Should MBAs Take an Ethics Oath? Here’s Why It’s More Than Symbolic

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A few years ago, Harvard Business School students made headlines for something unexpected:

They took an ethics oath—a public pledge to lead with integrity and act in good faith.

It made waves.

The Huffington Post ran with it.

NPR interviewed a few students.

Even Michael Lewis dropped a reference during a CNN appearance.

On the Surface, It Sounds Simple—Even Naive

What does a few sentences on a piece of paper really change?

It’s not binding. It’s not enforceable. It won’t undo the financial crises or cure corporate misconduct.

But here’s why I still support it:

Because a small symbolic gesture—done in earnest—can challenge a much larger, entrenched culture of cynicism.

The Real Problem Isn’t Greed. It’s Fatalism

Most people aren’t evil. But they do respond to what they believe others are doing.

And over time, many MBAs start to internalize the most toxic assumptions of capitalism:

  • “Everyone is out for themselves.”
  • “If you don’t cheat, someone else will.”
  • “It’s not personal. It’s just business.”

This worldview doesn’t just tolerate bad behavior. It rationalizes it.

It gives otherwise decent people an intellectual pass to justify acting selfishly, unethically, or even illegally.

An Ethics Oath Pushes Back—Even If Just a Little

No, it won’t stop a determined bad actor.

But it does set a different tone for those still figuring out who they want to be. It gives future MBAs—even just a few of them—permission to believe in their better nature. And to expect better of others, too.

We tend to become the people we surround ourselves with.

And when cynicism becomes the default mindset in business school, the impact lingers long after graduation.

The Dick Cheney School of Psychology

Sorry for the name-check, but it’s the perfect metaphor.

A worldview that starts with “assume the worst” tends to create the very behavior it fears.

That kind of outlook doesn’t foster better systems or stronger accountability.

It just lubricates the slide toward “everyone’s doing it” moral collapse.

Ethics Starts With Self-Image

If you see yourself as inherently selfish, you’re more likely to justify bad behavior.

But if you aspire to be better—and believe that others might be too—you’re more likely to course-correct when no one’s watching. That’s the real point of a public oath. Not to broadcast your virtue, but to remind yourself of it when it’s tempting to forget.

It won’t fix corporate governance.

It’s not a substitute for regulation.

But it can be the first step—a personal nudge in the right direction.

Symbolic? Sure. But Symbols Shape Culture

A business ethics oath is like an appetizer:

It’s not the main course.

But it sets the tone for what’s to come.

Need help on your applications?

Looking for ways to show adcoms that you care about more than just money and prestige? The MBA App Assistant can help you craft essays and interviews that reflect integrity, not just ambition. Because in the long run, character is part of your competitive edge.