News and Views

For the first time, a majority of U.S. medical schools have implemented strong conflict-of-interest policies, according to the 2010 American Medical Student Association (AMSA) PharmFree Scorecard.  The Scorecard, developed by AMSA and the Pew Prescription Project, finds that 79 of 152 medical schools (52 percent) now receive a grade of A or B for their policies governing pharmaceutical industry interaction with medical school faculty and students, compared with 45 last year.  Related resource: AMSA Scorecard with grades for each medical school.

Speaking of the pharmaceutical industry, the public ranks it with oil, health insurance and tobacco as industries needing more regulation, according to a new poll by Harris Interactive. Together with the telecommunications and automobile industries, these are the least trusted businesses in America. "When asked which of a list of 17 industries are generally honest and trustworthy, almost half (48%) of all adults say 'none of these' which is the highest number giving this negative response since we first asked this question in 2003," the firm reported. The findings confirm a number of other studies showing that public trust of institutions is in decline. Related resource: Press release on survey findings, Dec. 2, 2010.

Can empathy be learned?  And if so, can it be taught?  An innovative project at Capital University in Ohio aims to find out by immersing six selected students in activities designed to let them "walk a mile in someone else's shoes."  The Empathy Project was conceived by Capital President Denvy Bowman, who calls it a "monumental undertaking" but is not willing to divulge many details while students are applying for the chance to participate.  Below is a short video of Bowman describing the project:



A University of Michigan study concluded several months ago that today's college students are not as empathetic as students of the 1980s and 1990s.  Sara Konrath, a researcher on the 30-year study of 14,000 students, suggests that exposure to media and social networking could be a reason: "Compared to 30 years ago, the average American now is exposed to three times as much nonwork-related information. In terms of media content, this generation of college students grew up with video games, and a growing body of research, including work done by my colleagues at Michigan, is establishing that exposure to violent media numbs people to the pain of others."  Related resources:  University of Michigan research on students and empathy; sample questions from the University of Michigan study.

One in every four people in the world paid a bribe to a public official during the last year, according to a study by Transparency International released this week on International Anti-Corruption Day.  The Berlin-based non-governmental agency reported data on small-scale bribery from polls of more than 91,000 people in 86 countries and territories.  While bribes were frequently paid to health, education and tax authorities, it was law enforcement that proved most corrupt, with 29 percent of people who had dealings with police saying they paid a bribe. Worldwide, sub-Saharan Africa was the region reporting the greatest incidence of bribery with more than one person in two saying they had bribed government officials in the last year.  The Middle East and North Africa was the next most corrupt region, followed by the former Soviet republics, South America, the Balkans and Turkey, the Asia-Pacific region, the European Union, and North America.  Related resource: Transparency International 2010 Global Corruption Barometer.

News and Views

The International Statistical Institute (ISI) announced a new ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics for statisticians.  The declaration expands a 1985 code that covered objectivity, conflicts of interest and privileged information, adding a section on "shared professional values" of respect, professionalism, truthfulness and integrity.  It is intended to help statisticians make "ethically valid judgments and decisions" and is available in multiple languages. Related resource: ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics (PDF).

Fewer than three in five employees who witness unethical conduct at work report it to management or another appropriate person, according to Ethics Resource Center (ERC).  Researchers have identified several consistent trends: women tend to report more than men; members of unions are less likely to report than nonunion workers; and managers report more concerns than do nonmanagement employees.  ERC conducts annual surveys of U.S. employees across multiple industries.  Related resource: ERC Brief on Employee Reporting (PDF).

The public sees business as more socially responsible than a year ago.  So says a study by Boston College's Center for Corporate Responsibility and the Reputation Institute, which surveyed 7,790 consumers on their perceptions of  U.S. companies' performance related to citizenship (the community and the environment), governance (ethics and transparency) and workplace practices. "The top 25 companies all rated at or above 75 in this year’s study compared to 2009 when only the top nine companies scored that high," according to the researchers who gathered ratings of 230 large companies.  Related resource: Corporate Social Responsibility Index, full report (PDF).

