MBA Oath

Brief comment/reaction to the MBA Oath

The oath is replete with so much idealism, motherhood statements that no one can easily dismiss their importance. The nature of oath though is not mandatory but supplicatory, hoping that those who commit to such oath will practice it faithfully over time. The preamble makes a stark admission that in weighing various interests, difficult choices or decisions had to be made, decisions that are not always leaning toward the common good. To “safeguard the interests of my shareholders, co-workers, customers, and the society in which we operate” in itself is a tall order to follow since all these constituencies have competing interests to protect. Interest of the shareholders may not be compatible with customers, for instance. In essence, there are no clear-cut mechanisms on how to effectively implement this. It is generally based on one’s judgment which may vary from person to person. The oath is also subsumed in various cultures in which the oath will be observed. Tackling this in a cultural context is in itself a topic to broad to deal with. Some of the lines may work with one culture but may not work with another culture. I believe that the framers of this oath have good intentions. The oath sparks reawakening of each one’s ideals and evokes visitation of how businesses do things that led to the crisis in 2007. At the very least, it tickles the mind, a place where everything starts from anyway.