Those graduating today, they say, are far more concerned about how corporations affect the community, the lives of its workers and the environment. And business schools are responding with more courses, new centers specializing in business ethics and, in the case of Harvard, student-lead efforts to bring about a professional code of conduct for M.B.A.’s, not unlike oaths that are taken by lawyers and doctors.

“I don’t see this as something that will fade away,” said Diana C. Robertson, a professor of business ethics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s coming from the students. I don’t know that we’ve seen such a surge in this activism since the 1960s. This activism is different, but, like that time, it is student-driven.”

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Posted by natsgrant, 02-17-2010 Maybe it's my practical, Scottish background... Oaths are all great - the intention is clear, but what about the acts that follow? How do we see these graduates taking that oath and use it in the real world?

Posted by Michael Potter, 02-11-2010 While I see some value to oaths and professions, what we sometimes overlook is a complete lack of accountability in most of our personal and professional lives. I'm wondering if people were actually held accountable for their unprofessional behavior, would there be a renewed value of ethics and values? Would people appreciate these ideas because they are important to everyone?

Posted by Chuck, 01-16-2010 Comments Ethics is a perspective of moral right and wrong in the bussiness community I have worked for many companies, some small some large, and while all of them make claims to ethics and commitment to community the practical upshot is individuals empowerd by the companies choosing to follow or not the code of conduct and when or how to enforce it. An oath won't change human tendencies to rationalize the ends justifing the means. only a persons character and self convivction of right and wrong will lead them and those who follow them.

Posted by nashar, 12-28-2009 Comments I don't believe that the solution lies in an oath. At the end of the day we see many people belonging to certain faiths that require much more stringent commitments that unfortunately not followed. Lets even look at previous attempts, such as the oaths medicine practitioners take. Has it really lead to a substantial difference in practice? This is more about mindsets and behaviors, it is about where the focus is put when teaching students about business, organizations and leadership. Its about the theories and concepts on how to manage and lead organizations and the implicit assumptions they carry about humans and humans systems. I would have actually expected from people graduating from Harvard a more substantial effort in addressing this issue assuming the intellectual levels they possess are higher than average.

Posted by Luc, 11-16-2009 Very good article and discussion. I would like to add, maybe ALL masters or Doctorates need to have oaths. I also think that executives need to be held at a higher standard and they need to be accountable for their actions. The problem with going down this path is the globalization of businesses. Different countries have different standards and until there is a common one, ethical behavior will have different levels.

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