Professional Management Code: The MBA Oath

Professional Management Code: The MBA Oath

Doctors and lawyers have been taking a professional oath for many years. A similar initiative (on a voluntary basis) is recently started for MBA graduates, by a group of Harvard Business School Students.
If you graduated from any business school (whether recently or years ago), you can take the following oath (short summary) on mbaoath.org:
As a manager, my purpose is to serve the greater good by bringing people and resources together to create value that no single individual can create alone. Therefore I will seek a course that enhances the value my enterprise can create for society over the long term. I recognize my decisions can have far-reaching consequences that affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and in the future. As I reconcile the interests of different constituencies, I will face choices that are not easy for me and others.
Therefore I promise:
- I will act with utmost integrity and pursue my work in an ethical manner.
- I will safeguard the interests of my shareholders, co-workers, customers and the society in which we operate.
- I will manage my enterprise in good faith, guarding against decisions and behavior that advance my own narrow ambitions but harm the enterprise and the societies it serves.
- I will understand and uphold, both in letter and in spirit, the laws and contracts governing my own conduct and that of my enterprise.
- I will take responsibility for my actions, and I will represent the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly.
- I will develop both myself and other managers under my supervision so that the profession continues to grow and contribute to the well-being of society.
- I will strive to create sustainable economic, social, and environmental prosperity worldwide.
- I will be accountable to my peers and they will be accountable to me for living by this oath.
Are you welcoming this initiative? Should it be extended to include all (senior) managers? Why (not)?

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		2 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 innovat... Sign up

		0 Josemejia, Ecuador
	Continuous Ethics and Altruism I believe that integrity and practice of ethics and altruistic service, all the time, continuously, ... Sign up

		1 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 thi... Sign up

		1 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 peo... Sign up

		0 Keith Spicer, 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 fin... Sign up

		0 Paul D Giammalvo Professor and Consultant, Indonesia
	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. ... Sign up

		0 Ornelas, Brazil
	Ethics & Competition in Industries Each industry found it´s values. But in 2009 what we really understand is that stuff (service & prod... Sign up

		0 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 bee... Sign up

		0 Bulisa Nazo, 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 ... Sign up

		0 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 o... Sign up

		0 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 ... Sign up

		0 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 fo... Sign up

		2 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... Sign up

		0 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, fa... Sign up

		0 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 s... Sign up

		0 Prince Philip, India
	MBA Oath Brings Long Term Profit Ethics will bring long term profit.... Sign up

		0 Ajaegbu Uzochukwu, Nigeria
	MBA Oath Meaningless Without Determination Many people in government offices or in places of responsibilities who take oaths breach the ethics ... Sign up

		0 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 ... Sign up

		0 Patrick Heenan, UK
	Treat Ethics as Branding Ethics I feel, should ultimately be synonymous with branding. In recent times, companies that state ... Sign up

		0 Olamilekan Kayode, Nigeria
	Oath Taking Oath taking has no relevancy in the current macro-economic stabilities. Because of non-implementatio... Sign up

		0 Pam Davou, Nigeria
	The Value System Determines Adherence Oath taking is something anybody can do without having any sense of responsibility. What is most imp... Sign up

		0 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 ... Sign up

		0 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... Sign up

		0 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 ... Sign up

		0 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 ... Sign up

		0 Cesar Alexis Viteri Perez Ecuador
	Ethics Can Be Taught If human beings cannot learn new things and behaviors... Then mankind has not any hope.... Sign up

		0 Shuvalov, United Kingdom
	Oath and Ethics in Business I consider that MBA graduates have influence on society development, as other specialists have. The ... Sign up

		0 Mohammad Basharat, United Arab Emirates
	Professional Ethics It is a strong basis for long term trust building, whether it is in a business, profession, society,... Sign up

		1 Radha Raj India
	MBA Oath is Too Broad and Inconsistent This MBA oath is too broad and sometimes conflicting, as interests of all stakeholders would not be ... Sign up

		2 Isabel Silva Carvalho Director, Portugal
	Ethics Oaths are Sound Bites or Maybe Just Being Naif Is it truly possible to accomplish, for instance, "... Strive to create sustainable economic, social... Sign up

		0 Samir Desai, India
	Ethics and Mankind @Cesar Alexis Viteri Perez: Human being has progressed, because mankind learns. There may be a sense... Sign up

		0 Radha Raj India
	Ethics Oath can make a Difference This ethics oath is good, though far reaching. Even if some managers remember, think and act accordi... Sign up