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● Anthony Belon (Malaysia) |
MBA Oath - an Added Value |
"When values are what we believe in, then the values govern how we behave. The MBA Oath is an innovation to create value for holders of MBA - sounds good and fine!!
The acid test is not in the Oath but in honest answers to the questions by those oath-takers: (i) "Who do I lead and serve?", and (ii) "Where to and for what?" - As a man thinks so he is!" |
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● Josemejia (Ecuador) |
Continuous Ethics and Altruism |
"I believe that integrity and practice of ethics and altruistic service, all the time, continuously, in all of our current and daily tasks with ourselves and with others, shall bring the world to a new and better order of things." |
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● Leigh (Australia/China) |
Ethics Oath is Meaningless Without Consequences |
"This oath has been around for years. The number of MBA under/graduates that are willing to sign this oath are incredibly small. Ethics and the lack of them is a major problem in all areas of business and government. The Hippocratic oath is taken in China, but it is meaningless as there are NO consequences for its breach.
Maybe there should. Maybe the consecquences of unethical behaviour in business should have dire consequences as the effect on the general public is just as serious as doctors'. Have a look at the present predicament. Much of it has been caused by unethical and illegal behaviour." |
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● Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane (Nepal) |
Ethics and Responsibility Depends NOT on Oath |
"Yes, the progress and development of any society, company and country depends on the practice of people to follow ethics and responsibility. It depends not on oath, or any signed paper, but in the cultural lessons and inner conscience of people." |
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● (South Africa) |
Use What is Available |
"If saying these words gives someone a nice warm feeling in the pit of the stomach, then let them find solace within. But anyone who is basically unethical, genetically or through upbringing, will gleeful mouth the words and proceed on their merry way. There are ‘partially’ scientific ways of assessing a person’s level of ethics and integrity. Until we have more reliable methods, use what is available, by force if necessary, to prevent rotten apples from growing upwards and reaching the tops of the trees." |
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● Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo (Indonesia/USA) |
Code of Ethics of SCCE |
"While I think Codes of Ethics are a good thing, I tend to lean more towards Keith or Leigh's views.
The Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics that I like and am advocating project managers adopt is the Code of Ethics from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. These are the people who LITERALLY "write the books" on corporate ethics. I urge you to download this and pay special attention to Paragraph 1.4. This is the ONLY Code of Ethics/Code of Conduct I have EVER seen that expects the subscriber to actually quit his or her job if the company fails to follow her/her advice.
There is also a very nice (albeit long) discussion about this code of ethics." |
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● Ornelas (Brazil) |
Ethics & Competition in Industries |
"Each industry found it´s values. But in 2009 what we really understand is that stuff (service & production) must be made or provided where it can be done best and for the best price. Our industries' ethical procedure are reduced to that fact. I believe so." |
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● Patrick Crockett (South Africa) |
Ethics Movement in South Africa |
"Corruption is the scourge of South Africa - and, perhaps in many other countries as well. It has been said that for evil to prevail good people must just keep quiet. In South Africa a movement called Unashamedly Ethical has been started. I would urge any who are concerned about ethics to visit the website." |
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● (South Africa) |
MBA Oath and Servant Leadership |
"The Oath is a good thing, only when those who take it respect, abide and live by it. The challenge that we are faced with, in the African Continent, is the answer to this simple question: What is the 'why' of my existence as a leader?
We are truly struggling with getting things done through people using the values and other codes of excellence as instruments to inspire people to create value for our companies.
As for servant leadership: it seems to be resident in MBA books and materials and seldom in the hallways of corporate. However, we need to start somewhere and I guess the Oath is a good place to begin..." |
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● Osano Kute (Kenya) |
MBA Oath also for Non-Profit Use |
"The Oath is perfect for government officers and there is also need for reward and consequences for or failure to abide. With very few modifications, it can fit perfectly under work ethics attached to a government structure." |
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● Benard S. Otube (Kenya) |
MBA Oath is not the Main Issue |
"The main issue is not about not taking the oath. Anybody and everybody can take the oath. But as it were, out of a man's heart comes out the issues of life. Oaths can't change a man's attitudes. It is the man to change himself and his perceptions then he can change the world around him. It's only a changed mind that can appreciate the meaning of this oath. Indeed if only leaders could realize that we are all but stewards of all that has been entrusted to us by community, we would act differently. We'd be more responsive to their needs and would take better care of their resources." |
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● Dr.Goli (India) |
MBA Oath should be Mandatory |
"In present days of total self orientation and globalization, the MBA Oath is to be made mandatory for all the MBA people. One should understand that business is nothing but life. The ISB's and JNTU's should frame course contents for MBA in tune with the oath." |
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● Decoodt (Belgium) |
Management Has Nothing to Do with Ethics |
"The simple fact that such a thing emerges from Harvard Business proves how unscientific all this MBA and MBA alike schools are.
