Tim Fort

Professor of Business Law and Ethics
Eveleigh Professorship in Business Ethics

Department: Business Law & Ethics

Campus: Bloomington

Biography

Timothy L. Fort holds the Eveleigh Professorship in Business Ethics and is Professor of Business Law & Ethics at the Kelley

Timothy L. Fort holds the Eveleigh Professorship in Business Ethics and is Professor of Business Law & Ethics at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is also an Affiliated Faculty at the Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Fort received the 2022 Distinguished Career Faculty Award from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business. In 2023, he was nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

He has written one hundred articles/book reviews/book chapters along with twelve books; he has edited an additional twenty-five books. Two of his books have won the Best Book Award from the Academy of Management for Social Issues. He has won twelve research awards from three different academic associations, the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, the Society for Business Ethics, and the Academy of Management and has served on the editorial boards of the flagship journals of each of these associations. He has won five teaching awards and has served as academic director for a unique program for players from the National Football League; he also co-taught a course with then-Federal Reserve Chair, Ben Bernanke. He has served as director of an institute, as department chair, and as an interim associate dean. He has been a coach/consultant for Alexandra, Countess of Fredriksborg (Denmark) in her role as a member of the Board of Directors of Ferring Pharmaceuticals.

Complementary to his work on business and peace, Tim’s research interest concerns how ethical business conduct can create positive organizational cultures, which in turn foster sustainable peace. He co-chaired a task force on the topic with the U.S. Institute of Peace and helped to develop a program with the U.S. State Department where MBA students served as pro bono consultants to entrepreneurs in conflict-sensitive zones. He has also partnered with NGOs, such as International Peace Through Tourism and Peace Through Commerce.

He has extended that work to music, sports, and film to create a research stream of “Cultural Foundations of Peace” where cultural artifacts serve as a nudge to make ethical decisions and to provide common ground for individuals who might otherwise disagree on social issues. In that regard, he has organized multiple conferences with faculty from the Jacobs School of Music, co-edited a book, written two articles, and organized a film series with the IU Cinema. He is currently writing a book with Kristin Hahn, Executive Producer of Apple TV’s The Morning Show, author of two HarperCollins books, and who co-owns Echo Films with Jennifer Aniston.

His pre-tenure work on how businesses can be “mediating institutions” is drawn from natural law and from bioanthropology. That work integrates leading theories of business ethics and emphasizes optimal corporate culture.

Fort received his BA and MA from the University of Notre Dame and his PhD and JD from Northwestern University. He taught at the University of Michigan from 1994-2005 and at George Washington University from 2005-2013.

Areas of Expertise

How Ethical Business Contributes to Peace; Doing Business in Zones of Conflict; Overcoming Social and Political Division in the Workplace and Elsewhere; Ethical Business Decision Making; Creating Ethical Corporate Culture; The Intersection of Religion and Business

Academic Degrees

PhD, Northwestern University, 1995
JD, Northwestern University, 1983
MA, University of Notre Dame, 1984
BA, University of Notre Dame, 1980

Professional Experience

Affiliated Scholar & Adjunct Faculty, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
George Washington University, Professor
University of Michigan, Professor
Business Roundtable Ethics Institute, Faculty Fellow
William Davidson Institute, Faculty Fellow
Loyola University Chicago, Adjunct Professor and Director of Major and Planned Gifts
Monmouth College, Instructor
Burke, Wilson, Associate
Fort, Fort & Hennenfent, Partner

Awards, Honors & Certificates

Nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize
Distinguished Career Faculty Award from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (2022)
Teaching Innovation Award, Kelley School of Business, Team Leader for Ethics Simulation: The Crimson Dilemma (Episode 1) (2019)
Indiana University Trustees’ Teaching Award (2018)
Academy of Management Best Book Award Finalist (for The Sincerity Edge) (2018)
Academy of Management SIM Division Best Book Award (for The Diplomat in the Corner Office) (2016)
Teaching Innovation Award, Kelley School of Business, Team Leader for Ethics Simulation: The Crimson Dilemma (2015)
Best Book Award Nomination: Academy of Management (2013)
Peter Vail Award Nominee for Outstanding Doctoral Faculty (2013, 2012, 2011, 2009)
Academy of Management SIM Division Best Book Award (for Business, Integrity, and Peace) (2010)
George Washington University Office of Service Learning Faculty Award (2009)
Outstanding Faculty For George Washington University Executive MBA Program (2007)
Best Paper Award at the Annual Meeting of The Society for Business Ethics (with D. Hess & R. McWhorter) (2005)
Best Paper Award at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Business Simulation and Experiential Learning (with N. Shami, N. Bos, and M. Gordon) (2004)
Faculty Pioneer Award for Academic Achievement from the World Resources Institute and The Aspen Institute (2003)
Distinguished Conference Proceedings Award, Annual Meeting of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (with C. Schipani) (2002)
Holmes-Cardozo Award, Annual Meeting of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (with E. Callahan, T. Dworkin, and C. Schipani) (2001)
Ralph Bunche Award for the Best Paper in International Business Law, Annual Meeting of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, International Law Section (with J. Liu) (2001)
Bank One Corporation Assistant Research Professor, University of Michigan Business School (2000)
Outstanding Conference Proceedings Paper, Annual Meeting of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (2000)
Ralph Bunche Award for the Best Paper in International Business Law, Annual Meeting of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, International Law Section (2000)

