An editorial in a Pakistani newspaper offers this seemingly commonsensical ethical directive: do not give patients treatment until they have been correctly diagnosed (via testing procedures) to have the condition the treatment is meant for. Following this train of thought, a contrast is worked up between what the author calls 'speculation-based' and 'evidence-based' medicine. The former -- typically represented by 'quacks' -- can lead to all sorts of bad consequences, such as the potential harm caused when patients are given treatment for conditions they do not actually have.In contexts of poverty, however, the connection between testing and treatment often gets complicated. Sometimes the access to treatment is better than the access to testing; sometimes it is the reverse. When...
There are often complaints that the richer countries of the North -- particularly some of them -- do not devote a sufficient percentage of their GDP to international aid. The thought is basically that a small sacrifice, say a few dollars or Euros from each citizen, could save the lives of many people in poorer nations. There is something right about this, but also something quite wrong. To increase in international aid -- especially health aid -- shouldn't be considered something good in itself. International health aid can be valuable in cases of catastrophic health emergencies, but over the long haul, countries should not become more dependent on external funders to provide a decent level of health care for their own citizens. It is not just the indignity of dependence on others as...
The New England Journal of Medicine, amazingly, has published a piece on research ethics that you can access online for free. And it is a worthwhile article too: in Exploiting a Research Underclass in Phase 1 Clinical Trials, Carl Elliot and Roberto Abadie describe the basic conditions of those who sign up for safety trials on new drugs, and the analogies with sweatshop labor is never far away. Elliot and Abadie argue that participants in such trials are exploited for three reasons: they are unlikely to gain access to the drugs that are being tested on them, there is little effective regulatory oversight of the clinical drug trial industry, and there is little to no compensation for research-related injuries. In short, it is a bad job, disproportionately done by the poor. Yes, like the...
Medical devices group uncovers issues in sales at company it bought last year.Smith & Nephew shares fell by 13% yesterday after revealing that it had uncovered 'unethical' sales practices in a company it bought last year.The practices have led to the hiring of lawyers and forensic accountants, The Times reported, and will result in £50m in lost revenue.Most of the unacceptable activity, which are thought to have involved kickbacks to purchasers, occurred in Greece, newspaper reports said.See full...
The relationship between boss and subordinate is often littered with distrust, game-playing and even dislike. For example, according to a study by Florida State University, 39 percent of workers said their supervisor didn’t keep a promise, 37 percent said the boss withheld credit, and 23 percent said their supervisor blamed others to cover up mistakes or to minimize embarrassment.But bosses aren’t the only ones who lie. Subordinates also do things to erode the trust so essential to good working relationships. This survey reveals most workers have lied to their bosses about something, like the reason for a day off, why they’re late or why they’re missing a deadline.So a lot of lying is going on in the office. That’s life, right? While some lying is essential to making the...
It's only a matter of time before you're faced with an ethical dilemma on the job or internship. What can your employer expect of you when you have a difficult decision to make? Will you have the judgment and courage to do the right thing?Take this quiz to get a sense of how your ethics measure up.Take the Test...
Sitting in my room in Leslie Lodge in Blantrye (Malawi), I get the opportunity in the evenings to do something unusual: watch television. I don't have one at home. Besides the predictable trash, and some good football, I have been struck by the way that the current food crisis has been treated by most of the news channels. They have been milking the connections between biofuels, rising food prices, and imminent hunger for millions of persons for all they are worth. For some reason, Germans are being interviewed at gas stations that offer biofuels, apparently to show how good intentions can pave the autobahn to hell: the ethanol going into their tanks is pulling food out of the mouths of the poor. When the news channels are not probing the depths of German guilt, they produce an excellent...
If the Pope were really ashamed he wouldn´t have those running his church in the US still in their posts. Those are the ones that moved their criminals around from parish to parish in order to avoid taking responsibility, with the additional scandal that these continued in their criminal activities with new unsuspecting children.And the US is not the only country where the Pope´s priests are running wild.Less talk of shame and more action!Onésimo Alvarez-MoroSee article:Pope arrives for first U.S. visit, vows to keep pedophiles out of priesthood.Pope Benedict XVI arrived Tuesday in the United States to a presidential handshake and enthusiastic cheering, a warm welcome that followed the pontiff's candid admission hours earlier that he is "deeply ashamed" of the clergy sex abuse scandal...
