Ethics and business – do they mix?
The famed Harvard School of Business is excited over a student led project that it hopes will bring ethics into the workplace. The movement is in response to recent examples of greed and misconduct in the highest echelons of American business.
According to the New York Times, graduating students have signed the M.B.A. Pledge in which the graduate takes an oath to “serve the greater good.” Certainly business could use some improvement in the ethics category. Poor business practices and legal, but unethical, conduct makes all businessmen look bad. We know they are not all bad and that many are highly ethical.
Many businessmen have found that something simple like applying the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 actually builds business. Unethical conduct is a shortcut that will ultimately penalize the businesses that allow it. We applaud any effort to guide young men and women into ethical decision making in business, medicine, law, finance or any other endeavor. Congratulations to the Harvard students.
There is only one problem…only 20% of the graduates were willing to sign the pledge!
Tell us what you think about business and ethics by commenting below.
