Carey Business Credo: A Moral Compass
The Moral Compass Essay
People always envy the freedom of birds. The birds can fly wherever they want, however they like. They don’t have the worries of traffic; they needn’t follow any rules. However, as people live within society, we have to follow the rules to make the society harmonious. Law is the basic level of the society rules. Anyone who violates the rule will get punishment. In this level, we can’t do anything we want to do, as there is law that set the constraints, but from another side, law is also protecting our freedom.
Ethical standard is another level of restriction and protection. People have different perspective of moral and ethic, which may cause misunderstandings or conflicts. From ancient time, the moral value of culture …show more content…
is a moral compass for individual morality. Nowadays, the modern society places a high value on the freedom of individuals to challenge the moral authority of tradition. Our initial moral capabilities are mostly shaped by influences of families, schools and ethic cultures in which we grow from birth.
As students of business school, we will be involved in complex business society in the future.
The choice of our decision not only affects the interests of ourselves but also honor of Carey Business School. Carey Business Credo tells the ethic value of the school, which is “Teaching business with humanity in mind”. I think Carey Business Credo is an excellent moral compass for business students like us. It focuses on the inherent moral challenge of business: the competing values of people and profit.
As business people, to maximize profit is an ultimate goal for us and for companies we serve. However, sometimes we will face the dilemmas of companies’ profit and stakeholders’ interests. Customers, employees, suppliers and the whole society are all our stakeholders. How to balance the interests of different parties is a hard question for all the business …show more content…
people.
I read a piece of news recently, which relates to the balance of relationship between stakeholders and shareholders.
A company based in Norway, which called Nordic Minig, disposed mining waste in the Foerde fiord, caused countrywide protest against it. This spring, the government of Norway approved a project to mine a pricey pigment from a nearby hill, saying it would create jobs and help diversify the economy. However, the project will cause a huge pollution to the river and the sea, as the mine operator would discard millions of tons of waste into a pristine fiord. From my perspective, I’m on the side with people held protest. Although the project will create more job opportunities, it will affect the environment badly and it will cause the country develops in an unsustainable way.
With my ethical understanding, which is a moral compass I developed from my childhood, sacrifice the long-term interest for fewer people’s short-term interest is neither wise nor ethical. Moral compass for me is guidance for my choices from right from wrong and sometimes right from right. In this case I mentioned, continuing or disruptions of the project both have positive effects. Following my moral code, the interest of the majority people should take the first place, suspension of the project and figuring out a healthier way for development is coincided with my moral
compass.
The definition of moral compass is exquisite in the Moral Compass Workbook. It says a moral compass is the reflective, intentional adoption of values and behavior as a framework for realizing the good in oneself, in others, and in the social and material environment.(Thompson, 2005) My moral understanding of moral compass developed from education of my family. I remembered many vivid stories that taught me ethic values, as my parents prepared interesting bedtime stories in my childhood.
One of the great stories that teach me how to treat good people and bad people is called The Farmer and the Viper. The story is one of Aesop’s Fables. It has the moral that kindness to the evil will be met by betrayal. The story concerns a farmer who finds a viper freezing in the snow. Taking pity on it, he picks it up and places it within his coat. The viper, revived by the warmth, bites his rescuer, who dies realizing that it is his own fault. As I grew to teenage years, I raised questions about this kind of stories. Will the truth of the stories apply to all similar situations? Will bad people always turn out to do wrong thing? Etc. I grew up with the confusions and was eager to find the answers in my college life and social life.
The stories and examples I learnt from my parents constructed my moral compass and my vision of a good life. My moral code is never harm people for self interests and help people along with contribute to the society in my best effort. I think the good life is living in an environment with respect and kindness. What’s more, a good life is not only concerns the environment but also the development of the society. If we develop the society in a harmonious and sustainable way, our descendants will benefit from it.
Moral vision is the story we explain who we are. The foundation of moral vision of me mostly comes from the novels, news, articles I read, as I love reading since I could recognize letter. From childhood, the values of good life in my mind include the words: truth, justice, freedom, friendship and peace. The source of the moral understanding comes from characters and events I read and heard.
