IN
THE NEWS
Commentary:
A responsibility to do ethics right
(An
excerpt)
by
Kivanc Onan
December 5, 2002
We as managers need
to be well equipped and well informed about the issue of Corporate Responsibility
and Ethics. In any line of business we may choose pursue, there will
be difficult decisions, each with their trade-offs. Such trade-offs
will effect people, environment and communities at large. There are
thousands cases out there that demonstrate the consequences of bad decisions
and acts of irresponsibility. This should tell us that we can also make
wrong decisions.
It is therefore
with gratitude, I welcome the initiative by Columbia Business School
administration to re-introduce ethics back in to the classroom. There
may be those at Columbia Business School, including the faculty members
that may see ethics as an uninteresting addition to the curriculum that
would fail to stimulate a class room. There are those who would argue
that it is too late to learn ethics, integrity and honesty. There are
others who would find ethics to be an easy target for ethnocentrisms.
There would be many challenges in managing this change. But if Columbia
Business School is to continue to be one of the best B-schools in the
world, we can not afford to avoid these challenges. Our talented faculty,
alumni and students should be able to come up with creative solutions
to make it work.
I look forward a
well thought out, challenging course material with real life case studies.
I look forward to the opportunity to discuss ethics and corporate responsibility
with my fellow classmates, faculty, alumni and corporate leaders. From
investment banking to manufacturing, from pharmaceuticals to advertising,
I want at least be able articulate some of the very important social,
environmental and legal issues that businesses face today. This is just
another chapter in the ongoing challenge for the administration, the
faculty and the student body, as we all aspire to set new standards
in business education.
To the student body,
the challenge is to stay involved. To keep an open mind (remember Strategy
and CEO) and try to get best out of opportunities provided at the business
school. We all need to better prepare ourselves for these critical issues.
…READ
MORE…
Socially
Aware Business Ideas Earn Funding From B-School
Social Enterprise
Conference panel on corporate
responsibility
Leaders in socially
responsible finance
Big
Brothers Big Sisters debuts at Columbia
SEC Conference looks
"Beyond
the Bottom Line"
Botwinick
prize awarded to Carson '67
Columbia Business
School Team Among Winners
at National Social Venture Competition
Charter
School Teammates Share Common History, Ideals
CORPS Fellowship
redefines traditional MBA internships
NSVC's
mentoring day at Columbia Business School
Columbia Attends
2001
Net Impact Conference
Back to Top
