The Need for An Ethical Business Culture

Wall Street has become synonymous with fraud and corruption and abuses in our Nation’s capital continue, causing considerable damage to our reputation as a world power. This program about the need for ethical business culture explores the rationale behind a good ethical culture, what needs to be done to improve it and how each of us can be part of the solution.

Left to Right: David Reid, Dennis McCuistion, Niki McCuistion, Marianne Jennings

• Marianne Jennings, PhD – Professor Emeritus in Business and Ethical Studies, Arizona State University; Author: Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse
• David Reid – Former Ethics Director Texas Instruments; now TI Ethics Director- Emeritus and immediate past chair: Conference Board, Global Council on Business Conduct
• Host – Dennis McCuistion

Is there a need for business ethics? What does an ethical business culture look like? According to management guru, Peter Drucker, there is no such thing as business ethics; ethics are ethics. Dr. Jennings says, “If you’re different at work than you are in your personal life, there’s a problem.” She goes on to say, people take their personal values with them. Personal ethics are part of the underlying issue. Saying, “but everyone else is doing it” or “no-one’s watching” or “this won’t hurt anyone” impacts cultural ethics at home and work.

Texas Instruments is well known for its ethical business culture. They take the position of making long-term business decisions and behave as if they are going to be around for a long time; which they in fact have been. Reid tells us everyone in the company has to walk the talk, modeling behaviors that make a difference. At TI, employees receive training in ethics so they know what they are responsible for. Efforts are made around prevention, “If you think something isn’t quite right, if you see a problem, call it and let’s get to the right answer.”

We may indeed have too many laws and regulations, but when the violations are clear, the ethics bent to the breaking point, we need to demonstrate courage. That may mean not doing business with violators, and at the very least standing up personally for what’s right and in the long term just good business.

Thank you again for joining us. As always, we are talking about things that matter… with people who care.

Niki Nicastro McCuistion, CSP
Executive Producer/ Producer
Management Analyst, Speaker, Consultant
nikin@nikimccuistion.com
(214) 394-6794

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2.10.13 – 2016