LEAP 2: Reading and Writing

Additional Reading

An Education in Ethics: Doing the Right Thing

In many disciplines and in business studies in particular, moves have been made
to introduce ethics courses in the curricula. This trend is still in its early stages
and, in some cases, classes have been purely voluntary. But the reasons for
conducting such courses have grown as frequent white-collar crimes expose a
lack of concern for right and wrong among some college graduates.

The most significant contemporary scandals have been financial ones where
rules have been ignored by investment managers who have embezzled—that is,
stolen—millions of dollars from clients. In other cases, lawyers have been
compensated in cash or kind (i.e., payment involving a good or service instead of
cash) for deals in which they had conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest is
when rules about separating one’s professional role from one’s personal gain
have been ignored.

In other ethical breaches, experiments have been conducted by scientists that

have negatively affected test subjects. Among the worst examples was a series
of experiments done on prisoners who were purposely infected with various
diseases. The affected prisoners were not given a choice to participate and
suffered terribly, while scientists compiled their symptoms into databases of
findings that were largely unnecessary because the effects of the diseases were
already known.

Conventional wisdom tells us we should never behave unethically, particularly if it

violates people’s legal or civil rights, so why does it happen so regularly?
Psychologists point to three criteria. First is peer pressure. If you have been told
to do something by a boss or someone else in your company’s hierarchy—even
if it’s wrong—you may not worry about doing it. Second, even if you have not
been asked, you may consider doing something unethical because you think it is
for the so-called good of the company. Third is the idea of precedence: if others
have done something wrong, it may seem okay for you to do so as well.

Over and above the requirement to not do wrong is the ethical need to do right.
The Kew Gardens principles were developed after a murder in New York City
that bystanders could have prevented—if they had only made a small effort.
Psychologists suggest people be taught to recognize the ethical principles of
need, proximity, capability, and last resort.

LEAP 2: Reading and Writing 1 Additional Reading

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Need refers to the idea that you are not ethically bound to try to fix every problem
you see. But the greater the need, the more important it is to ensure that you get
involved. Proximity refers to how close you are to a problem, either physically or
through some other relationship. This implies that the ethical choice is to always
help with the problems of friends and relatives, no matter how far away they live.

Capability refers to your ability to solve a problem. For example, at an accident

scene, you might find someone seriously hurt but if you are constrained by a lack
of first aid training, you cannot ethically be expected to help. And last resort
refers to the need for you to help if no one else is able or willing to do so. For
example, in the case of an accident, when no one else is available to administer
professional first aid, you are ethically required to try to do what you can.

For a long time, it was thought that it was impossible to learn these and other
ethical behaviours as an adult; if an authoritative source had not taught children
ideas around ethical behaviour, their bad behaviours were considered fixed. But
research now shows that engaging young adults in a conversation on what is
right and wrong helps provide the mental tools to behave correctly. You make
countless decisions each day. It is worth considering how each of them can be
an ethical one.
(632 words)

LEAP 2: Reading and Writing 2 Additional Reading

My eLab Documents
© ERPI Reproduction authorized
solely for use with LEAP 2: Reading and Writing