On the heels of one of the most intense academic years for MBAs, our compatriots at HBS have presented an interesting opportunity; sign an oath for be ethical…for life.
The MBA Oath, an eight point, 271 word manifesto on modern business leadership, calls upon those of us with our MBAs leading up to and including the class of 2009 to formally sign on to Freeman’s theory of stakeholder-oriented management. So far, over 240 MBAs from HBS, Columbia, Wharton and others have signed the oath online at http://mbaoath.org whose preamble reads:
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.
What this nets out to in the long run is currently being debated but for now it’s a positive, if not symbolic step in the right direction. To learn more about the oath or to add your name to it – visit http://mbaoath.org.
Technorati Tags: ethics, HBS, MBA, mba oath, Vanderbilt
Read the full article: On The Subject Of Ethics; The 2009 MBA Oath