Rethinking the MBA Oath
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A year ago, the business press devoted a lot of attention to the MBA Oath. Much of the coverage was like the NY Times article titled: "A Promise to be Ethical in an Era of Immorality."
My post, "Taking the Oath," took on the Times coverage I said, "There is so much silliness and muddled thinking in this that it's hard to decide where to begin." Then I added details.
I stand by that analysis of the story. And I stand by some of the comments I made in the piece about the oath.
I said that the oath would only make a difference for some of the people some of the time. I noted that there was a lot of wiggle room in the oath and that it's easy to talk about how you'll act before you've actually entered the fray.
I also noted that most choices in business aren't between good and evil. "Most of life's choices involve trade-offs. Some of those trade-offs involve ethical issues."
I didn't say so in the post, but I thought that the oath was pretty much a waste of time. I was wrong.
I didn't get that until I read an excellent post by Scott Eblin titled "Why we need an MBA oath." Here's the money quote for me.
"What doesn’t get said, doesn’t get heard. If the MBA Oath causes even a few leaders to stand up and say out loud how they intend to conduct themselves then it was worth the effort of writing and promoting it."
Part of the reason I've changed my mind is simple ethics. You don't do the right thing because it will make a difference or because others are doing it. You do it because it's the right thing.
The other reason is more practical. In his excellent book, The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini notes that we human beings "have a nearly obsessive desire to be (and appear to be) consistent with what we've already done."
In other words, our commitments do have an impact on us. Cialdini says that commitment is stronger if it is voluntary and public.
The MBA Oath is worth supporting because it's the right thing to do and because a public voluntary commitment will have an impact on those who make it. That's good enough for me.
Boss's Bottom Line
Part of your job is to set the example of good ethical behavior. But it's also your job to talk about it and to hold your team members to high standards, too. But, in the end, whether you recite the oath or not, it's your actions that will speak for you.
Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.
Wally,
Thanks for the post. This reminds me of an interview I heard by Michael Hyatt as he interviewed Dan Cathy from Chick-fil-A. He said that leading with honesty, dignity and respect was sorely needed today. Iwrote a blog about it. I think it amplifies what you are saying about part of your job is to set examples of good ethical behavior. I hope you enjoy the post.
Bill
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Thanks for sharing that, Bill. I'm hoping that the MBA oath will help keep the issues of ethical leadership and ethical business in front of people as they go through their career.
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Wally, Maybe those who take the oath ought to be required to repeat the oath once a year! I wonder what kind of impact that might have
Bill
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Good point, Bill. I think the public commitment is important. But, in the end, when you get to the pearly gates, no one's going to ask you if you took the oath. They're going to ask what you did.
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I am not optimistic about what seems like a cheap gimmick to me. I do believe in the importance of honor and integrity I just don't put much stock in this move. It seems to have even less likelihood of success than those "ethic" courses the business schools talked up what 5-15 years ago as a response to all the unethical behavior by their graduates back then.
It is sad how poorly they have managed to do at educating leaders. It isn't an easy task but they don't seem to be doing much at all.
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I think there's a gimmick component here, for sure, John. I'm coming from the place that says if the oath can be a reminder to some folks, especially when waves of pressure are crashing in from each side, then it will do some good. Frankly, I think a voluntary and public commitment will do more than any course. And I agree on the poor job that MBA programs, in particular, have done.
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I also had mixed feelings initially regarding the oath, but reserved judgment. Your statements regarding that ethical behavior is ultimately the responsibility of the individual, and that people tend to follow through with their commitments I would agree with. Nonetheless, nothing happens in a vacuum either and individuals are also influenced by group behavior and social norms (organizational values). While the oath is better then what was before, change needs to initiate with each individual's choice, but without social change on a larger scale, there exists the potential for following suite with peer and organizational leadership's examples and expectations. At least the oath is a start. Great post! Dale
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I still have mixed feelings regarding the oath. But I think it can be a tool for some people to help them do the right thing. And every little bit helps.
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Wally -
What a great example of creating a dialogue. Honored to be a part of it. And congratulations to you on rising above what Cialdini points out as our common behavior!
Cheers
Scott
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Thanks, Scott, but I think you're the one who sparked the dialogue. I doubt that I would have revisited the oath issue without your thoughtful post.
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Wally, the MBA Oath was noteworthy, however didn't receive a lot of praise at the time. Most I believe simply viewed it as a gimmick that received some notoriety. It's worth revisiting the "Who We Are" part of the initiative. It states:
"We are a group of second-year students from Harvard Business School. We aren’t from the administration. We aren’t from the student government. We aren’t part of any formal group. Yet. We are a group of MBA candidates who want our degree to mean something more than it currently does. This oath is our way of laying out the principles of what we think an MBA ought to stand for."
They stuck their neck out with a cause in mind. They made the problem memorable. And most important they made it visible. And this is how small ideas at times can change an institution.
Thanks for revisiting...
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Thanks for sharing that Rodney. It's hard to assess the importance of something like this when we're so close to it. We've got to wait a few years for that.
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