In Pursuit of Sustainability through Ethical Leadership - Learning, Teaching, Service, and Writing.
Welcome to my blog: MariposaPaulette*
*Mariposa means "butterfly" in Spanish. See my blog posts #2 and #29 to learn about butterflies and their role in our ecosystem.
I started this blog in 2010, focusing on trade and sustainability as a Professor of International Business Law and Sustainability at Michigan State University. I focus on grassroots tools of sustainability, risk assessment, and international trade agreements, and I have led education abroad programs for MSU in Mexico since 1997. I transitioned to part-time as of 2020 in my role as Professor Emerita. Since then, I have continued to lead Education Abroad Programs. Additionally, I have deepened my work on the Grassroots Tools of Sustainability: B-Corporations; the Triple Bottom Line of Social, Environmental, and Economic Equity; and ethical leadership. Recently, I have studied and given public presentations on climate change.
My professional commitments as of 2026 include advising our microfinance organization, Spartan Global Development Fund (SGDF), serving on the board of directors for SGDF, and leading an Education Abroad Program focusing on Business, Culture, and Sustainability in Mexico.
This is how my activities as Professor Emerita relate to this blog.
Within this blog, I write about sustainability, ethical leadership, and international learning. Additionally, I include short essays about my methods and experiences in teaching. I am a teacher in my heart and soul, and I continue to seek ways to be as effective as possible. I include stories about the people around the world with whom I have learned about sustainable ways of living and ethical leadership. I also include stories about my work with MSU students and my international teaching. Stories help me think more deeply, and I hope they will help readers reflect on their own lives and learning, too.
Here are some questions I will continue to explore:
What is the value of international learning?
I have been going to Mexico since I was seventeen, first as a student assistant with an Albion College program, then as a high school teacher, and later (and for many years) as a professor and education abroad leader.
When we get to know people from other cultural backgrounds, our negative cultural biases are challenged and we begin to appreciate the richness of their cultures. Thus, we grow and become more compassionate with each human interaction and each friendship. International education and travel lives broaden and enrich our lives.
How can we identify ethical behavior and ethical leadership? I ask that my students begin by defining ethics as "values or moral principles." The next step is to ask, "Which values or moral principles are at stake?" Several of my blog posts discuss how my students and I study and pursue ethical leadership.
How can we identify sustainable actions? We can examine any personal or business practice or decision through the lens of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). The TBL looks at the economic, environmental, and social effects of our actions and practices.
How can we promote sustainability in trade and our everyday lives? Grassroots tools that promote sustainable trade include Fair Trade, direct trade, cooperatives, organics, micro-finance, and local production and purchasing. That includes teaching about B-lab certified corporations. Moreover, the range of tools continues to expand as more producers embrace regenerative practices and biodynames. This blog explores some of those tools and the people who use them.
How can we make a positive difference through our daily actions? Sometimes the difference is harmful. A consumer who chooses the least expensive goods available without considering how they were produced ignores the fact that "someone pays" for the consequences of low wages for workers and abuse of the Earth's resources. Business managers promote unsustainable development when they focus on short-term profits and ignore the effects of their operations on the environment, employees, community members, and our economy. Ethical leadership demands that we work to make a positive difference. It requires transparency, holistic analysis, long-term perspectives, and thoughtful choices.
My website provides more information about sustainability in business and personal life. Please explore my website at www.tradeandsustainability.com. It lists my public presentations and provides links to some of my publications. Some are short while others are law review articles. All are in plain language that makes them accessible to readers from diverse backgrounds.
In closing, I hope you will learn from the blogs posted here and return to enjoy new ones.
In pursuit of peace and a more sustainable world for all,
Paulette L. Stenzel
Professor Emerita of International Business Law and Sustainability
Department of Finance, Broad College of Business
Advisor to Spartan Global Development Fund, Registered Student Organization
Board Member of the Spartan Global Development Fund 501(c)(3)
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824
email: [email protected]
.
Photo of Paulette Stenzel: Copyright © 2017 by Valerie Shaff and used with her permission.
