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Business Ethics
« Previous Entries Next Entries »GM made a great pitch - but was it an apology?
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008Yesterday, General Motors took the unusual step of publishing a full page ad in Automotive News in which the troubled automaker acknowledged the mistakes that have put it near collapse. General Motors confessed that it had disappointed the American public with substandard quality, lackluster designs, lack of focus on the U.S. market, an unfortunate bias in its product [...]
When it comes to regulation it’s a matter of quality, not quantity
Monday, December 8th, 2008In the wake of the subprime mortgage meltdown on Wall Street, there’s been a lot of talk in Washington about whether we need “more” or “less” regulation of the financial services industry. These conversations completely miss the point.
Regulation is not something that can or should be measured quantitatively because it’s not the length of the [...]
Is it ethical for the police to run want ads for informants?
Monday, November 24th, 2008The Washington Post Express reported this morning on the Albuquerque Police Department’s decision to use the want ads to recruit informants. According to the Post Express, the police department’s ad solicits “people who hang out with crooks,” inviting them to “Make extra cash!” by reporting criminal behavior, earning anywhere from $50 for a tip that [...]
When a minor refuses treatment, what should a doctor do?
Friday, November 21st, 2008A few days ago, the Washington Post Express reported the story of a 13-year-old who wanted to refuse potentially life-saving surgery. The story focused on the question of whether a minor should be allowed to refuse treatment, but I found myself wondering about a different aspect of the story:
What about the ethical dilemma facing the [...]
At the sound of the beep …
Monday, November 17th, 2008A friend of mine (let’s call him Bob) recently suffered through what should have been a simple telephone call. Bob had worked for over a decade for a company with a particularly nice pension plan so, when he left for a new job, he decided to leave his retirement money in his former employer’s plan [...]
Secretary Paulson refuses to apologize … but he should!
Thursday, November 13th, 2008Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson hit a new low when he announced yesterday that he won’t use the $700 billion Congress allocated for the Wall Street bailout to buy mortgage-backed securities after all. Instead, Paulson appears to have made a unilateral decision to buy stock in banks and credit card companies, bail out other industries, and who knows what [...]
The Obama Administration sets new ethics rules for lobbyists
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008Yesterday, soon-to-be President Barack Obama made a whole lot of points with me when his transition team announced new ethics rules for lobbyists. You may remember that candidate Obama promised to take a strong stance on corruption in Washington, and to prevent lobbyists from gaining undue influence in his Administration. Although he hasn’t even taken [...]
Should you hire a professional ethics trainer?
Monday, November 10th, 2008Most executives acknowledge that it’s a good idea to talk about ethics with their employees from time to time, but they may be reluctant to bring in a professional ethics trainer. It costs money to hire outside speakers, and a lot of managers think they can do ethics training just as well as a professional can. [...]
Is it ethical for other industries to lobby for Wall Street bailout funds?
Thursday, October 30th, 2008Now that the $700 billion that Congress and the White House approved to bail out Wall Street is officially available for distribution, it’s probably not surprising that other industries are coming forward, hat in outstretched hand, to ask for a piece of the pie. Life insurance companies, auto industry representatives, and almost anybody else who can [...]
Is it ethical for doctors to prescribe placebos?
Monday, October 27th, 2008Last week, the British Medical Journal published the surprising results of a new survey of American doctors concerning the use of placebos, harmless vitamins or over-the-counter painkillers that work because a patient thinks they will. According to the Journal, almost half of the doctors surveyed reported that they prescribe placebos two or three times a [...]
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