Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. After reading the realities of country’s best b-school, I feel the story would be incomplete if I won’t share my experience. I am a student of an IIM. By this article, I would like to bring the dark side of recently conducted clubs’ and committees’ induction. I have confronted and analysed the process thoroughly for past one year, which makes me qualified enough to pen down my thoughts.
During two years, we undergo around 40 credits/subjects, and one of these subjects is ethics in business. After reading the course outline, during my initial days, I felt that there is no need for such subject. But, after the inductions result, I feel there is a need to study those subjects. We are experiencing widespread abrasion of ethics from schools to colleges to work life. The incidence of frauds, corruption, and malpractices are on rising, to cite one example, a Public Relation cell member tried to influence other committee members to induct his so-called friend (a girl). If she failed to meet the expectation of the other members why was he influencing others, the guy who was old enough to differentiate between right and wrong was seen begging? If they are together, then it was their individual choice, why to compromise on something on which somebody else trusted you in good faith leave faith it is your duty. It is just a small example, and yes, such things do happen in IIMs.
I would say only Placement Committee induction can be considered as fair. Just to mention the guy succeeded to induct her in the club, he is a part of. Quite often people tend to take the shortest route to success even if it means choosing an unethical path. However, one must comprehend that achievement accomplished without integrity is often short- lived. It is the responsibility of the seniors or organisational leaders to implement an ethical code and ensure that both the outcome and the way is taken to accomplish it are ethically correct. Mere lip service to ethics serves no purpose. Every practice, process, and the system should be so designed as to propagate core values based on active principles. It is only when values are incorporated into the everyday conduct of the students, a genuinely ethical culture that is sustainable becomes a reality.