{"id":783,"date":"2009-06-03T04:01:22","date_gmt":"2009-06-03T04:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/06\/ethical-mbas-from-harvard-business-school.html"},"modified":"2009-06-03T04:01:22","modified_gmt":"2009-06-03T04:01:22","slug":"ethical-mbas-from-harvard-business-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/06\/ethical-mbas-from-harvard-business-school.html","title":{"rendered":"Ethical MBAs? From Harvard Business School?!"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent article in the New York Times<\/em><\/a> focused on a group of soon-to-be graduates of Harvard Business School who have signed an oath promising to \u201cserve the greater good\u201d as business leaders (HT: Susan McCool). According to the Times, almost 20 percent of the graduating class have signed \u201cThe M.B.A. Oath.\u201d
\nWhy are they doing this? According to The MBA Oath website<\/a>, the idea for this oath came from HBS students who were inspired by the 100th anniversary of the MBA program and distressed by the absence of business leadership that might have staved off the global financial crisis. The students started asking questions like: \u201cHow did we get into this crisis? Why didn\u2019t business school professors sound the alarms in advance of the meltdown? Why were so many MBAs involved in the decisions leading up to the crisis? Are MBAs so concerned with increasing their personal wealth that they ignore ethics and their responsibilities to society?\u201d (Photo: Baker Library of Harvard Business School)
\nWith such questions in mind, several students me with a couple of HBS professors, one of whom had recently written an article calling for a \u201crigorous code of ethics\u201d for managers<\/a>. The students and professors decided to get at least 100 HBS grads to sign an MBA Oath. They hoped that such a \u201csmall campaign\u201d might \u201cmake a meaningful impact in the lives of those students and it might send an important message to the world about how attitudes are changing at one of the most well-known MBA programs.\u201d At this point, over 160 students have signed on to the oath.
\nThe oath comes in two version, a shorter and longer version. The full version is about 500 words; the shorter version is half as long. I will bring the shorter version here. You can find the longer version at this link<\/a>.
\nThe Harvard Business School MBA Oath<\/strong>, Shorter Version
\nAs a manager<\/strong>, my purpose is to serve the greater good by bringing people and resources together to create value that no single individual can build 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 difficult choices.
\nTherefore, I promise:<\/p>\n

\u2022 I will<\/strong> act with utmost integrity and pursue my work in an ethical manner.
\n\u2022 I will <\/strong>safeguard the interests of my shareholders, co-workers, customers, and the society in which we operate.
\n\u2022 I will<\/strong> 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.
\n\u2022 I will<\/strong> understand and uphold, both in letter and in spirit, the laws and contracts governing my own conduct and that of my enterprise.
\n\u2022 I will<\/strong> take responsibility for my actions, and I will represent the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly.
\n\u2022 I will<\/strong> develop both myself and other managers under my supervision so that the profession continues to grow and contribute to the well-being of society.
\n\u2022 I will<\/strong> strive to create sustainable economic, social, and environmental prosperity worldwide.
\n\u2022 I will<\/strong> be accountable to my peers and they will be accountable to me for living by this oath.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This oath I make freely, and upon my honor.
\nWhat do you think of this oath? I\u2019ll offer further observations tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent article in the New York Times focused on a group of soon-to-be graduates of Harvard Business School who have signed an oath promising to \u201cserve the greater good\u201d as business leaders (HT: Susan McCool). According to the Times, almost 20 percent of the graduating class have signed \u201cThe M.B.A. Oath.\u201d Why are they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith-and-work"],"yoast_head":"\nEthical MBAs? From Harvard Business School?! - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}