THURSDAY, February 9, 12:00
Tokioka Room (Moore Hall 319)
“Meeting the Need for Management Ethics in China:: Western Leadership Theory & Confucian Values”
by William Keli’i Akina, Ph.D., UHM Department of Philosophy
Abstract: The need and demand for ethical management in China is stronger today than ever before. Yet, while the Chinese government welcomes technologies and management techniques from the West, it is reluctant to embrace foreign values and ethics. One solution may be a unique combination of ancient Chinese philosophy with Western management research. The presenter will share wisdom from his academic research and consultations for business leaders in China. Participants in this seminar will gain practical knowledge about how to lead and manage ethically in the East-West global context. Additionally, participants will be exposed to a model which demonstrates how academic research can be converted into practical content for professionals and other non-academics in the “real-world.” The speaker will draw upon original case studies developed in his role as Founder and President Emeritus of the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders as well as his research collaborations and teaching experience in Chinese universities.
Speaker: William Keli’i Akina received his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University and his Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in philosophy at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Akina is a graduate of the Comparative Philosophy Department of the University of Hawaii with training in both the Western and Chinese philosophical traditions. Akina’s area of concentration is Ethics, Comparative Philosophy, and Management Philosophy. Dr. Akina is President Emeritus and Founder of the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders in Hawaii, and has retired from a thirty-one year executive management career with non-profit organizations. Most recently, he served as Visiting Faculty member of Peking University during the summer of 2011 and is currently principal researcher in two research collaborations in China with faculty members of Renmin University of China. In addition to adjunct teaching at the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Pacific University, Dr. Akina participates frequently in international conferences and consults and trains in management practice. He carries several management consulting certifications with leading organizations, including the Gallup Management Organization and Leadership Challenge of Kouzes and Posner.
