Duke University Business Ethics Quiz – Not Half Bad…says Business Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher

Not a week goes by without someone raising the question, at one of my seminars or presentations on business ethics, about a useful survey or tool to gauge ethical choices.  Nearly every time that question is raised, someone responds with the comment:  “There’s not such thing as business ethics.”

Seems to me that is a easy cop out for ignoring ethical behavior.  The fact is, businesses are made up of people, without them there would be no organization.  People make ethical choices and if your company is founded with folks who have a desire to make good decisions based on a moral sense of duty and obligation, well…you have an ethical organization.

In any event, I found a useful tool that might be of help to those who are regular readers of my blog.   A survey was designed by the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. I found the survey simple and useful.  The name of the survey:  MEASURE UP!

Here’s what’s said in part on their web site:

This assessment tool has been developed and refined over a five year period by Duke researchers. In advisory partnerships, a longer version of this questionnaire is typically given to all the members of an organization or department. Based on the results and additional focus groups and interviews, the Kenan Institute for Ethics then provides recommendations to the organization’s leadership about ways to strengthen their ethical culture.

This 23-question version has been adapted for individual use. Based upon your responses, the assessment will provide a snapshot of what your organization does well and identify some roadblocks that may be hindering performance.

In agreeing to take this assessment, you will also be contributing to ongoing research about organizational ethics and culture at the Institute. This study has been reviewed and approved by Duke University’s Institutional Review Board. Your responses are completely anonymous.

Now the ethical thing to do was ask permission to feature this survey or assessment on this site.  I did so via an e-mail request.  The response from Duke University:

We’d be delighted for you to mention Measure Up as well as provide a link on your blog.  The tool is for public use, and we feel the more people who are aware of it (and, then, hopefully a bit more cognizant of ethics), the better.

As a business ethics speaker, one thing I agree with is the importance of spreading the word about the benefit of ethical choices.  Every choice has a consequence!  As most readers know…I have lived both the negative consequences of unethical choices and the positive results of ethical choices.  The positive results are much better.

Here’s the link to the survey:  Duke Ethics Survey

Your comments are welcome!