business and Society, the Institute's objective is to focus attention on the corporate social responsibilities of business leaders, as well as to stimulate thought among students, faculty, executives, and community leaders concerning some of the difficult issues that face today's managers. National experts in business, education, journalism, and policy-making participate in this annual conference. Free and open to all, the Symposium's purpose is to inspire the leadership of New Orleans, in both the public and private sectors, to envision a positive, productive, and prosperous future for the City.

Past Symposium participants include: Dr. Cornel West (Harvard University), Professor Stephen L. Carter (Yale University), Kurt Eichenwald (The New York Times), Ward Connerly (chairman, American Civil Rights Institute), Professor Faye Crosby (University of California at Santa Cruz), William H. Gray (President & CEO, United Negro College Fund), Drs. Michael E. Porter and William Julius Wilson (Harvard University), and Johnathan Kozol (National Book Award winning author).

Topics such as "Lying in Business"; "Managing Diversity: Where Are All the Women?"; "Race Matters in the Workplace"; "Truth in Advertising: Fact or Fiction?"; "Affirmative Action: Who Deserves Opportunity?"; "Urban Poverty: What Can Business Really Do?"; "Building Alliances: Education and Business"; and "Social Entrepreneurship: One Idea Can Change the World" have been addressed in past Symposia.

The Burkenroad Institute’s 15th Annual Symposium on Business and Society will address “Critical Moments in Leadership: Changing the Rules of the Game.”