New York SBDC Research Network

Before any employee, even a part-time temporary student, begins working at an NYS SBDC office, he or she is required to sign a conflict of interest form that, among other things, promises confidentiality with regard to the clients the SBDC deals with. (Staff should expect to file an annual renewal of that document this week.) Doing business ethically is not just a theoretical good thing - it can be a very concrete good thing for your bottom line. Ethical business practices build long-term trust and relationships with customers and partners. The Business Ethics Links Library from UC Boulder provides links to businesses that are operating ethically. Use the navigation at the left of page to find company codes of ethics, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and more. These provide insight into specific companies, and may be used as a roadmap for building your own ethical business plan. If you need help with that plan, or have questions about business ethics, check out the Hill L...

"A BNET reader recently asked our Where's the Line? writer (aka "Your Conscience") what she should do after unexpectedly finding an office-wide salary list. Her dilemma? She's making less than her peers. In The Danger of Salary Secrets , the Conscience advises her not to abuse the power. Would you be tempted?" Of course, from the employers' point of view, one ought not to be leaving such information in the copier. Another recent article is The Great Workplace Wiki Divide? , where it discusses the effect of a "younger generation of workers who embrace Web-based tools in a way that often confounds older workers." I liked this recent intro: "No matter how much companies rely on technology to get to the job done faster, managers can't forget the human factor. How employees are managed, motivated, and led can make all the difference in the world about how they feel when they walk in the door and when they shut down their PCs at the end of t...