Integrating Ethics in Finance and Accounting Courses using Ethical Banks as Vignette

Abstract

The field of Business Ethics has an important role to play in identifying and establishing ethical parameters for business activities. Ethics professors have the continued challenge of being able to deliver ethics and morality teachings in the classroom. One topic in the area of business ethics and social enterprise that has begun hogging the pages of business and social responsibility research articles is the field of ethical banking. The ethical-social nature of the mission of ethical banks makes for an interesting discussion piece and scenario for a case-based teaching of business ethics. This paper presents the case of showing ethical banks as vignette in finance and ethics classes at the University of the Philippines, aimed at making students aware that it is possible for businessmen to be socially and ethically oriented and at the same time keep in mind the need for financial sustainability. The methodology involved content analysis and tests of differences based on a survey of 141 undergraduate business students. Results show overwhelming positive response to the concept of the ethical bank. 96% of the student respondents were in admiration of the ethical raison detre of ethical banks and 93% opined that it pays to be ethical. There was no difference between male and female respondents in opining that it pays to be ethical. Overall, results corroborate the mounting evidence that there is an ever greater awareness of the ethical responsibilities of business and discernment of the form that ethics can take in specific enterprises.