Corruption remains an obstacle to achieving economic and social progress worldwide, according to Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), an annual measure of domestic, public sector corruption.  This year's report shows that nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index score below five, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low levels of corruption), indicating a serious corruption problem.  Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore tie for first place with scores of 9.3, while Afghanistan, Myanmar and Somalia round out the bottom of the list.  Related resource: Corruption Perceptions Index 2010.

News and Views

Can physical cleanliness cause people to be more virtuous? A new study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests there may be some truth in the old saying, "cleanliness is next to godliness." But the researchers at University of Toronto and London Business School warn that this "elevated sense of moral self" may also prompt "severe moral judgment" of others. "Three experiments using different manipulations of cleanliness showed that participants primed with self cleanliness rendered harsher moral judgments on contested social issues and activities with ambiguous moral implications."

The world has become slightly less peaceful in the last year, according to the Global Peace Index, a study that ranks New Zealand, Iceland and Japan as the most peaceful nations. The GPI looks at domestic and international conflict, safety and security in 149 countries. Indicators include the likelihood of violent demonstrations and criminal activity. Published in cooperation with The Economist, the report explains, "In some nations, an intensification of conflicts and growing instability appears to be linked to the global economic downturn in late 2008 and early 2009." Not surprisingly, Iraq was rated as least at peace, followed by Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan.

CEOs of companies in the United Nations Global Compact say their firms' future success depends on becoming more sustainable. A survey of 766 CEOs also found that 96 percent believe sustainability should be fully integrated into the strategy and operations of a company -- up from 72 percent in 2007. What is driving the business case for this? For more than 70 percent it is “brand, trust and reputation”; only 44 percent justify sustainability efforts on the basis of anticipated revenue growth or cost reduction. Members of the Global Compact might be expected to be more engaged than other companies in sustainable practices. Related resource: A New Era of Sustainability: UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study 2010.

Countries representing more than half of world exports now enforce a ban on foreign bribery, continuing a six-year trend of positive progress, according to the 2010 Progress Report of Transparency International (TI). However, among the 36 countries that have ratified the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business 20 still have taken little or no action on enforcement. "The difficult economic environment is no excuse for OECD governments to ignore their collective commitment to stop foreign bribery," said TI in a statement. "To the contrary, cleaning up foreign bribery must be regarded as a key part of the reforms needed to overcome the worldwide recession."

Doctors with deep religious beliefs are significantly less likely to take actions to hasten the death of the terminally ill, according to a British survey of 8,000 doctors. Researchers at London University School of Medicine said the findings suggest a need for greater acknowledgement of how beliefs influence care. Responses were from doctors practicing in a wide variety of fields, with a particular focus on those in palliative and elderly care. Those who described themselves as very or extremely non-religious were about 40% more likely than religious doctors to prescribe continuous deep sedation until death, the study in the Journal of Medical Ethics reported. Related resource: "Doctors' Religious Beliefs Strongly Influence End-of-Life Decisions, Study Finds," Science Daily 26 August 2010.

Spending on state Supreme Court elections has more than doubled in the past decade, says a research report by Hofstra Law School Professor James Sample. Campaign spending rose from $83.3 million in 1990-1999 to $206.9 million in 2000-2009, heightening concerns that special interests are playing a more dominant role in choosing jurists. The report, "The New Politics of Judicial Elections, 2000-2009: Decade of Change," features a foreword by Former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who writes, "Elected Judges in many states are compelled to solicit money for their election campaigns, sometimes from lawyers and parties appearing before them."

News and Views

Transparency International has published its 2009 Global Corruption Report, a useful handbook that describes strategies for tackling corruption in business, areas needing reform, and ways for companies, governments, investors and others to raise corporate integrity and meet "the challenges that corruption poses to sustainable economic growth and development." Related Resources: 2009 Global Corruption Report;Transparency International.

Thirty-five percent of students ages 13 to 18 have used cell phones to cheat in the classroom, either by texting answers to others or by storing information on a phone, according to a survey for Common Sense Media by the Benenson Strategy Group. More than 40 percent of these students do not see their behaviors as serious cheating offenses. Meanwhile, three-quarters of parents say that cell phone cheating happens at their teens’ schools, but only 3 percent believe their own teen has ever used a cell phone to cheat. The study reports that teens with cell phones send 440 text messages a week and 110 a week while in the classroom. Related Resource: Report of Survey Findings.

