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LEAP2 RW Additional Reading4 1686836726
LEAP2 RW Additional Reading4 1686836726
Additional Reading
In many disciplines and in business studies in particular, moves have been made
to introduce ethics courses in the curricula. This trend is still in its early stages
and, in some cases, classes have been purely voluntary. But the reasons for
conducting such courses have grown as frequent white-collar crimes expose a
lack of concern for right and wrong among some college graduates.
The most significant contemporary scandals have been financial ones where
rules have been ignored by investment managers who have embezzled—that is,
stolen—millions of dollars from clients. In other cases, lawyers have been
compensated in cash or kind (i.e., payment involving a good or service instead of
cash) for deals in which they had conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest is
when rules about separating one’s professional role from one’s personal gain
have been ignored.
Over and above the requirement to not do wrong is the ethical need to do right.
The Kew Gardens principles were developed after a murder in New York City
that bystanders could have prevented—if they had only made a small effort.
Psychologists suggest people be taught to recognize the ethical principles of
need, proximity, capability, and last resort.
For a long time, it was thought that it was impossible to learn these and other
ethical behaviours as an adult; if an authoritative source had not taught children
ideas around ethical behaviour, their bad behaviours were considered fixed. But
research now shows that engaging young adults in a conversation on what is
right and wrong helps provide the mental tools to behave correctly. You make
countless decisions each day. It is worth considering how each of them can be
an ethical one.
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