It was clear at the time, and we said so, that this decision was a blatant attempt to appease an ally who scandalously held up anti-terrorism cooperation so that their involvement in corruption would not see the light of day.Nevertheless, this is not just a problem about the company. The ally is riddled with this sort of behaviour and noone wants to call them to account.Onésimo Alvarez-MoroSee article:Ministers on Thursday night vowed to drive through unprecedented statutory powers to shut down investigations on national security grounds, just hours after the High Court said the government had broken the law by scrapping a probe into arms deals between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia.Two top judges delivered a fierce rebuke to the government for “failing to recognise the rule of law”...
When: 15-17 April, 2008Where: Chicago, IL, USAAnti-corruption has become a top priority for Corporate America. More and more corruption cases are filed against US registered and listed companies. The Department of Justice, SEC, FBI and even the European Union are increasingly active. OECD nations, too, are turning increasing attention toward tackling business bribery. This opening conference session provides an overview of the landscape in key areas: The US, EU and emerging economies. Find out here about: * Trends: How rules and expectations are changing for large companies * The US/EU regulatory landscape: The new legislation designed to combat anti-corruption and push compliance * The global perspective: Which other Governments are serious about bribery, and what are they doing...
Last year, Jill Fisher at Arizona State University wrote a very interesting article on the concept of 'ready-to-recruit' populations for biomedical research for the journal Qualitative Inquiry (subscription required, goddammit). The term 'ready-to-recruit' is a concept used in the pharmaceutical industry to describe populations that do not really have an attractive alternative to joining a clinical trial, because they live in circumstances of poverty, where there are few doctors, where local medical care is sub-standard and so on. Fisher prefers the more ethically charged term 'ready to consent' to describe these populations, because they are not just easy to access, but gaining their consent is a piece of cake. Practically all you need to do is ask. Socio-economic forces do the rest....
When: June 3, 2008Where: The Rainbow Room, New York, NY, USADriving Profit Through Ethical LeadershipCompanies with a strong ethical culture and reputation for integrity are consistently outperforming their competitors. In surveys, consumers have demonstrated a preference for goods and services produced ethically. The next generation of employees—and leaders—want to join businesses that value ethics, and not just the bottom line.In today's global marketplace, where companies are not only concerned about a corporate culture but also the merging of several different cultures, how do you lead ethically? How do you convey the importance of an ethical corporate environment to your employees around the world? To shareholders and stakeholders? And why should you even try? Do sound ethics...
Date: June 3, 2008Location: The Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65th Floor (New York City), USAEthical Leadership Forum & Awards DinnerDescription:Companies with a strong ethical culture and reputation for integrity are consistently outperforming their competitors. In surveys, consumers have demonstrated a preference for goods and services produced ethically.The next generation of employees—and leaders—want to join businesses that value ethics, and not just the bottom line. In today’s global marketplace, where companies are not only concerned about a corporate culture but also the merging of several different cultures, how do you lead ethically? How do you convey the importance of an ethical corporate environment to your employees around the world? To shareholders and...
Building and maintaining an ethical corporate culture is a growing imperative in today's business climate. So what are leading corporations doing to manage and reduce their risk of serious ethics and compliance ("E&C") failures?To answer this question, Integrity Interactive (in partnership with Client Insight LLC, an independent market research fi rm) surveyed corporate legal and compliance executives, to better understand current attitudes, expectations, and best-practices in the area of E&C risk management. Integrity's study focused on the following topics:Which E&C-related activities are considered "strategic" at the enterprise level?What forces drive current demand for E&C programs and services?Where do top-level E&C executives report in the corporate hierarchy?How are E&C program...
Many people assumed that when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, “capitalism” had won the ideological cold war and that “communism” had lost. But, while “capitalism” – defined as an economic system built on private ownership of property – clearly has prevailed, there are many differences among the nearly 200 countries that now practice it in some form.We find it useful to divide the capitalist economies into four broad categories. While many economies straddle several of these, most economies fall primarily into one of them. The following typology helps explain why some economies grow more rapidly than others.Oligarchic capitalism exists where power and money are highly concentrated among a few. It is the worst form of capitalism, not only because of the extreme inequality in...
Today, there seems to be no coherent alternative to capitalism, yet anti-market feelings are alive and well, expressed for example in the moralistic backlash against globalization. Because no social system can survive for long without a moral basis, the issues posed by anti-globalization campaigners are urgent – all the more so in the midst of the current economic crisis.It is hard to deny some moral value to the market. After all, we attach moral value to processes as well as outcomes, as in the phrase “the end does not justify the means.” It is morally better to have our goods supplied by free labor than by slaves, and to choose our goods rather than have them chosen for us by the state. The fact that the market system is more efficient at creating wealth and satisfying wants than...
