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In Depth
What makes a profession?
» An ethical framework
Eight Beliefs
Writing in 1999, Professors Tom Piper and Lynn Paine listed eight “beliefs” that guided the group of mutually reinforcing initiatives in ethics at HBS at that time. In abbreviated form, they were:
- Ethics is several things combined: an attitude and aspiration, as well as a set of skills and knowledge.
- Throughout the course of instruction, the School should emphasize outstanding leaders, organizations, and practice.
- The focus of instruction should be on decision making in a real-world context — with all of its attendant complexity and ambiguity — rather than on issues of ethics or social responsibility in isolation.
- Students should engage the issues of ethics and organizations from the very moment they begin the MBA program.
- Sustained ethical discussion is essential to success.
- Faculty encouragement and development are as important as student development.
- On a consistent basis, the faculty, administration, and staff of the School must “walk the talk.”
- Strong, visible, sustained commitment to the initiative on the part of the dean is essential to its success.
