This morning started early up at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. A special committee of the National Advisory Board was meeting for a discussion with faculty and administration, including Dean Jack Brittain, on the topic of ethics.
What struck me this morning was how murky the water is in a pool that you'd expect to be so clear. Right and wrong runs deeper than legal and illegal.
We think of ethics, especially lately, as being so clear. We've looked at Enron and stand convinced that those scoundrels deserve everything they get. I don't doubt it. But I think there are good people who discover, sometimes only with the clarity of hindsight, that they have themselves engaged in unethical behavior.
Is all law breaking unethical? I don't think so.
Is all legal behavior ethical? I don't think so.
Ethical perceptions vary by market, even within the U.S., but certainly across international boundaries. How does one define ethical behavior internationally?
Are there absolute rules of right and wrong? If so, how do people in different circumstances agree on those absolute rules?
When people suggest that ethics are easy, I'll presume they're either naive or disingenuous.
That said, I think we can all benefit from a collective discussion on the topic. I commend the Dean not only for hosting the event, but more importantly for inviting members of the business community to join in the dialog.
What do you think?
Are there absolute rules of right and wrong? Of course there are, but only sometimes, and not always then. You’re right that legality is no measure of right and wrong, but how individuals and societies and nations define and determine ethics, I don’t know. I only know how I see it, and agree it is worthy of much discussion.
Posted by: John Gratton | February 13, 2006 9:41 AM | Permalink to Comment