Photos above: Copyright © 2016-2026 by Paulette L. Stenzel.
Welcome to my blog: MariposaPaulette*
*Mariposa means "butterfly" in Spanish. See my blog posts #2 and #29 to learn about butterflies and their role in our ecosystem.
I started this blog in 2010, focusing on trade and sustainability as a Professor of International Business Law and Sustainability at Michigan State University. I focus on grassroots tools of sustainability, risk assessment, and international trade agreements, and I have led education abroad programs for MSU in Mexico since 1997. I transitioned to part-time as of 2020 in my role as Professor Emerita. Since then, I have continued to lead Education Abroad Programs. Additionally, I have deepened my work on the Grassroots Tools of Sustainability: B-Corporations; the Triple Bottom Line of Social, Environmental, and Economic Equity; and ethical leadership. Recently, I have studied and given public presentations on climate change.
My professional commitments as of 2026 include advising our microfinance organization, Spartan Global Development Fund (SGDF), serving on the board of directors for SGDF, and leading an Education Abroad Program focusing on Business, Culture, and Sustainability in Mexico.
This is how my activities as Professor Emerita relate to this blog.
Within this blog, I write about sustainability, ethical leadership, and international learning. Additionally, I include short essays about my methods and experiences in teaching. I am a teacher in my heart and soul, and I continue to seek ways to be as effective as possible. I include stories about the people around the world with whom I have learned about sustainable ways of living and ethical leadership. I also include stories about my work with MSU students and my international teaching. Stories help me think more deeply, and I hope they will help readers reflect on their own lives and learning, too.
Here are some questions I will continue to explore:
What is the value of international learning?
I have been going to Mexico since I was seventeen, first as a student assistant with an Albion College program, then as a high school teacher, and later (and for many years) as a professor and education abroad leader.
When we get to know people from other cultural backgrounds, our negative cultural biases are challenged and we begin to appreciate the richness of their cultures. Thus, we grow and become more compassionate with each human interaction and each friendship. International education and travel lives broaden and enrich our lives.
How can we identify ethical behavior and ethical leadership? I ask that my students begin by defining ethics as "values or moral principles." The next step is to ask, "Which values or moral principles are at stake?" Several of my blog posts discuss how my students and I study and pursue ethical leadership.
How can we identify sustainable actions? We can examine any personal or business practice or decision through the lens of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). The TBL looks at the economic, environmental, and social effects of our actions and practices.
How can we promote sustainability in trade and our everyday lives? Grassroots tools that promote sustainable trade include Fair Trade, direct trade, cooperatives, organics, micro-finance, and local production and purchasing. That includes teaching about B-lab certified corporations. Moreover, the range of tools continues to expand as more producers embrace regenerative practices and biodynames. This blog explores some of those tools and the people who use them.
How can we make a positive difference through our daily actions? Sometimes the difference is harmful. A consumer who chooses the least expensive goods available without considering how they were produced ignores the fact that "someone pays" for the consequences of low wages for workers and abuse of the Earth's resources. Business managers promote unsustainable development when they focus on short-term profits and ignore the effects of their operations on the environment, employees, community members, and our economy. Ethical leadership demands that we work to make a positive difference. It requires transparency, holistic analysis, long-term perspectives, and thoughtful choices.
My website provides more information about sustainability in business and personal life. Please explore my website at www.tradeandsustainability.com. It lists my public presentations and provides links to some of my publications. Some are short while others are law review articles. All are in plain language that makes them accessible to readers from diverse backgrounds.
In closing, I hope you will learn from the blogs posted here and return to enjoy new ones.
In pursuit of peace and a more sustainable world for all,
Paulette L. Stenzel
Professor Emerita of International Business Law and Sustainability
Department of Finance, Broad College of Business
Advisor to Spartan Global Development Fund, Registered Student Organization
Board Member of the Spartan Global Development Fund 501(c)(3)
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824
email: [email protected]
.
Photo of Paulette Stenzel: Copyright © 2017 by Valerie Shaff and used with her permission.
Photos above: Copyright © 2016-2026 by Paulette L. Stenzel.
