The Ethics of Business by Christopher Drake
Profits or prophets? Chris Drake looks over his shoulder at the latest perceptions of moral and ethical values in commerce.
In the past two years several major scandals have rocked the world of business. These have affected high-profile names in the City of London such as centuries-old Barings Bank, which collapsed under US$1.3bn in debt, and the highly reputable Morgan Grenfell.
Elsewhere, the New York branch of Daiwa racked up losses of US$1.1bn through trading US Treasury bonds, while the secret copper trades of ‘Mr. Five Percent’ at Japan’s Sumitomo resulted in losses now put at US$2.6bn. Prominent politicians in India and Pakistan, and even two former Presidents of Korea, have all been given leading parts in an unending gallery of greedy rogues.
In a case of widespread fraud at German steel and engineering giant Thyssen, one of the top anti-corruption prosecutors said “We are witnessing a loss of values in Germany. Moral and ethical principles in German boardrooms have gone to the dogs ... the only thing that seems to matter is profits and selfish materialism.” Lax controls, the bending of rules and white-collar crime are seen as having reached epidemic proportions with allegations from Australia to Alaska tarnishing household names previously seen as representing the paragon of boardroom ethics....
....the values we should express in business are the values that we aspire to in our moral and social lives.
What does this mean in practical terms? A number of things including:1. The business should not involve an activity of itself immoral.
2. Look closely at how the business is run. On what values or principles are decisions and actions based?
3. What are the motives of those involved in the business? Why are they carrying it out?
4. Given that the business itself passes these tests, what effect does it have on people and their lives?
Denial is the biggest for adherents.
Chris Drake has been around the BKs for a long time. What I would call, one of their "Trophy Whites". He is seriously intelligent and has genuine business experience (Deputy Managing Director of Sassoon Securities Limited, Investment Adviser and Dealer, member of the Hong Kong Securities Institute, MA in Jurisprudence from Oxford University etc) and is part of the UN/Living Value thing ... how on earth can he go along with all the End of the World, Nuclear Bomb and historical revision stuff?
With individuals such as these, is it true belief, hypnosis, a subtle addiction to the platform the BKWSU provides them? DO they really believe or do they just like being inside the Brahma Kumari community?
... and why cannot individuals of his caliber do something to sort out the BKWSU? Is it such an impossible task? I'd be loathed to hear all he was doing was high-class whitewashing and structuring business deals for them.
- Does anyone know if it is a 'full Maryadas following' BK Bhai?