Putting business ethics to the test

DID you know that the modern workplace is the world's biggest dating site, with 38% of employees admitting to an office romance over the course of their careers?

The business ethics behind workplace romance – essentially whether relationships between employees should be subject to office policies and how strict these should be – was put in the spotlight at the weekend as the topic covered in the winning presentation of a student competition on business ethics, run by EY (formerly Ernst and Young).

Prizes worth more than R25000 were awarded at Saturday's prize- giving event in Port Elizabeth.

It is the second year the global professional services firm has run the competition, called Project Alpha, for second-year BCom (Accounting) students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

This year 74 groups, each comprising five students selected on a random basis from NMMU's Port Elizabeth and George campuses, presented papers on a business ethics topic of their choice.

Each member of the top group – Edward Hoskin, Rinoy Chacko, Xolela Madlanga, Nkululeka Mbatha and Oreoluwa Aderibige – received a R2000 Greenacres voucher.

EY partner Mark Biggs said the firm had embarked on the national project four years ago to improve its links with universities – and also help students foster new skills that could not be learnt in lectures.

Professor Frans Prinsloo, judging panel member and director of NMMU's School of Accounting, said Project Alpha was assisting the school to fulfil its aim to develop and assess its students' personal and professional skills. - Nicky Willemse