State of Ethics

CEFE has long been transfixed with the idea that a lot of well meaning folks talk about ethics in business, education or what-have-you but few really practice it with a passion. During the past ten years the Center for Ethics in Free Enterprise Fellows and researchers have rarely seen much effort made to ignite ethical behavior and accountability in business, government, or education. Mostly, there has been a lot of lip service. There was, is, and continues to be, plenty of talk to go around.

CEO's, professional practitioners, academics, and executives has studied over the years in business, government, education and the non-profit sector talk about ethics incessantly; how they believe in it, how their organizations choose to live it; and how they want to train their management and staff employees in ethics and character development. Unfortunately, precious few have proven to actually live the talk or walk the walk.

Most Americans and much of the world have witnessed first hand ethical breeches in public faith of unimaginable proportions. These breeches did not come from those who 'didn't know they didn't know.' Rather, they came from organizations and the individuals who lead them who 'did know and didn't.' In recent years ethical crises have spread like wildfire. Those in higher education, business, science, the professions, government, and even the alleged esteemed 'fourth estate', the press and media, have fallen prey and into the pit of mind-numbing ethical excess and public betrayal.

The Failed Role of Academia Leaders Fail Ethics 101