Monday, October 29, 2007

Teaching Business Ethics: A Critical Need


We are still talking about the need for business schools to take into account Ethics and related areas. As if all that is necessary is to add another course to the curriculum. While they continue to think this way, we will never achieve anything.

Ethics and responsible behaviour needs to be incorporated within every area, course, class, and function.

It is not about adding another course to the curriculum, it is about being, acting, feeling, thinking and reacting in the correct way, regardless of what is being studied or done.

This way should be there before students begin their business courses, and maybe should be part of the selection process, as a high GMAT is. Nevertheless, it needs to be a part of everything that is done from the beginning to the end.

Many (most?) business schools still have a long way to go!

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See article:
Business schools aren't doing enough to build ethics—as a foundation course and part of other disciplines—into their curricula

Earning an MBA today is an expensive endeavor. Add the costs of lost salary, housing, and living expenses to tuition and course materials, and the price of an MBA degree from a top-ranked school can reach $200,000 or more. These escalating costs have led many to question whether or not an MBA is worth the trouble.

Some attempt to answer this question by comparing either the salaries or corporate rank of MBAs with those of non-MBAs 5 to 10 years after graduation. While there is nothing wrong with such measurements, there is another metric that is of far greater importance: To what extent are business schools creating ethical leaders who are prepared to build long-term value in an increasingly complex and dynamic global marketplace?

Developing ethical leaders is both an academic imperative and a critical issue for any business school that wants to remain relevant for the long term. This is not just my view; it is a position that is confirmed time and time again in my conversations with CEOs and C-suite executives from leading companies.

See full Article.