Selected Publications

Fort, T. L. (2015). The diplomat in the corner office: Corporate foreign policy. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
Fort, T. L., and Presser, S. (2014). Business Law, Eagan, MN: West Publishing.
Fort, T. L. (2014). Vision of the Firm: Ethics & Organizations. Eagan, MN: West Publishing.
Fort, T. L., Oetzel, J., Westermann-Behaylo, M., Koeber, C., and Rivera, J. Business and Peace: Sketching the Terrain. 89 Journal of Business Ethics 351 (2010).
Fort, T. L. Business and Peace: A Multisectoral Approach. 89 Journal of Business Ethics 347 (2010). (Editor Overview Article for Special Issue entitled “Peace Through Commerce.”)
Fort, T. L. (2008) Prophets, profits, and peace: The positive role of business in promoting religious tolerance. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. (Nominated for Best Book Award, Academy of Management, SIM Division)
Fort, T. L. (2007) Business, Integrity, and Peace: Beyond Geopolitical and Disciplinary Boundaries. London, UK: Cambridge University Press. (winner 2010 Best Book Award Academy of Management SIM Division).
Fort, T. L., Bies, R., Bartunek, J., and Zald, M. Corporations as Agents of Social Change: Individual, Interpersonal, Institutional, and Environmental Dynamics. 32 Academy of Management Review 788 (2007). (Co-Editor Overview article for Special Issue entitled “Corporations as Agents of Social Change”)
Fort, T. L., and Salbu, S. An Overview of The Ethics of Commercial Speech. 17 Business Ethics Quarterly 1 (2007). (Co-Editor Overview article for Special Issue entitled “Ethics and Commercial Free Speech”)
Fort, T. L. The Times and Seasons of Corporate Responsibility: Peace Through Commerce. 44 American Business Law Journal 287 (2007).
Fort, T. L., and Schipani C. An Action Plan for The Role of Business in Fostering Peace. 44 American Business Law Journal 359 (2007).
Fort, T. L., and Gabel, J. Peace Through Commerce: An Overview. 44 American Business Law Journal v (2007). (Co-Editor Overview article for Special Issue entitled “Peace Through Commerce.”)
Fort, T. L., Hess, D. and McWhorter, R. The 2004 Amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Their Implicit Call for a Symbiotic Integration of Business Ethics. 11 Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law 725 (2005).
Fort, T. L. Steps For Building Ethics Programs. 1 Hastings Business Law Journal 194 (2005).
Fort, T. L., and Schipani, C. A. (2004). The Role of Business in Fostering Peaceful Societies. London, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Fort, T. L., and Schipani, C. Ecology and Violence: The Environmental Dimensions of War. 29 Columbia Environmental Law Journal 243 (2004).
Fort, T. L. A Deal, A Dolphin, and a Rock. 4 Business Ethics Quarterly, Ruffin Series 81 (2004).
Fort, T. L., and Schipani, C. Scandals and Sustainable Security.” 10 Corporate Environmental Strategy 185 (2003).
Fort, T. L., and Schipani, C. Adapting Corporate Governance for Sustainable Peace. 36 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 377 (2003).
Fort, T. L., and Dunfee, T. Corporate Hypergoals, Sustainable Peace, and The Adapted Firm. 36 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 563 (2003).
Fort, T. L. and Schipani, C. Corporate Governance and Sustainable Peace: Intra-Organizational Dimensions of Business Behavior and Reduced Levels of Violence. 36 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 367 (2003).
Fort, T. L., and Schipani, C. The Role of the Corporate Governance in Fostering Sustainable Peace. 35 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 389 (2002).
Fort, T. L., and Liu, J. Chinese Business and the Internet: The Infrastructure for Trust. 35 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 1545 (2002).
Fort, T. L., and Schipani, C. A Symposium on Corporate Governance, Stakeholder Accountability, and Sustainable Peace. 35 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 379 (2002).
Fort, T. L., Callahan, E., Dworkin, T. and Schipani, C. Integrating Trends in Whistleblowing and Corporate Governance: Promoting Organizational Effectiveness, Societal Responsibility, and Employee Empowerment. 40 American Business Law Journal 177 (2002).
Fort, T. L. (2001). Ethics and Governance: Business as Mediating Institution. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Fort, T. L. Corporate Makahiki: The Governing Telos of Peace. 38 American Business Law Journal 301 (2001).
Fort, T. L., and Noone, J. Gifts, Bribes, and Exchange Relationships in Non-Market Economies and Lessons For Pax E-Commercia. 33 Cornell Journal of International Law 515 (2000).
Fort, T. L., and Schipani, C. Corporate Governance in a Global Environment. 33 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 829 (2000).
Fort, T. L. On Social Psychology, Business Ethics, and Corporate Governance. 10 Business Ethics Quarterly 725 (2000).
Fort, T. L., and Limbs, E. Nigerian Business Ethics and Their Interface with Virtue Theory. 26 Journal of Business Ethics 169 (2000).

Edited on March 27, 2024