A "Manifesto for a Global Economic Ethic" was published Oct. 6 by a UN-led consortium of organizations. Calling for multi-stakeholder dialog, the document builds on the 1993 Parliament of World Religions’ Declaration towards a Global Ethic by espousing five "universally acceptable" values: the principle of humanity; non-violence and respect for life; justice and solidarity; honesty and tolerance; and mutual esteem and partnership. Related Resource: Manifesto for a Global Economic Ethic.

Also at the UN, more than 1,000 companies have been delisted by the Global Compact since 2008 for failing to meet the mandatory annual reporting requirement, or Communication on Progress (COP) policy. Business members of the Global Compact agree to report annually on progress in implementing ten principles covering human rights, workplace standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. The Global Compact continues to grow at a rate of roughly 100 new companies per month, with total participants now numbering over 7,000 organizations in more than 135 countries. Related Resources: Names of Delisted Companies; UN Global Compact.

News and Views

A conference on Ethics, Politics and Public Corruption will be held April 3 in Birmingham, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA) Criminal Justice Section and the Alabama State Bar. A national line-up of speakers includes ABA President Thomas Wells. Conference sessions will consider the roles of prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and the news media in criminal cases involving public officials.

The American Anthropological Association has changed its code of ethics to strengthen protection of human research subjects, and to encourage free dissemination of scholarship. One addition to the revised code reads, "Anthropologists have a responsibility to be both honest and transparent with all stakeholders about the nature and intent of their research. They must not misrepresent their research goals, funding sources, activities, or findings. Anthropologists should never deceive the people they are studying regarding the sponsorship, goals, methods, products, or expected impacts of their work. Deliberately misrepresenting one’s research goals and impact to research subjects is a clear violation of research ethics, as is conducting clandestine research."

A new report from the non-profit Committee for Economic Development calls on directors of public companies to take greater responsibility for societal issues. Rebuilding Corporate Leadership is the product of an initiative led by William H. Donaldson, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He contends that "although public corporations increasingly are the core of a system unsurpassed in creating jobs, income, and wealth, corporate leaders -- directors and managers -- must do better, by integrating societal concerns into corporate strategy to strengthen long-term competitiveness and in so doing, the sustainability of both the corporation and the society in which it operates. In short, corporate leaders cannot ignore their place in the social fabric."

A study of government corruption in 57 countries was released last week by Global Integrity, an international non-profit organization that tracks global trends. The 2008 Global Integrity Report uses more than 300 indicators to assess accountability
mechanisms and transparency measures that may prevent corruption. Where weaknesses in such safeguards exist, corruption is more likely to occur. On the "watch list" of countries where high-level government corruption is most likely: Angola, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Iraq, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Serbia, Somalia, the West Bank, and Yemen. Additional Resource: Transparency International ratings of countries on bribery issues.

An informative web resource in business ethics and corporate responsibility has been launched by the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS) and the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). The Business in Society Gateway aims to become the "world’s most comprehensive online resource centre" of its kind, providing access to research, as well as information on educational activities in Europe and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the international Caux Round Table has a new web site, offering useful resources and perspectives on a range of issues. Founded in 1986, Caux Round Table is a longtime advocate of a set of ethical principles for business.

News and Views

People are as willing as ever to inflict pain on innocent strangers in blind obedience to authority, according to recent experiments replicating the infamous 1963 study by psychologist Stanley Milgram. In the original experiment, familiar to many who have taken undergraduate psychology courses, ordinary citizens were told they were participating in a study of the effects of punishment on learning. The subjects were instructed to administer electric shocks to a "learner" (who was strapped to a chair and fitted with electrodes) whenever test questions were answered incorrectly. Eighty percent were willing to deliver what they believed were 150-volt shocks; 65 percent continued as the level increased to 450 volts and appeared to cause great harm to the learners. The new study, published in the current issue of American Psychologist, yields similar results, though the researcher at Santa Clara University modified the methodology somewhat to comply with ethics rules regarding human subjects. Additional resource: Stanley Milgram, Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View, New York: Harper & Row, 1975.

