BBA
From McCombs Today
The McCombs School of Business has a commitment to honor and ethics. It is apparent to me, judging from comments and inquiries I have received recently, that our students, faculty, staff and alumni believe strongly in these principles as well.
We derive this high standard from the university of which we are a part. Our purpose is to prepare the next generation of individuals who will act responsibly; improve quality of life for themselves and others; and serve the communities in which they live and work. This foundation of ethical behavior is essential to the disciplined culture of excellence that exemplifies our students, our faculty and our alumni.
The undergraduate program takes specific steps to expose each student to these principles and to emphasize their importance.
Every undergraduate student takes BA 101, a course which emphasizes integrity, fair treatment, and honesty, in the context of academic studies, career, and life in general. Topics of discussion include:
• Definition of ethical and moral principles
• The high costs of ethical lapses
• Real life scenarios in business and recruiting
• Ethical Code of Conduct
• Five-Step Decision-Making Process
• The McCombs Recruiting Code of Ethics
Additionally, all students take at least one other course encompassing ethics and leadership. Read more.
2 responses so far
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1 Pierre // Oct 23, 2009 at 9:31 pm
I remember in my BA 101 we were presented with the scenario of a saleswoman buying her own product and donating it to a high school in order to meet her sales target (and receive a bonus). We were told it’s unethical under the premise that she was hired to sell to others, not to herself. This was unpersuasive since the situation is clearly not unethical. The only unethical part is management’s poor structuring of her compensation package which creates perverse incentives. The saleswoman was acting rather ethically, being charitable and providing for her family.
This experience made me cynical about the school’s ethics education. It is not based on real world ethics: property rights, individual autonomy and mutual respect.
2 Sarah Dooley // Oct 26, 2009 at 9:41 am
See David Wenger’s response to Pierre’s comment on the McCombs TODAY blog: http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/mccombs-today/2009/10/paula-murrays-statement-on-the-mccombs-schools-commitment-to-ethics-and-honor/#comments
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