Corporate philanthropy describes the action when a corporation voluntarily donates a portion of its resources to a societal cause. Although the thought of philanthropy invokes feelings of altruism, there are many objectives for corporate giving beyond altruism. Meeting strategic corporate objectives can be an important if not primary goal of philanthropy. The purpose of this paper is to share insights from a strategic corporate philanthropic initiative aimed at increasing the pool of frontline customer contact employees who are performance-ready, while supporting (...) curriculum development and infrastructure improvement for selected university business programs, creating a win-win situation for the company and the universities. This paper will address three objectives. First, we will examine the evolution of strategic philanthropy from the traditional view to its current position as a strategic option. Second, we will address the recruitment of front line talent needs (customer facing jobs in sales, customer service, and marketing) based on the profit maximization model of strategic philanthropy. Finally, we will offer conclusions and issues for future research. (shrink)

In this article we evaluate Jesus Centered Leadership, a new concept that has emerged in the realm of spirituality and business management. JCL questions the “Christianity” of Christian business leadership, and proposes principles for ethical leadership that provide a truer representation of the teachings and traits of Jesus. We consider these principles and contribute principles of our own, thereby providing an alternative approach to JCL that remains consistent with the JCL message of morality but addresses issues that offer greater opportunities (...) for adoption within existing business and institutional models. (shrink)