Business Ethics

We had a very interesting topic in class the other day on Business Ethics, particularly in writing. It is so ironic, too, because I had just written up a report for my Accounting class on two business ethics cases. It seems like this is becoming a major issue in our world, and thank goodness our professors are teaching us about it. My accounting cases were basically stories of accountants or CEO's cheating on their financial statements or smudging numbers, or even renaming some accounts. Sometimes, it's hard to even see the line that you aren't supposed to cross. So, I'm thankful that we have been able to explore ethics issues in our classes.

I've never thought much about ethics in the workplace until the issues were brought up in class. But now I realize, it is a major problem. I would be surprised to find one company that has done everything ethically, whether it be its financial statements, treatment of employees, or even within its operations. Almost every business cuts corners in today's society, either to get ahead of the competition, or just to make themselves look better. What they don't realize is that, somehow they are hurting either themselves or others. Business is a cutthroat world... I've been warned of this many times when I tell people that I major in finance. However, it doesn't have to be all about lying and cheating to get ahead. It can also be fun, and worthwhile, if approached the right way. All I know is, I would much rather have a successful company as a result of hard work and honesty than a company I can't be proud of because I ignored all the rules of ethics to become successful. The problem is, there are not many ethical people out there today... and the line between right and wrong is getting much harder to see. This is why it is so important for our generation, the future of the business world, to learn about ethics issues in school and then stand up for "right" when we are out in the business world. There are too many corrupt business people out there today and I think it's all on our generation now... I just hope we are up for it.