Faced with the proliferation of tools to measure 'Corporate Social Responsibility' or other 'ethical practices' of private companies, one might want to pause for a second to consider the effectiveness of these new instruments.Globalisation paradoxGlobalisation has been influential in a lot of recent progresses, from promoting freedom of ideas, goods or persons to increasing human rights awareness and supporting democratic movements. Let�s say it: globalisation has been a significant source of economic development in many regions of the world. Still, you would have to fish in a very liberal pond to find somebody trusting this �movement� to build equal opportunities for all. As it turns out, the gap between rich and poor is only getting bigger:See full...
Tune into "The Apprentice," and you get an all-too-common view of business. Every week, all of the wannabe moguls try to impress Donald Trump by preening, cajoling and conniving. In this world, toughness is the measure of every CEO, and the boss glories in firing people and squeezing every penny out of suppliers.Yet according to John Zhang and Jagmohan Raju, both Wharton marketing professors, and Tony Haitao Cui, a University of Minnesota marketing and logistics professor, many people aren't purely mercenary in their business dealings. They care about fairness -- and they should, the researchers say, because doing so can maximize their profits.A manufacturer and a retailer can both end up making more money if they are fair minded, setting prices with an eye to achieving an equitable...
Mr. Spitzer in his resignation speech stated that he has always believed that, in all matters, a person needs to take personal responsibility for his actions, regardless of power and position, and that he was not going to be an exception. Sounds very nice!What he really means is that a person takes responsibility for his actions, but only when he is caught and then only after waiting a couple of days to test the political fallout, before taking responsibility.Not exactly the same thing!Onésimo Alvarez-MoroSee article:Gov. Eliot Spitzer, whose rise to political power as a fierce enforcer of ethics in public life was undone by revelations of his own involvement with prostitutes, resigned on Wednesday, becoming the first New York governor to leave office amid scandal in nearly a century.The...
When: April 16-17, 2008Where: Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Il, USAHow to effectively manage corporate compliance and ethics, globallyEthical Corp ConferenceAt this conference you’ll gain cutting edge knowledge and information on: * How to manage risk Find out about new emerging risks – and learn how to successfully deal with existing ones * Getting it done Hear how the world’s leading companies are putting theory into action – what do they know that you don’t? * Tools of the trade Discover the latest and compelling tactics and technologies that will help you deliver a powerful compliance and ethics culture * New opportunities Learn how to make your compliance leaner and more effective * The value of reputation What it means for winning...
Given all the failures that this company has demonstrated with its lack of adecuate corporate responsibility and ethics, it sounds good.Let us wait for the action rather than just the words!Onésimo Alvarez-MoroSee article:It would be hard enough under any circumstances to become the first outsider named to lead a 161-year-old global conglomerate, but Peter Löscher faced a unique challenge last summer when he assumed the reins at Siemens AG -- the German-based engineering and healthcare giant.The 49-year-old president and CEO of Siemens -- who spoke recently at the Wharton Leadership Lecture series -- openly acknowledged that his first and most difficult task after taking the job last July was dealing with the aftermath of a scandal that included allegations of bribes to foreign...
When: March 27 - 28, 2008Where: Atlanta, Ga, USAChairs: * Paul B. Murphy - King & Spalding LLP, AtlantaWhy You Should AttendThe state of corporate compliance is changing dramatically. The advent of new and more stringent government regulations and oversight and better informed management is causing a shift in the responsibilities and priorities of legal, ethics and compliance departments and the corporations they serve. At no time has promoting and maintaining an ethical corporate culture been more crucial to a company’s success, survival, and well-being. Are you and your company prepared to thrive in this new environment?At the Corporate Compliance and Ethics Institute, a distinguished faculty, drawn from major corporations, ethics organizations, law firms, academia, and the...
No one makes it to the top ranks of corporate management without a healthy amount of self-assurance. Confidence underlies decisive, strong leadership, but does overconfidence lead managers to cross the line and commit fraud?New Wharton research that combines results from the psychology literature and SEC fraud enforcement records is examining how top executives might be inclined to engage in fraudulent behavior because they are overconfident about their firm's ability to perform in the future.Wharton accounting professor Catherine M. Schrand and doctoral student Sarah L. C. Zechman are developing a paper titled, "Executive Overconfidence and the Slippery Slope to Fraud"that examines patterns in frauds to determine if some frauds evolve, not out of pure self-interest, but because...
