Michigan Ethics Economy Initiative

We all know the economic and social impact of manufacturing, education and the agricultural sectors on the Michigan economy. Likewise, reports outlining the economic roles played by nonprofit organizations, and in some areas the arts, are available for us to pore over.

We don't know, however, whether there is any economic impact of jobs that we might know as ethics careers. At A2Ethics.org, we are very interested in finding out whether ethics careers have any impact on our economy. To that end, we have created an ongoing project called the Michigan Ethics Economy Initiative.

What is the Michigan Ethics Economy Initiative? We believe it is that part of Michigan's economic activity, production and services that are ethics-focused or ethics-centric.

To describe and measure this activity, we can start by:

1. Talking with people who work in ethics-focused jobs. Our goal is to get a clear appreciation of what these jobs involve. We also want to know the common career pathways. In other words, how it is that people get these jobs? What education and training do they have? What professional experiences do they have in common? Do they typically have mentors? Are their positions growing?

2. Counting and mapping the number and types of jobs where ethics education, expertise and experience are qualifications for getting a job.

3. Counting and mapping the number and types of jobs where dealing with ethics issues, problems, concerns and regulations is the principal responsibility.

We have started to talk with people in ethics-focused jobs. One such job is the compliance officer. Typically, these positions are part of the large corporate landscape. So, A2Ethics.org went to Detroit to talk with DTE Energy's Anthony Tocco, the company's corporate compliance officer.