For example, a novel featuring Jane Eyre who is a girl living in 19 century England as a heroine with strong sense of morality is a persuasive means of representing values of courage, strength and loyalty. In the story, Jane refuses to become Mr. Rochester 's paramour because of her "impassioned self-respect and moral conviction." She rejects St. John Rivers ' religious fervor as much as the libertine aspects of Mr. Rochester 's character. Instead, she works out a morality expressed in love, independence, and forgiveness. (Bronte, 1847)
Speaking to my moral code, there are six pillars: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. When I need to make decision regarding to moral aspects, the above six pillars will give me guidance. I think the six pillars I gained are largely related to my moral vision: truth, justice, freedom and peace. After much choice I made, I realized there is great consonance between the values represented in my moral vision and my moral code.
Taking a real life case as an example, which happened in my internship period in a auditing firm. As an auditor assistant, I needed to check whether there is financial fraud occurred in client’s company. In my reviewing process, I found there is inappropriate accounting method, so I asked the CFO of Client Company. She said there is reason for the figure, telling me not to report the problem to my leader.
From my perspective, if I didn’t report the problem to my auditing leader, I won’t get punishment, maybe I’ll receive some bonus from my client. However, if the problem turned out to be playing figures of financial statements, which hurts shareholders’ interest, it will also hurt the reputation of my client and my employer. Therefore, I told my leader about the issue, which was driven by my moral code.
My moral code and moral vision need to be expressed in moral fitness, which is the spiritual aspect of me. In daily life, I will encounter many situations to reflect my moral fitness. For instance, when I cross the road, even if there is no car, I have to wait until the green light shows. When I pass through a door, I will notice if there is anybody else needs to go through the door, so I will hold for him or her. These are tiny stuffs, but my moral fitness exists in those activities.
I have not entered the real society as I’m still a student, but through practices and internship experience, I touched the challenge of the society. One of the defining moments is that when my friends asked some tips for the exam, as I was the TA of that course, I refused. I thought it violates the honor code and I was not helping my friend if I told him my knowledge about the test. If I could rewrite the script for this event in my life, I will told him the way for better learning and reviewing but not shortcuts to exams.
I believe there will be more and more moral challenges, as I’ll be involved in business world. When facing choice and making decisions, I will recall my moral code and moral vision to make a fair choice.
References
Lindsay J Thompson. (2005). The Moral Compass, Leadership Ethics Course Manual
Charlotte Bronte. (1847). Jane Eyre, Smith, Elder&Co.
People always envy the freedom of birds. The birds can fly wherever they want, however they like. They don’t have the worries of traffic; they needn’t follow any rules. However, as people live within society, we have to follow the rules to make the society harmonious. Law is the basic level of the society rules. Anyone who violates the rule will get punishment. In this level, we can’t do anything we want to do, as there is law that set the constraints, but from another side, law is also protecting our freedom.
Ethical standard is another level of restriction and protection. People have different perspective of moral and ethic, which may cause misunderstandings or conflicts. From ancient time, the moral value of culture …show more content…
is a moral compass for individual morality. Nowadays, the modern society places a high value on the freedom of individuals to challenge the moral authority of tradition. Our initial moral capabilities are mostly shaped by influences of families, schools and ethic cultures in which we grow from birth.
As students of business school, we will be involved in complex business society in the future.
The choice of our decision not only affects the interests of ourselves but also honor of Carey Business School. Carey Business Credo tells the ethic value of the school, which is “Teaching business with humanity in mind”. I think Carey Business Credo is an excellent moral compass for business students like us. It focuses on the inherent moral challenge of business: the competing values of people and profit.
As business people, to maximize profit is an ultimate goal for us and for companies we serve. However, sometimes we will face the dilemmas of companies’ profit and stakeholders’ interests. Customers, employees, suppliers and the whole society are all our stakeholders. How to balance the interests of different parties is a hard question for all the business …show more content…
people.
I read a piece of news recently, which relates to the balance of relationship between stakeholders and shareholders.
A company based in Norway, which called Nordic Minig, disposed mining waste in the Foerde fiord, caused countrywide protest against it. This spring, the government of Norway approved a project to mine a pricey pigment from a nearby hill, saying it would create jobs and help diversify the economy. However, the project will cause a huge pollution to the river and the sea, as the mine operator would discard millions of tons of waste into a pristine fiord. From my perspective, I’m on the side with people held protest. Although the project will create more job opportunities, it will affect the environment badly and it will cause the country develops in an unsustainable way.
