“I choose Business Ethics” – Billy Madison
In the movie Billy Madison, young Madison (played by Adam Sandler) must out wit his rival to take control of his father’s company. Billy Madison picks the category of ethics in a winner-take-all contest because he knows his opponent lacks any sense of fairness when it came to business. The immature Billy wins the day because his opponent breaks down under the pressure of a sense of right and wrong.
If Bernie Madoff, Enron, Bear-Sterns, and the sub-priming lending disaster are our examples of business ethics, then our culture could use more business ethics. Recently, Slate posed the idea that teaching ethics in business school is a tough proposal, but a needed one. Ethical failures cost companies… a lot.
There is a shift occurring in the world of business and organizational operation. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, middle management was a prime focus in business. Somehow and someway, managing people became the norm for companies. Do people and problems really need managing? It seems managing people and problems is more placation than about leadership. Leadership has more to do with moving organizations and people forward towards a goal or idea. Management has more to do with keep things kosher within a business or company.
The MBA, the recent standard of middle to upper business/organizational management, is beginning to see changes – hopefully for the better. Most programs teach students how to run a company or business, but few teach how to lead people… a more complete concept. Years ago, the trend was to crank out problem managers rather than making leaders. Xavier University is one of the growing schools focusing on leadership and ethics, rather than cut-throat profit and get-ahead tactics. Here’s the program in a nutshell:
Increasingly, organizations are finding they need employees with a solid basis in ethics and governance-related training. Scandals of the recent past have made it harder for the public, and even a corporation’s own employees, to trust organizations. The leadership program has its foundations in many disciplines, from leadership and values-based decision-making to corporate social responsibility and sustainability… the leadership program’s comprehensive approach sets a high standard for values-based leadership…
The list of schools that focus upon leadership and ethics is growing. In 2008, the elite MIT Sloan School of Management launched a ethics MBA program specially geared towards ethics. More and more, programs require a greater focus on ethics. The very respectable University of Virginia has first year course in ethics. University of Denver has “one of the first interdisciplinary M.B.A. programs with a core theme of ethics and corporate responsibility.” Harvard established a center for ethics. The focus on ethics, leadership, and social responsibility has led the Aspen Institute to rank the top programs in these areas.
Religious organizations and schools that offer business programs have long focused on moral and ethical responsibility. Eastern University, Wheaton College, and Messiah College are small example of schools offering business programs from a religious perspective. Ethicists and theologians who called for ethics in business were laughed at. Now, they are a part of the growing choir of supporters for ethics in business and organizational leadership.
The focus up on character, responsibility, leaders, and ethics will only strength companies. Scandals from moral failures only cost companies millions in fines and public credibility loss. It behooves companies to hire employees who have significant exposure to leadership and ethics education.
The growing trend of top business programs focusing on leadership and ethics only points to shift occurring in business programs. Accountability and responsibility are characteristics that should be valued. In light of the recent financial disasters, leadership and ethics will only help businesses, not hurt them.
Be sure to enter my FREE book give away. Here’s how.
The give away ends Thursday, January 16.
No Comments