Karma: be mindful of your actions

Abstract

Purpose

This article is an encouragement to current and future business leaders and members of the corporate world to carefully scrutinize their ethical considerations and actions. It has become all too easy to find justifications for a hit and run mentality, which is the very foundation for the growing inequality in the world.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparison of data gathered over the course of two years (six courses), captured in responses from workforce members in an MBA program to two moral-based questions.

Findings

The data demonstrated that a consistent percentage (35 percent) seeks to justify selfish, unethical behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on a population of workers from a multitude of industries, yet within the same geographic and cultural setting. Even though this population represented a broad variation of ethnicities, the local culture may have influenced their moral views. It would be recommended to ask the two questions listed in this article in other cultures as well in order to compare findings.

Practical implications

While 35 percent is not a majority, it is still a significant number, hence, a good reason for concern, as this is a population of future business leaders.

Originality/value

The message in this article is presented through the acronym KARMA, in which each letter represents the initial of a critical point of consideration: kindness, attitude, responsibility, mindfulness, and actions.

Citation

F. Marques, J. (2014), "Karma: be mindful of your actions", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 2-4. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-09-2013-0076