When: May 13-14, 2007Where: DescriptionResponsible Business is in the spotlight more than ever before. Climate Change is never off the news, ethical supply chain awareness has filtered down to the general public, anti-corruption is seen as one of the most pressing corporate concerns of the day. This year, as always, we are directly reflecting the concerns of the CR community. Topics we’ve been asked to address include: * Mainstreaming Corporate Responsibility - how do you embed CR in your company, and will it kill your CR department as a result? * Measurement - we have a whole selection of sessions dealing with different aspects of measurement of your CR initiatives. For a more detailed look, go here * Controversy and CR - the whole conference will have a controversial bent -...
Date: April 16-17th, 2008Where: Chicago, IL, USASo far 34 top level speakers have confirmed to share their valuable experience and knowledge. This unique learning opportunity offers you the chance to truly master your anti-corruption, compliance and ethics programs and polices. The companies and organizations participating include Wal-Mart, BP, Texas Instruments, Trace, Hospira, ITT, Best Buy, Kraft, Fluor, Newmont, Lockheed, SAIC, Pfizer, Intel, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, and the FBI, to name a few. See full...
When: March 3-4, 2008DescriptionThe Global Corporate Responsibility Reporting Summit is a focused 2 day conference designed to shed light on the current climate of global CR reporting.With an ever more vociferous demand for solid CR information from stakeholders, accurate and efficient reporting is becoming integral to a successful CR agenda throughout the corporate world. It has grown to the extent that we are now able to celebrate best practice in reporting as is evidenced by Corporate Registers CR Reporting Awards 07. Tying in with this landmark event is this in depth study of CR reporting around the globe.This informative and interactive experience will raise a number of key issues. Listen to views from some of the leading experts in reporting and draw your own conclusions based on...
When: 13-14 March 2008Where: New York, New York, USAThe premise behind the ESF challenge is to make you think and learn!Develop knowledge and gather information through participation in the industry’s most unique form of learning and engagement...Click on Ethical Sourcing Forum 2008 North America to download the latest conference brochure!Secure your place today... and you will: * Gather and exchange experiences on good implementation practices * Build partnerships and engage with relevant stakeholders * Increase your awareness and strengthen your ability to reach your goals * Benchmark your current experience with other industry practitioners * Strengthen your ability to impact key issues that are important to you * If you don’t want to...
Many teenagers think cheating, lying or violent behavior an acceptable means to an end, according to surveyUnethical behavior persists, and is even condoned under some circumstances, according to two separate surveys of workplace behavior and of teenage attitudes.In the workplace over the past year, more than half (56 percent) of employees surveyed had personally observed violations of company ethics standards, policy or the law. Many saw multiple violations.More than two of five employees (42 percent) who witnessed misconduct did not report it through any company channels, according to the Ethics Resource Center’s 2007 National Business Ethics Survey.The findings reflected interviews with almost 2,000 employees at U.S. public and private companies of all sizes.See full...
The day after former Senator George Mitchell released his damning report on performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball last December, President George Bush, a former baseball-team owner himself, seemed to speak for many disgusted fans when he pronounced, "Steroids have sullied the game."The Mitchell Report fingered 89 professional ball players, but many of these allegations were nothing new for baseball watchers. Game of Shadows, a 2006 exposé by a pair of investigative journalists, and Juiced, a 2005 tell-all memoir by player José Canseco, described a world of professional baseball rife with performance-enhancing drug abuse. The ongoing scandal, which first surfaced in the late 1990s, has bubbled on for a decade, leading commentators to label it the "steroids era."With fans...
Does anyone feel sorry for the Prince, when his little enclave has been shown to harbour criminals? Make no mistake, tax dodgers are criminals!Onésimo Alvarez-MoroSee article:Pressure grew on Liechtenstein on Tuesday to ease its bank secrecy rules in the wake of a German tax scandal centred on the Alpine tax haven.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Europe, which co-ordinates global efforts to reduce tax haven secrecy, added its voice to calls by Angela Merkel, German chancellor, and the European Union for greater financial transparency.Angel Gurria, the secretary general of the OECD, said Liechtenstein’s secrecy rules were a “relic of a different time”.He was speaking on the eve of a visit on Wednesday to Berlin by Otmar Hasler, Liechtenstein’s...