On his first full day in office, President Obama issued an executive order designed to limit the influence of special interests by closing the revolving door of lobbyists in and out of the executive branch of government. Though the order is entitled, "Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel," its scope is limited to specific matters involving lobbyists: a ban on gifts by lobbyists to employees; recusal of political appointees from participating in matters relevant to the interests of past employers or clients; and restrictions on lobbying access to the executive branch by political appointees after they leave their government jobs. Not surprisingly, the policy is already proving difficult to maintain in a city with a tradition of cozy relationships between lobbyists and public officials. Additional resources: Office of Government Ethics internal memorandum on the policy; the ethics pledge signed by political appointees; and a publication from the Council on Excellence in Government describing a broader range of ethical principles and issues relevant to public-sector institutions.

Companies in China, India and Russia are among the most likely to bribe public officials when doing business abroad, according to a new report by Transparency International, a non-governmental organization working to combat corruption. By contrast, businesses based in Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands and Switzerland are among the least likely to engage in bribery. The industries most prone to bribe officials are construction, real estate, oil/gas, mining and heavy manufacturing. Financial services and technology rank among the least corrupt. TI Chairman Huguette Labelle said, “The inequity and injustice that corruption causes makes it vital for governments to redouble their efforts to enforce existing laws and regulations on foreign bribery and for companies to adopt effective anti-bribery programmes."

Is intense competition for online "eyeballs and page views" is eroding the ethical and quality standards of journalism? Bob Steele of The Poynter Institute thinks so. Writing last month in a publication of Harvard University's Nieman Foundation for Journalism, he argues that the "time-honored journalistic values of accuracy and fairness are eroded" when information is posted online, in real time, without verification. As editors increasingly encourage reporters to blog and Twitter, and as traditional media rely on non-journalistic blogs and web posts as sources, the resulting errors undermine credibility. Steele concludes, "The intense financial forces, the thinner staffs, and the risk-taking culture create a mixture where heightened quality control measures are all the more essential."

University Leaders in Southern Africa Vow to "Fearlessly Confront" Moral Crisis in Society

“Higher Education must engage in the exhilarating business of giving moral and ethical leadership training," – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, speaking at the Stellenbosch Seboka on Higher Education and Ethical Leadership, South Africa, 24 April 2008.

Corrupt leadership continues to plague much of sub-Saharan Africa, deepening the economic, social and political crises in a region where half the population subsists on less than one dollar a day. "In most African countries corruption is estimated to represent between 20 and 30 percent of the GDP," said UNECA's Okey Onyejekwe at last month's International Conference on Institutions, Culture and Corruption in Africa. "That is inconceivably large."

The global coalition Transparency International, which ranks many of this region's countries among the world's most corrupt, concludes in a recent report that efforts to alleviate poverty fail because "donors and governments still treat poverty and corruption as separate — rather than integral — components of the same strategy."

Yet against this discouraging backdrop, a hopeful initiative has emerged from a diverse group of university leaders who believe higher education can be a catalyst for change. Presidents, vice chancellors and other officials of 17 universities met in southern Africa last April for the Stellenbosch Seboka on Higher Education and Ethical Leadership (Seboka is a Sesotho word meaning "a gathering for a common cause"). Convened at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, the meeting was co-hosted and facilitated by Mann Center Director John Knapp, who was then director of a center at Georgia State University.

Among the Seboka leaders were Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, former South Africa Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson, and Ms. Frances Hesselbein, chair of the Leader-to-Leader Institute. The gathering culminated with a Declaration of Beliefs and Principles, unanimously adopted by the assembled leaders, which began with the affirmation, "Higher education is responsible for developing ethical and moral leaders for all sectors of society." Moreover, the group declared, "Higher education should fearlessly acknowledge and confront moral issues in society by articulating and publicly discussing them, and by deliberately addressing them as part of its teaching, research, community engagement, and administrative agenda."

Recognizing that this may be easier said than done, the Seboka called on all universities to "rethink and re-imagine traditional assumptions and approaches in all of its activities and disciplines." Click here to download the full Declaration of Beliefs and Principles.