Background -- Chapter 3, Business Ethics Volume

The third chapter in this series addresses ethics in the education of business professionals. The chapter will provide information for those who are newcomers to the field of business, and those who are experienced business professionals. The information for newcomers will provide an introduction to the culture of business education using English. For experienced business professionals, the activities and tasks will be a review of business, with new learning opportunities. Lessons will help teachers and students to learn more about this topic, and to know more about what we can do to improve business education in the cultural and professional settings where students live and work.

Employees and future employees should know about business ethics in order to perform ethically on the job. Standards of ethical conduct are a part of good business education and training in all geographical and business settings. In this chapter, we will explore some of the mechanisms used to teach business ethics in the United States.

These are some of the questions for business education that we will address in this chapter.

What can academic institutions do to educate students about ethics?

What do companies do to educate employees about ethics?

How do employees learn to do a better job and to do it ethically?

How do governments support training for ethical business practices?

Where do employees get information when they face a conflict between keeping a competitive edge and maintaining ethical standards?

Success comes when companies create an innovative and supportive environment for new ideas. Chrysler’s CEO, Robert Eaton, has said, "The only way we can beat the competition is with people." We would add, "And the best way to compete is to train employees with ethics."

If a company’s goal is to become involved and succeed in the global marketplace, it will hire new employees who are well educated in all aspects of business, especially in business ethics. At the same time, employees who are in the workforce already must continue to learn through professional development opportunities. Ethics is a valuable topic for professional development among business professionals. With a workforce trained and committed to ethics, managers can be assured that ethical behavior and ethical practices will prevail in the workplace. Without training, business employees may engage in unethical business practices – without even knowing it. This chapter is designed to assist in this important training.

The following presents some background information on ways in which business ethics is taught and learned in two contexts: in formal educational settings, like universities and colleges, and in company-sponsored, on-the-job training programs at work.

Business schools teach students about ethics using a variety of tools and activities. On the job, employees are required to enroll in ethics-related workshops and training provided by the company.

In order to build ethical principles, business school faculty offers students a variety of opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in business ethics.

Here is a list of four common instructional tools for teaching business ethics in universities and colleges:

Case studies that require ethical judgment and knowledge about ethics in real-life company-based cases. (Several are listed in this chapter under Internet Resources)
Assignments that require students to learn about the ethical codes of conduct in several companies. Students talk, read and write about the issues that these codes raise inside the company and in business.
Tasks outside the classroom that require students to learn more about how businesses function ethically. Students are asked to visit and tour a company, interview a manager or other employees in a company, research the company’s history and ethical performance using a variety of resources: company policy documents, company archives, newspaper reports and magazine articles on the company, or the World Wide Web
Readings from a variety of business and professional sources (professional journals, popular magazines and newspapers, and company literature – electronic and paper) followed by discussions on the issues and values that these readings present. Familiarity with business ethics journals (both paper and on line) is an important part of business ethics education. Students are given assignments to find information and report back to the class.

Employers are required by law and by the company’s own ethical code to provide employees with opportunities for on-the-job training in specific job-related ethical concerns. Some of these training opportunities are considered to be a part of employee professional development. A few examples of on-the-job ethical training:

Required workshops for all employees on sexual harassment awareness training – Employees attend workshops and participate in discussions on a variety of topics that influence workplace behavior and can help employees avoid being perpetrators or victims of sexual harassment
Training programs on ethical use of the World Wide Web – In these training workshops, employees learn that the World Wide Web is a new tool that can have many uses, some ethical, some unethical. With the advent of the World Wide Web, massive quantities of information are available and can be used for ethical and unethical purposes. Employees are trained in ethical web use.
Employee discussion groups on ethical issues – Human Resources or Personnel Department organizes informal employee discussions on topics of relevance and concern to management. In these informal settings, employees learn how to address ethical issues in accordance with the company’s Code of Conduct. Morale issues and other matters are aired in these informal settings.
Personnel services – Employee education and training on topics such as ethical concerns related to health, environment, or corporate philanthropy decisions) and employee counseling