Social change architect R. Craig Lefebvre, also a professor at George Washington University, sees the oath as a positive step towards systemic change and calls for MBAs to join the shift.

A code of ethics for business leaders that is driven by student demand is something I celebrate today.

Organizational expert Rodney Johnson speaks positively of the MBA Oath and notes that MBA students are in a unique position to formulate solutions to these issues. Anupam Chander, writing in the Law School Innovation Blog, asks whether law students should take similar oaths.

Meanwhile, Daylife CEO Upendra Shardanand considers taking the step of asking potential hires if they signed up for the MBA Oath.

However, Daniel Akst, a correspondent with The Atlantic, expresses skepticism at the idea.

“Serve the greater good?” That’s funny, I thought the job was to make as much money as possible for the owners consistent with law and human decency.

The MBA oath itself mentions safeguarding the interests of shareholders, but we believe that sustainable value creation requires exceptionally ethical leadership. An enterprise does not exist in a vacuum. Employees, customers, suppliers, and even competitors prefer to work in an environment that is committed to good faith dealings and high ethical standards.

NY Times: “A Promise To Be Ethical in an Era of Immorality” – Leslie Wayne

“When a new crop of future business leaders graduates from the Harvard Business School next week, many of them will be taking a new oath that says, in effect, greed is not good.

What happened to making money?

That, of course, is still at the heart of the Harvard curriculum. But at Harvard and other top business schools, there has been an explosion of interest in ethics courses and in student activities — clubs, lectures, conferences — about personal and corporate responsibility and on how to view business as more than a money-making enterprise, but part of a large social community.”

NPR Planet Money Blog: First Do Not Steal From Shareholders

“It seems that a group of MBA candidates at HBS, surveying the wasteland that that has been made of their soon-to-be profession, have decided that new business managers should hold themselves accountable to something more than insane short-term growth and ridiculous bonuses.”

New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristoff comment on Facebook

“It’s no panacea, but anything that introduces ethical aspirations and larger values into the business world is a good idea, no?”

The replies are especially interesting. Here’s a sampling:

Ashley at 7:25am May 29
I think this is a wonderful idea; however, people going into any high performing job (MBA, Teachers, etc) should strive to be ethical all the time without any verbal acknowledgment.

Robin at 7:25am May 29
aren’t ethics and business sort of like military and intelligence, or oil and water. they just don’t go together

Jack at 7:31am May 29
The mere introduction of the concept is a step forward. As with all oaths and codes, there’s no enforcement power. Still, the oath at least gives graduates something to think about.

Sarah at 7:34am May 29
Most great ideas are borne of idealism, Harvard has it right. Here’s hoping the MBA Oath will “trickle-down” to the rest. I’m an MBA student at UMKC, and have always wondered why there is no industry-standard quality mantra or oath.