Strathclyde Business School is set to become the first MBA Oath chapter in the UK after a group of Strathclyde full time MBA students kick-started the process.
The MBA Oath is a voluntary pledge for graduating MBAs and alumni to 'create value responsibly and ethically'. It was started by a group from the Class of 2009 graduates of Harvard Business School in the USA, and so far 1,726 individuals have signed up.
To make it meaningful, the organisers are encouraging the development of local student-run 'chapters' of the MBA Oath at the world's top, accredited business schools. To become a chapter, a student leadership team of at least five MBA students is needed and they then must get 30% of their class to sign up.
The purpose of the MBA Oath is to make a difference in the lives of students who take the oath; challenge other classmates to work with a higher ethical standard, whether they take the oath or not; and to create a public conversation in the press about professionalizing and improving management.
Peter Escher, Executive Director of the MBA Oath, said, "We are delighted to formally invite Strathclyde Business School to be our first MBA Oath chapter in the UK. We look forward to continuing this work together. Strathclyde is a school of high reputation, and it's fitting that you are all taking the lead!"
MBA student Michael Cooper initiated the move for Strathclyde full-timers to become the first MBA Oath chapter in the UK, explaining, "Recent, dramatic events in the business world have caused me to look again at my role as a future business leader. The student leadership committee is establishing the MBA oath initiative at SBS as a way for the class of 2009/10 - Attow - to come together to explore the ethical challenges we will face when we go back into the world of management. The MBA oath initiative represents an important step towards professionalising management and communicating our commitment to responsible value creation."
The full time MBA team will be formally launching the initiative early next year. Find out more at www.mbaoath.org or email Michael Cooper at Michael.Cooper@strath.ac.uk