It seems that most professions have a code of ethics – teachers, nurses, social workers, accountants, lawyers. Whether every professional follows the code is a different matter. But the fact is, the profession has an expectation about how members are to conduct themselves.
Codes of ethics can be viewed as an inspirational guide to members of the profession. They also form a basis for disciplinary action when the conduct of the professional falls below minimum standards. Codes of ethics define the type of ethical conduct the public has a right to expect.
But what about business ethics? What guides the behaviour of business professionals? On what basis are decisions made? What type of ethical conduct can the public expect?
A class of University of Alberta students were so frustrated with the lack of business ethics today – white-collar crimes, abuse of power, and immoral missteps – that they wrote a code of integrity. They also created the university’s first Business Ethics Awareness Day which takes place today, Thursday, November 26th.
On this day they will take the oath they created and are inviting others to take the oath online at: http://tinyurl.com/bringintegrityback. I took the oath and I am hoping that you will too. Here it is:
Oath of Integrity
I promise to act with the utmost integrity in balancing the ethics of societal well-being, individual rights, tenets of justice, and principles of care in my efforts to manage the resources of the enterprises I endeavor to serve.
I understand that integrity is defined as the quality of being whole and undivided in my thoughts and in my actions. It requires that I act in a state of being consistently of sound moral principles such that:
- I promise to act with honesty.
- I promise to be helpful to stakeholders when called upon.
- I promise to act with competence throughout my career.
- I promise to be fair to people and to treat them with respect.
- I promise to uphold the principles of honour and promise-keeping.
- I will foster an attitude of action orientation whenever possible.
- I will strive to create sustainable organizational, environmental, social, and technological prosperity balancing both short and long term interests.
I make this oath freely and sincerely, and upon my honour.
Imagine a world where we all took the oath of integrity – the store clerk, the plumber, the cab driver, the CEO, the administrative assistant, the professional – and practiced it.
It is time to rethink work and how we do it.
Val Kinjerski, PhD, is a leading authority in the field of employee engagement and on the topic of “spirit at work.” A consultant, agent of change and inspirational speaker, she helps companies and organizations increase employee retention and boost productivity by reigniting employees’ love for their work. Check out her Spirit at Work Program and Inspired Leadership training at www.kaizensolutions.org. Val is the author of Rethinking Your Work and Rethinking Your Work Guidebook. Available now at www.rethinkingyourwork.com and www.amazon.com .
November 26th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
The corporate world is certainly lacking in credibility these days when you speak of business ethics. Hard times mean you push your workforce and pressure them to work overtime by threatening their job security. Businesses will often provide half truths as they pertain to their products and/or services not informing you of the hidden charges and penalties or warrantee. While it would be wonderful to think that the corporate world would right itself, you need to remember that when they focus on the bottom line and the climate we are in today, ethics will continue to go out the window. I think that the best place to start in cleaning up the situation is to be sure we all take an oath to do what is right and show that your business has a social conscious. It begins with YOU. The proof will be in what tomorrow brings . . .
November 26th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Thanks so much for supporting the taking of the oath of integrity, Kristen Ann.
November 27th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
What’s amusing about this little idea called “Integrity” is that it has been expected of me for my nearly 30 years protecting and defending the citizens of this Great Nation.
In my particular career field, Integrity is the First Pillar of our program; without it, all else is lost. That was taught to me early on – I was 18 years old.
It has guided Everything, and I mean Everything, I’ve done and continue to do – from my job, to raising my children, to how I drive, to my taxes. However, I never needed an oath, a class, or even training to know what Integrity meant.
Regrettably though, these college students have captured the most significant public disease plaguing the Nation I Love and have devoted my life to defending. Even in my own occupation, we too have had to resort to delivering Integrity Seminars at various points throughout the training of newcomers in order for them to behave at the expected level of performance.
My opinion of the root cause: failure of parents to properly raise their children. I have two adult children and although I may not always agree with their choices, they have never given me cause to call their integrity into question. I also have a teenager and toddler and my teenager is learning the hard way how important one’s Integrity is and what it means to be an honorable man. I’m by no means a perfect parent, I’ve made, and make, lots of mistakes, but my Integrity, and that of my family continues to remain intact.
Integrity cannot be legislated, it must be taught – and modeled. Families are where it starts, Families are where it must be fixed.
November 27th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
C.J., Thank you for your post.
It is clear that integrity is a value, a way of being that you adopted in your life. Your children are very fortunate to have you as a role model in this area. I think the oath is a reminder of what is important and how we want to be in the world.
November 28th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Val, thank you so much for posting this. I agree with all of you 100%. I truly believe that too many people are willing to trade their ethics for the all mighty dollar. That being said, I enjoy eating, and living in doors, but not at the cost of my ethics. I feel that if you are doing things in an ethical, honest manner, the dollar will follow.
One last thing…I conduct myself in a manner that honours my parents every day, and I wouldn’t have it any orther way.
November 28th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Thanks for posting Barry,
For some, I wonder if it is a matter of competing priorities. We get so busy that we lose our way and forget what we say we believe in and stand for.
One of the things I do in my work, is help employees and empoyers remember their purpose. Why are they here? Who are they serving? How are they making a contribution? What values do they hold and how do they live them? I implemented my spirit-at-work program in long term care and it changed everything – for the employee, the employer and most importantly, the resident.