The Importance of Ethics as Key of Success in the Dynamic Change of Business
Hatfan Hizriyan Syaidan – International Office FEB UI
Nino Eka Putra ~ Humas FEB UI
DEPOK – Islamic Economics and Business Program partnered with Bank Indonesia Institute and BPKH on Friday, November 15th, 2019 hold a guest lecture about “Business Ethics and Citizenship” at Auditorium of International Program (KKI). The guest lecturer was Prof. Said Ladki, the chairperson of Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Adnan Kassar School of Business, Lebanese American University. While the representatives of FEB UI were attended by Dr. Beta Yulianita Gitaharie (Vice Dean of Education, Research and Student Center FEB UI) and Tika Arundina Ph.D (Director of Undergraduate Program in Islamic Economics). There were also students attended the Guest Lecture.
The guest lecture opened with remarks from Dr. Beta Yulianita who explained the rise of Islamic finance in Indonesia as the country placed the first rank in the Global Islamic Finance Report 2019. While this lecture is one of means to maintain UI and Indonesia standing as center of excellence of Islamic finance development.
At the lecturing session, Prof. Said Ladki first motivated the students to be the agent of change in the future. He told the students that they will face the term called dynamic change, the concept where one’s state undergoes a rapid change and does not last as it used to be. He drew an example from gypsy moth in the industrial revolution era that disguise themselves by changing their skin color to survive from its predator.
In order to survive and come out victorious from a change, students should have technical skills and social skills. While the earlier they could get from the class, the latter might not they get from the class. It is gained through experience and learning outside the class. One of the most important of the social skills is ethics, the concept of right and wrong in business equivalent to the term halal and haram in the Islamic teaching. Ethics play a role as guiding principle in a business activity, because ethics determined the values an organization or businessperson has. From the case of Enron and Arthur Anderson we learned, only obeying the law is not enough, since what is mean by legal is not necessarily ethical. And to be ethical is one of the keys to success in business.
We hope the lecture can embed the importance of ethics as a key of success, besides other technical and social skills, in business. Also, we hope that students can reap the lessons from various cases related to ethics, since they are expected to be decent leaders who uphold ethical values in the future. (Des)