With my ethical understanding, which is a moral compass I developed from my childhood, sacrifice the long-term interest for fewer people’s short-term interest is neither wise nor ethical. Moral compass for me is guidance for my choices from right from wrong and sometimes right from right. In this case I mentioned, continuing or disruptions of the project both have positive effects. Following my moral code, the interest of the majority people should take the first place, suspension of the project and figuring out a healthier way for development is coincided with my moral
compass.
The definition of moral compass is exquisite in the Moral Compass Workbook. It says a moral compass is the reflective, intentional adoption of values and behavior as a framework for realizing the good in oneself, in others, and in the social and material environment.(Thompson, 2005) My moral understanding of moral compass developed from education of my family. I remembered many vivid stories that taught me ethic values, as my parents prepared interesting bedtime stories in my childhood.
One of the great stories that teach me how to treat good people and bad people is called The Farmer and the Viper. The story is one of Aesop’s Fables. It has the moral that kindness to the evil will be met by betrayal. The story concerns a farmer who finds a viper freezing in the snow. Taking pity on it, he picks it up and places it within his coat. The viper, revived by the warmth, bites his rescuer, who dies realizing that it is his own fault. As I grew to teenage years, I raised questions about this kind of stories. Will the truth of the stories apply to all similar situations? Will bad people always turn out to do wrong thing? Etc. I grew up with the confusions and was eager to find the answers in my college life and social life.
The stories and examples I learnt from my parents constructed my moral compass and my vision of a good life. My moral code is never harm people for self interests and help people along with contribute to the society in my best effort. I think the good life is living in an environment with respect and kindness. What’s more, a good life is not only concerns the environment but also the development of the society. If we develop the society in a harmonious and sustainable way, our descendants will benefit from it.
Moral vision is the story we explain who we are. The foundation of moral vision of me mostly comes from the novels, news, articles I read, as I love reading since I could recognize letter. From childhood, the values of good life in my mind include the words: truth, justice, freedom, friendship and peace. The source of the moral understanding comes from characters and events I read and heard.
For example, a novel featuring Jane Eyre who is a girl living in 19 century England as a heroine with strong sense of morality is a persuasive means of representing values of courage, strength and loyalty. In the story, Jane refuses to become Mr. Rochester 's paramour because of her "impassioned self-respect and moral conviction." She rejects St. John Rivers ' religious fervor as much as the libertine aspects of Mr. Rochester 's character. Instead, she works out a morality expressed in love, independence, and forgiveness. (Bronte, 1847)
Speaking to my moral code, there are six pillars: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. When I need to make decision regarding to moral aspects, the above six pillars will give me guidance. I think the six pillars I gained are largely related to my moral vision: truth, justice, freedom and peace. After much choice I made, I realized there is great consonance between the values represented in my moral vision and my moral code.
Taking a real life case as an example, which happened in my internship period in a auditing firm. As an auditor assistant, I needed to check whether there is financial fraud occurred in client’s company. In my reviewing process, I found there is inappropriate accounting method, so I asked the CFO of Client Company. She said there is reason for the figure, telling me not to report the problem to my leader.
From my perspective, if I didn’t report the problem to my auditing leader, I won’t get punishment, maybe I’ll receive some bonus from my client. However, if the problem turned out to be playing figures of financial statements, which hurts shareholders’ interest, it will also hurt the reputation of my client and my employer. Therefore, I told my leader about the issue, which was driven by my moral code.
My moral code and moral vision need to be expressed in moral fitness, which is the spiritual aspect of me. In daily life, I will encounter many situations to reflect my moral fitness. For instance, when I cross the road, even if there is no car, I have to wait until the green light shows. When I pass through a door, I will notice if there is anybody else needs to go through the door, so I will hold for him or her. These are tiny stuffs, but my moral fitness exists in those activities.
I have not entered the real society as I’m still a student, but through practices and internship experience, I touched the challenge of the society. One of the defining moments is that when my friends asked some tips for the exam, as I was the TA of that course, I refused. I thought it violates the honor code and I was not helping my friend if I told him my knowledge about the test. If I could rewrite the script for this event in my life, I will told him the way for better learning and reviewing but not shortcuts to exams.
I believe there will be more and more moral challenges, as I’ll be involved in business world. When facing choice and making decisions, I will recall my moral code and moral vision to make a fair choice.
References
Lindsay J Thompson. (2005). The Moral Compass, Leadership Ethics Course Manual
Charlotte Bronte. (1847). Jane Eyre, Smith, Elder&Co.