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Background
A graduate of Harvard (Magna cum lauded in History), Harvard Divinity School, and the Graduate Theological Union (Thesis on the history of American responses to poverty), Frederick Bird is a Research Professor at the University of Waterloo and Graduate Officer for the MA in Political Science. He is also a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Concordia University, where previously he was a professor of Religion and a Concordia University Research Chair in Comparative Ethics. He has organized research projects on contemporary religious movements, ethnic group institutions, comparative views of violence, and how managers respond to ethical issues.
Beginning in the late 90’s he organized a large multi-university study of the practices of internationally-connected businesses in developing countries. On the basis of these studies he has co-edited and written good parts of 6 books, including a number of essays as well as case studies on Shell in Nigeria, Rio Tinto in Madagascar, Placer Dome in South Africa, an independent oil company in Colombia, Falconbridge in Northern Quebec, and the Body Shop’s Community Trade program. He has also co-edited a recent book on the voluntary sector in Canada. He is currently working on an essay on “Weber and Ethics” and a book examining the Development and Practices of Global Ethics (with respect to the environment, business practices, human rights, the uses of armed force, problems of poverty, and the interfaith movement)
Select Publications
- "The Practice of Ethics and the Voluntary Sector." Voices from the Voluntary Sector: Perspectives on Leadership, co-edited with Frances Westley (2010) (Toronto: University of Toronto Press)
- “International Business Firms, Economic Development and Ethics,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol 89, supplement 21 (2009). co-edited with Joseph Smucker and Manuel Velasquez.
- "Political ethics for international businesses" and "Global perspectives on Poverty" in Just Business Practices in a Diverse and Developing World (2006) (Palgrave-Macmillan), co-edited with Manuel Velasquez.
- “Dilemmas of Development”, International Business and the Dilemmas of Development (2005) (Palgrave Macmillan), co-edited with Emmanuel Raufflet and Joseph Smucker.
- Case studies of Shell in the Niger Delta, Falconbridge in Northern Quebec, and The Body Shop, in International Businesses and the Challenges of Poverty in the Developing World (2004) (Paslgrave-0Macmillan), co-edited with Stewart Herman.
