|
Issue Date: February 23, 2003
Interview: Tom Rowley, Junior Achievement's vice president of education.
Enron. WorldCom. Tyco. It's been a banner year for unethical behavior in big business. With news of accounting cover-ups being splashed across the front pages of newspapers around the country, it's safe to say no one -- not even your average 10-year-old -- has been able to miss the shady goings-on at these companies and others like them.
Enter Junior Achievement. The company, which has spent 83 years educating children and teens about the business world, is launching a new program called the Ethics Continuum. With an emphasis on integrity and personal responsibility in the workplace, the program seeks to pull "teachable moments" from the headlines and help students in grades 4-12 see how knowing right from wrong. and upholding ethical practices. is not only preferable; it's essential both in the workplace and out.
With the support of professional services company Deloitte & Touche LLP, Junior Achievement plans to test the new program this spring and will officially launch the Ethics Continuum nationwide this fall. We spoke with Tom Rowley, vice president of education for Junior Achievement Inc., to learn more about the program:
Why teach business ethics to children?
Recent events in business have focused the attention of the society as a whole on ethics in business. That's what students are hearing about and reading about. It's appropriate that we then focus on ethics in that setting.
What will kids learn from the program?
The activities we are creating will supplement the business, economics and entrepreneurial instruction they already receive as part of the Junior Achievement program. We are still defining the specific scope and coverage of what those activities will include, but expect items such as the responsible use of resources, the role of businesses in the environment, the responsibility of individuals in the integrity and accuracy of résumés and job applications, the responsibility of government in behaving ethically toward its citizens. We would touch areas of technology, business management, personnel issues, even the entertainment industry regarding the downloading of material off the Internet.
What is the most important lesson kids need to learn about ethics in business?
That ethics is not just something their parents or people in the business world have to deal with. We want students to understand that ethics is an issue they should be thinking about and dealing with at their age. It's not something that will wait until the magic time when they graduate from college or have a job. Ethical behavior affects their lives today.
What, specifically, can parents do to raise ethical children?
The research in education clearly shows that the things parents model for their children and support them in are the things that make the most impact on students. So, first and foremost, ethical behavior by parents is probably the single greatest determination of how students will act. But we provide additional opportunities for discussion. For example, if the student comes home from school and has experienced a discussion dealing with ethics in the workplace, there may be more likelihood that there will be a discussion centered around these principles. Parents and students typically discuss what's important to the student and what the student is bringing home and working on. If we can provide activities such as those to go home with the student, or for the student and a parent to access together off of the Web site, it is more likely that that discussion will take place and those behaviors will be shaped.
How will this be available? If I wanted my child to take a Junior Achievement course that deals with business ethics, how would I go about doing that?
The Ethics Continuum materials will accompany the regular Junior Achievement materials in going into the hands of [instructors] to be presented to the class in school. Those same materials will be available for download from the Junior Achievement Web site, ja.org, when the program launches in the fall.
Finally, do you think that we might not have had the Enrons and WorldComs if those executives had taken this Junior Achievement course?
That's a challenging question. Without casting any judgment, I think it would be our goal to prevent that type of thing in the future and to establish in the students who are in school today, the business leaders of tomorrow, the personal standards and behavior that would prevent such things.
--Michele Hatty
|
