Ph.D. Program in Values-Driven Leadership

Benedictine’s Ph.D. Program in Values-Driven Leadership is designed to help senior leaders make great companies greater by optimizing financial performance, ethical practice, social contribution and environmental impact. Participants engage with their peers and with the world’s top scholars to produce new actionable knowledge that advances the start-of-the-art of the field and equips them to have a transformative impact in business and society.

Scheduled to begin in the spring of 2011, this innovative program is tailored to meet the exacting standards and demanding schedules of senior leaders. To accommodate students who work full time and commute from around the globe, classes are held once a month on weekends and during an annual 10-day intensive.

Program Overview

The curriculum for the Ph.D. Program in Values-Driven Leadership integrates psychological, sociological, organizational, and economic perspectives on the study of responsible leadership in today’s global context. Students draw from their own and others’ experience, the latest theoretical and empirical research, and spirited dialogue with visiting distinguished scholars and executives to deepen their knowledge and their capacity to lead at four levels: personally, interpersonally, organizationally, and strategically.

It is designed for leaders who believe that corporations exist for a higher purpose, a purpose that includes responsibility for all stakeholders – owners, employees, customers, communities, and the natural environment. They are committed to using the creativity and discipline of business to enrich people’s lives, produce products and services that benefit society, create long-term shareholder value and contribute to the health and sustainability of the planet.

Built on a Platform of Success

The Ph.D. Program in Values-Driven Leadership builds on the success of the Ph.D. Program in Organization Development at Benedictine University, which is considered to be one of the leading doctoral programs of its kind. The program has made major contributions to the field with over 30 awards and several hundred publications and papers presented at conferences in 16 countries. Contributions also include eight books in the last five years used at major universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and Case Western Reserve University, among others.

The Ph.D. Program in Values-Driven Leadership builds on and extends the success of the Benedictine's Ph.D. OD Program by integrating the concept of the "distinguished visiting scholar" into the learning model -- leading contributors in the field, from such institutions as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Michigan, and the Copenhagen School of Business, among others. The Ph.D. OD Program has graduated over 100 students and enjoys a graduation rate of close to 95%.

To learn more about the Ph.D. Program in Values-Driven Leadership, please contact Marie DiVirgilio at (630) 829.2178 or via email at mdivirgilio@ben.edu.

"If you are a senior leader and want to build a successful and sustainable enterprise by aligning social, ethical, and environmental performance with your core business strategies, I invite you to consider our Ph.D. Program in Values-Driven Leadership. It will challenge you, stretch you, and open up whole new worlds of possibility. It will connect you with like-minded peers, the world’s best thinkers, and the most advanced knowledge to help you elevate your leadership to the next level – personally, organizationally, and globally. Join us."

~ Jim Ludema, Director,
Center for Values-Driven Leadership