People do MBA "studies" just as a personal investment in order to grow on the "value scale" within the corporate and society hierarchy. That is also the unique selling proposition of these schools. Management has nothing to do with "ethics" and "ethics" as such is an empty box which everybody can fill in along his personal values and ambitions." |
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● Salvatore Decarlo (USA) |
Mba Oath Vs. Today's Financial and Business Realities |
"As I read the MBA Oath above MBA are held to a standard ethical standard requiring basic honesty, fairness and focus the long term greater good. Unfortunately too often in business personalized benefit and focus on the short term. This is supported when one reviews today's financial and business realities." |
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● P Kamesh (India) |
3 Stages in Ethical Way of Working |
"The mere thought of an idea like the MBA oath has been projected because people felt that there is something that is happening which is not professional by MBA graduates. The feeling expressed here is that taking an oath will help in ethical working.
Other professionals have taken the oath but but how many are following the oath? Here the negative side is not being looked at.
The ethical way of working develops in three stages:
1. The bringing up of the child.
2. The education system that one follows
3. The work culture understood at the professional course.
The Principles of Management already teached us in 1916 to motivate, team build and assure our place in and for the organization. That is more important. Oath taking is a ceremony and it remains as such. Although an oath has always to be respected and followed in letter and spirit, it is like rules and often it is said that "rules are made to be broken"." |
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● Prince Philip (India) |
MBA Oath Brings Long Term Profit |
"Ethics will bring long term profit." |
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● Ajaegbu Uzochukwu (Nigeria) |
MBA Oath Meaningless Without Determination |
"Many people in government offices or in places of responsibilities who take oaths breach the ethics of these oaths. MBA oath will be meaningless if those who take it do not first determine in them to hold their professional callings high and in good standing. The oath on its own would not suffice, it would amount to mere words. Deciding first to abide by a high ethical in the workplace and in serving outside the workplace is what is likely going to give credence and value to the MBA oath." |
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● Richard (UK) |
Take an Ethics Course Besides the MBA Oath |
"Any oath is meaningless if the person taking it has few ethics in his personal value system.
On my MBA course it was a requirement to take an ethics course. That in my view would have more value, as people with few ethics in their personal value system would be forced to face their shortcomings." |
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● Patrick Heenan (UK) |
Treat Ethics as Branding |
"Ethics I feel, should ultimately be synonymous with branding. In recent times, companies that state clearly on their products that materials are ethically sourced in some way and benefit the producers as well as consumers have shown strong competitive advantage. Health drink companies or similar are a good example. Treating employees fairly and operating the business along 'moral' thinking is a close second to consumers recognizing ethical behaviors. The strategy that drives this approach is to be clear in communicating this as a corporate entity; both in products and production." |
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● Olamilekan Kayode (Nigeria) |
Oath Taking |
"Oath taking has no relevancy in the current macro-economic stabilities. Because of non-implementation by those in the decision-making level, either in public sector or private sector." |
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● Pam Davou (Nigeria) |
The Value System Determines Adherence |
"Oath taking is something anybody can do without having any sense of responsibility. What is most important is the value system of the locality where such an oath is taken. In Nigeria for instance, public leaders take oath of office, yet they never adhere to it. Its taken as part of the rituals for taking office. In essence, the value system of the locality and the personal conviction of the individual will determine the level of compliance to the tenet of the so called oath." |
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● Paul Ojambo (Uganda) |
Ensuring Adherence to Professional Ethics |
"An oath can only be meaningful if there are stringent measures in place that can ensure that people always leave up to their promises. I think what should be done by our academic institutions is to penalize graduates who misuse the authority given to them. That way, people will work with a bit of caution." |
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● Zen Benefiel (USA) |
Ethics, Code of Ethics and Behavior |
"As I understand ethics, they are the behaviors we show up with in any environment and are consistent with our values. The disparity, if any, reveals the gap in our values.
I facilitate road and bridge construction partnering workshops in the US, mainly in Arizona, and one of the processes I lead is establishing a 'code of ethics' that the stakeholders create on-the-spot. Most common:
- Honest and open communication
- Honor and respect for each other
- Be good stewards of the environment, people and resources
How does that show up?
+ Value engineering
+ Project finishes ahead of schedule and under budget
+ Marvin Black Award winning project
+ A general impact on organizational culture is that people need less supervision and have better productivity." |
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● Mehak Vaswani (India) |
Ethics in Business |
"An oath is a guiding factor for our code of conduct.
We all do believe in integrity, trust & doing our work with utmost honesty & sincerity. It's an initiative in the right direction." |
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● India (Raj) |
Ethics Can Not be Taught |
"Ethics can not be taught, it is an inherent value which comes with the way of upbringing, otherwise all the top managers would show highly ethical acts free of scams." |
