Gentleman's Code of Business Ethics
No matter what your profession, there is invariably a list of rules to be followed when business is conducted. These rules are not necessarily enforced by the police or written down and distributed among all of the people in the profession, but they are always in the background. These unpoliced rules are often referred to as a gentleman's code.
Other People Are Reading
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Gentleman's Code for Reporters
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An article written by Moisés Naím for the "Brown Journal of Word Affairs" claims that in the past, journalists were bound by a gentleman's code of business ethics. Journalists were unable to write about any corruption or deceit they found when researching and interviewing politicians. If a reporter chose to ignore the code and publish the unsavory findings, his career was sure to take a nosedive. Moisés Naím's article goes on to say that the gentleman's code fell out of favor during the Nixon era. However, Paul Taylor, a journalist for "The Washington Post" more than a decade after Nixon resigned, might disagree. In 1987, "The New York Times" bashed Taylor for asking a presidential candidate whether he had ever committed adultery. Many felt that the question was inappropriate and violated the gentleman's code that supposedly fell out of favor long ago.
Gentleman's Code for Bankers
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Jonathan Knee, author of "The Accidental Investment Banker: Inside the Decade That Transformed Wall Street," says that bankers subscribed to a gentleman's code of business ethics prior to the 1970s. Bankers did not attempt to steal clients from other bankers because clients were not expected to hop from one banker to the next. Bankers formed long-term relationships with their clients. Knee asserts that the code no longer exists. Bankers are now stealing clients. A study done by the Ponemon Institute in 2008 found that more than half the people who have left their job or who have been laid off take confidential client information with them. This sensitive information can be used to steal clients or to steal from clients.
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Gentleman's Code for Cowboys
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Since cowboys are known for being irreverent and rough around the edges, it may come as a surprise that these gun-toting, chap-wearing men adhered to their own gentleman's code of business ethics. The "Tucson Citizen" published a list of cowboy codes, all written by different individuals. Though the content and writing styles vary, these codes all have similar things to say about how business was to be conducted. Cowboys were required to be truthful and fair, work hard and always keep their promises. As for their guns, Gene Autry's Cowboy Code states that cowboys should not shoot first. Autry might not have been an actual cowboy, but his rule was spot-on. According to "Guns of the Old West: An Illustrated History," cowboys very rarely used their guns to conduct business or instigate conflicts. Gunshots on the range often meant that an animal had an irreparable injury or a wild animal had come close enough to be killed for dinner.
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References
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Brown Journal of World Affairs: Corruption Eruption
- "The New York Times:" Asking Gary Hart the Question He Asked For
- Columbia Business School: A Return to the Banker's Honor Code
- The Free Library: More than 50% of Staff Steal Company Data when They Leave
- Tucson Citizen: The Cowboy Codes
- "Guns of the Old West: An Illustrated History;" Dean K. Boorman; 2004
