Comments on: Ethical Standards for Business Professors http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/04/17/ethical-standards-for-business-professors/ Economics of organizations, strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and more Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:35:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: REW http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/04/17/ethical-standards-for-business-professors/#comment-70090 REW Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:54:07 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/?p=1484#comment-70090 Ask the folks at the Fisher School of the Ohio State University about this dilemma. Roger Blackwell's name (duly paid for) adorns the inn and conference center in the Fisher School complex three years after his conviction for insider trading and two years after his appeal was denied. His books on consumer behavior are landmarks; his entrepreneurship and directorships brought prestige to the school and a generous donation to the campus. I suspect the college and university would like his name expunged from the building, but they are unwilling to pay the costs. Ask the folks at the Fisher School of the Ohio State University about this dilemma. Roger Blackwell’s name (duly paid for) adorns the inn and conference center in the Fisher School complex three years after his conviction for insider trading and two years after his appeal was denied. His books on consumer behavior are landmarks; his entrepreneurship and directorships brought prestige to the school and a generous donation to the campus. I suspect the college and university would like his name expunged from the building, but they are unwilling to pay the costs.

]]> By: Alf Rehn http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/04/17/ethical-standards-for-business-professors/#comment-70083 Alf Rehn Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:33:44 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/?p=1484#comment-70083 It is an interesting issue, and I think part of the problem might lie in the rather generalized assumption of "vocational". I assume there are quite a few professors of both business and law that might as well be at a department of sociology or philosophy or psychology and so on. They may teach in vocational programmes, but does this immediately make them part of that vocation? If a philosophy professor teaches business ethics at a program for accountants, does she have to accept the ethical standards of accountants even when developing conceptual works? On the other hand, would one want a person who has been party to gross violations of said accounting practices (e.g. worked in Enron in a capacity that at least to the layman would imply partial guilt) teach in an accounting program? Or an accused drugdealer (a highly entrepreneurial business) teach in an entrepreneurship program? Difficult issues. It is an interesting issue, and I think part of the problem might lie in the rather generalized assumption of “vocational”. I assume there are quite a few professors of both business and law that might as well be at a department of sociology or philosophy or psychology and so on. They may teach in vocational programmes, but does this immediately make them part of that vocation? If a philosophy professor teaches business ethics at a program for accountants, does she have to accept the ethical standards of accountants even when developing conceptual works?

On the other hand, would one want a person who has been party to gross violations of said accounting practices (e.g. worked in Enron in a capacity that at least to the layman would imply partial guilt) teach in an accounting program? Or an accused drugdealer (a highly entrepreneurial business) teach in an entrepreneurship program?

Difficult issues.

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