Top Organizations Unite to Support Global Oath Initiative

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) New York, NY – March 2, 2010 – The Oath Project, the United Nations Global Compact, and the Principles for Responsible Management Education today announced  an alliance to support the cause of a professional oath of honor for managers worldwide.

The Oath Project was first announced in conjunction with the launch of the Global Business Oath, an initiative of the World Economic Forum%u2019s Young Global Leaders. The Young Global Leaders initiative added a strong voice to a global movement that includes similar efforts in business schools around the world, including at Thunderbird School of Global Management which adopted a professional oath of honor in 2005, and a group of Harvard MBA students launched in 2008 a grassroots effort (MBAOath.org) that has been supported by hundreds of MBA graduates around the world already.

The Oath Project was established by Thunderbird President �ngel Cabrera and Harvard business professors Rakesh Khurana, Rob Kaplan, and Nitin Nohria in an effort to coordinate the efforts of these multiple initiatives into one voice. The UN Global Compact and the Principles for Responsible Management Education join a group of  founding Partners that includes the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, the MBA Oath, the Aspen Institute, and the Association of Professionals in Business Management.

In an effort to help facilitate and support the practical applications of a professional oath for managers, the United Nations Global Compact is advancing the Oath Project in partnership with the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), an engagement platform supported by nearly 300 business schools and other academic institutions worldwide to promote responsible management education.

%u201CThe Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative endorses the Oath because it could become a fitting tool to place at the core of management education the values of sustainability and good corporate citizenship,%u201D said Manuel Escudero, Head of the PRME Secretariat. %u201CThe Oath, as a personal commitment of students to uphold ethical values in their future careers, should be a logical result of the mindset created by the PRME approach to business education. Both PRME and the Oath reflect the same urgent global need for a new generation of leaders committed to serve society from their future position as managers.%u201D

The Oath Project forges an important link between individual ethics and corporate responsibility,%u201D said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. %u201CAligning business strategies and operations with universal values such as those advanced by the Global Compact requires sincere personal commitments to responsible leadership. The Oath Project represents a critical effort to embed management education and training in a broader context of business ethics.%u201D

 %u201CFor business to fulfill its promise and responsibility to society and to serve the public interest, we need to address root causes of less than satisfactory, and even socially damaging, behavior by individuals and institutions,%u201D Cabrera said. %u201CThe global financial crisis demonstrates the enormous responsibility business leaders hold, not only in their companies, but in society at large. Managers are entrusted with incredible power to create or destroy value, and in so doing, affect the lives of thousands if not millions of people. This is a power that should not be taken lightly and, as with medical or legal professionals, requires professional standards and ethics that govern its use.%u201D

It is the intent of The Oath Project to serve as a platform or %u201Chub%u201D that supports and enhances the work of the many individuals and organizations who have committed themselves to advancing the concept of the Oath worldwide. The leaders of The Oath Project agree that for the broader project to succeed, it is necessary to come to consensus around a single oath, though constantly improving, for all to share.

%u201CThe idea of a %u2018hippocratic Oath%u2019 for business managers is certainly not new,%u201D said Rich Leimsider, Director of the Center for Business Education at the Aspen Institute.  %u201CBut it is an idea whose time has come %u2013 and we%u2019re delighted to be a part of The Oath Project, this global effort to coordinate and amplify the work of our constituent partners. Alone, an Oath may be insufficient to effect real change. But we are working together to build a robust professional culture that can transform the practice and aspirations of management, worldwide.%u201D

The Oath itself is the result of global, multi-stakeholder process. It is designed to inspire individuals to the high standard of business as a profession.

Read the Oath

About The Oath Project
The notion of management as a profession, and various iterations of a business oath, have been debated for more than a century.  The Oath Project is an independent, nonprofit, organization, incorporated in 2009. The Oath Project serves as a platform to support the work of the many individuals and organizations that are committed to the Oath. Our founding partners include the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, the MBA Oath, the Aspen Institute, the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education, the UN Global Compact, the Association of Professionals in Business Management, and Net Impact. The Aspen Institute serves as The Oath Project secretariat and provides staff, website and other infrastructure support.

About the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)
The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) provide an engagement framework to inspire and champion responsible management education, research and thought leadership globally. The Principles are inspired by internationally accepted values such as the principles of the United Nations Global Compact and seek to establish a process of continuous improvement among institutions of management education in order to develop a new generation of business leaders capable of managing the complex challenges faced by business and society in the 21st century. More information: www.unprme.org

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Toyota: Forgotten Principles | 3BL Media

Last week Toyota’s president, Mr. Akio Toyota, testified before U.S. Congress regarding the company’s global recall.  Mr. Toyota repeatedly apologized for the recall of millions of cars, offering to take personal responsibility for what had happened.  As part of his testimony, Mr. Toyota stated that the company lost sight of its priorities, growing too large too fast.  He claimed the company’s original priorities were safety first, quality second and volume third.  However, over the years these priorities became scrambled, resulting in volume toppling safety.

This situation is a reminder that during times of growth organizations should continually review their founding principles and mission.  This can help to ensure that an organization’s current strategy does not lead it down a path it does intend nor desire.   Such an exercise may have helped Toyota keep its priorities in proper order.

Published on the Toyota Worldwide website is a set of  “7 Guiding Principles.” Principle #3 states: Dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all our activities. Interestingly, none of the principles mention anything to the tune of “sell more cars than anyone else.”  Additionally, Toyota North America’s mission statement reads: To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America. Again, the mission is not about volume—rather it is about value and customer satisfaction.

While I do not intend to over-simplify Toyota’s situation, it may have benefited the company to revisit its mission and principles, making sure that its actions aligned with their words. Unfortunately, Toyota is not the first, nor will it be the last organization, to lose sight of its founding intentions due to growth.  Company mission statements and principles serve minimal value if they are not upheld.

Does your organization’s current strategy and actions align with its mission?

Courtney Zegarski is an experienced research and communications professional with a passion for corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship. Courtney holds a B.A. in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis and a M.B.A in Leadership & Business Ethics from DePaul, and writes extensively for the Social Endeavors Blog.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily