MBA oath not enough? HSB and Wharton change curriculum

The ethics of business culture have particularly been in question since the financial crisis revealed that some companies are run more for the profit of some top employees. Harvard Business School might have kicked off something bigger by introducing its oath two years ago. By now 250 business schools worldwide have also expressed interest in the idea, acknowledging that MBA students should learn the ethical principles on which a business ought to be run as well as how to increase profit margins.

By now Harvard Business School (HBS) and also the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School have gone as far as changing their curriculum. Both schools have shifted their focus from achieving pure financial success to conducting business in an ethical way. New courses on ethics as well as teamwork were added to the syllabus of the schools. HBS's Dean Nitin Nohria is one of the main supporters of an increased social responsibility in corporate business. Nohria argued in an article for the "Harvard Business Review" in 2008 already, that managers had "lost legitimacy" and that there was a strong need for a "rigorous code of ethics."

Does an MBA oath support this "rigorous code of ethics"? Should all business schools follow the HBS example and introduce an oath? We would value your personal views and comments on this topic.

Sources:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5c7b7592-307c-11e0-9de3-00144feabdc0.html
http://blogs.forbes.com/csr/2011/02/14/will-harvards-revamped-mba-change-business-culture/

• Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
  Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA