New York Times:
When a new crop of future business leaders graduates from the Harvard Business School next week, many of them will be taking a new oath that says, in effect, greed is not good.
Pablo Triana: Virgins Teaching At Porn School
If we find it odd that a hypothetical sex school would allow a virgin to teach students to perform in a porn movie, why should business students be taught by people who have never worked in a business?
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I encourage the young people who made this oath (although it is only 1 in 3) that they need to stick to it despite the anger currently existing in the market. How can things improve without people taking steps to improve things and standing on principal despite opposition. We need change, we need people of principal.
Once differences are noticed (take for example what Obama is doing) then support will follow.
Before someone corrects me, I know 20% is 1 in 5 but based on a comment below the percentage is now approx. 30%. (which is closer to 1 in 3).
I say let's give them a chance, there is definitely feelings of untrust that is understandable, but without giving a new generation a chance we are setting ourselves up for continuous riff in the business world between the obligarchs and the averag employee.
Actually my wish would be to replace the current CEO's with this younger group and see what they can do for far less pay. I know they don't have the experience but maybe that is what we need a total shake up of the corporate world with a generation of new ideas. Wasn't that what we were asking for, now if we put these same young people in a job where they are mentor by the CEO's currently then probably things will not change; but I will not out of hand dismiss their pledge.
Young people are often idealistic at heart and may want to do good, do we want to encourage a friction instead of a fellowship with these young graduates who may one day be the CEO of your company.
This is the business equivalent of purity rings.
Someone should shut down the Ivy League business schools, particularly Harvard, before any more damage is done.
the look like members of the communist youth league, all holding up their Party membership cards. Gives me the creeps.
How can we believe that schools notorious for nepotism, cut-throat competition, and recruiting relationships with equally infamous companies possess anything more than a perfunctory commitment to ethics?
I am not sure whether I think it laughable or fitting that the school that graduated George W. Bush, and that is known for networking and relationship-building (vs. academic rigor and learning), finds its students committing to ethics as a show of righteous indignation.
I have never witnessed such a microcosm of what is wrong with corporate America as I did while attending business school. I observed my classmates' ethics as they completed assignments, sought employment, and interacted socially. While the vast majority did good and played fair, a significant contingent did not. Among my friends, there is a running joke-slash-bet: which of our classmates will we see, on the news and in handcuffs, headed to prison for white collar crime? Indeed, we have named quite a few.
I have since worked with MBAs from other top programs. Though most were talented and completely ethical business people, the day-to-day corporate environment still delivered a staggering lack of ethics.
I would like to fast forward three years and see how far these HBS signators have gone to demonstrate intolerance of ethical breaches. Everyone likes to say they practice great ethics, but few people in the high-stakes business world put themselves and their careers on the line to defend them.
I dont care what Harvard puts out in the press. If someone is Harvard educated, Im still going be on my guard just as i would around a convicted murderer.
They can spin it and publicly put out propaganda all they want, but it isnt going to change a century of IVy Greed that professors and the school have taught and promoted. The classes will not change, they might say they are against greed, then they will put in the qualifier " but" and continue to teach and brainwash those able to pay the price to enter the elitist ivy greed club on how to rape their fellow man in the pursuit of wealth, power. Its the Ivy Greed way. Harvard saying they will change an oath to , Greed is not Good, is like coyote saying he is a vegetarian. Sounds wonderful, but you know its never going to happen in real life.
I seem to recall way back in the late sixties and early seventies a whole generation of college kids taking ethical and moral stands and vowing to help make a better nation. Then they all graduated, got jobs and the hippie culture turned yuppie culture, more or less. Ethics in youth seems to be a fleeting thing but I do admire the attempts of youth to keep trying to get it right. Good luck, future white collar workers.
It's a little late in coming isn't it. What were they teaching before, that greed is good. Wow what a revelation to realize it now.
Greed is capitalism and capitalism is greed -- they are one in the same. And when left unchecked capitalism, like any other ideology, can get waaay out of control!
Sorry, but I disagree. You can be a capitalist and not be greedy, just not if you're also a neoconservative.
"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."
Lawyers and doctors?....Well we've seen how effective that was.
This should play out just about the same way.
Dogs and ponies, smoke and mirrors, and a man behind the curtains pulling levers.
And the beat goes on....
Am I relieved, a whole 20% signed up. If my math is right, (I didn't go to Harvard), that only leaves 80% who are out to screw someone. Boy, I feel better now................LOL!
Like you I did not go to Harvard but if 80% did not sign up, it would indicate that the majority of students are they to learn how to monetize their greed.
If there was justice in the universe and anything approaching the concept of malpractice or dsbarment in business, Harvard Business School would be closed. It's endowment would be turned over to the US Treasury as a symbolic payment toward victims compensation.
Not only does it deserve to be accountable for the horrible value system it has helped produce in American business, but it should take a SINGULAR bow for its most illustrious ALUM, the first MBA-CEO president whose policies and practices collapsed the world's economy. Bravo HBS
This is a joke, look at the photo of the students holding up their "pledge cards" the expression on the males' faces says "this is bs, I'm going to screw all these losers and make a ton of money, while pretending to be a good corporate citizen."
Maybe HBS should speak with KGS (Harvard Kennedy School of Government) if they are truly interested in doing good, otherwise this is just another publicity stunt that many corporations employ to appear like they care about the community while at the same time rapping the community.
It's not just the schools, it's our entire culture. I see posts that say
"the schools need to teach these kids better ". Uh, no the PARENTS need to teach these kids better. These ideas of greed and such come way earlier in life than grad school.
Oh crap, this has been going on forever, and it has nothing to do with the parents, it is the culture that the Individual is God..... and does not need to look out for anyone but themselves......
We gave up pensions for the promises of 401ks, healthcare, paid time off and they will not be happy until we are all earning minumum wage.....
The doctors take an oath and that did not help when those cardiac surgeons were performing surgery on HEALTHY PEOPLE.... We have become our own worst enemy.
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First Posted: 05-30-09 11:29 AM | Updated: 06-30-09 05:12 AM