Ethics and morality in the business world seems to be a decreasing commodity. As we move into a world that demands more and more of business as a whole, for example the large movement towards corporate social responsibility, individuals are becoming more amoral. Why is this happening?
One answer may stem from the education they received as impressionable young men and women. Pure economic theory tells us that men are rational, self focused individuals who conduct cost/benefit analysis on every choice presented to them. If they witness a less than 100% conviction rate for fraudulent behavior, then this probability that they can get away with it will influence the decisions they make. To cheat or not to cheat.
Perhaps the ethics classes so often required of business students needs to be taught in a different way. Professors need to take a stand on what is right and what is wrong instead of simply allowing students to move the discussion into a grey area where the best argument wins regardless if its the right argument.
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