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| Minister of Small Business, Denis Kellman, Dr. Jacques Rogozinski (left), General Manager of the Inter-American Investment Corp (IIC) and Sharon Christopher (far right), Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Administration, First Citizens Group listen intently at the launch of the Cave Hill School of Business’ Business Ethics Programme for SMEs, today at the 3Ws Pavilion, UWI, Cave Hill, St. Michael. (BGIS) |
"Good business ethics should be the core practice of any business and should be a consideration when dealing with both customers and suppliers."
Minister of Industry, Small Business and Rural Development, Denis Kellman, made this assertion today at the launch of the Business Ethics Programme for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which is being offered at the Cave Hill School of Business, University of the West Indies from September to December this year.
The Minister stated that the practice of good ethics would be beneficial to the development of SMEs, and affirmed that "it increases profits as more customers are attracted to do business with the company…it attracts quality employees as individuals seek to work with the organisation and it is easier to attract credit."
He noted that several large, medium-sized and small companies placed more emphasis on making money and were therefore practising poor ethical behaviour.
The Small Business Minister observed that "while making money is not wrong in itself, the manner in which some businesses conduct themselves to amass this money causes questions to be raised concerning their ethics."
Mr. Kellman warned that "unethical behaviour ruins the reputation of businesses in the market place and could even lead to closure". ??Pointing out that this island’s business sector comprises mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, he stressed that "when viewed in the context of small economies like Barbados, the issue takes on even more significance."
The SMEs oriented programme was designed to assist companies in establishing a system which would guide the ethical behavior of its employees. It will take the format of a number of workshops and in-firm coaching.
The Programme was developed through the partnership of the Inter-American Investment Corporation, the Korea Chamber of Commerce, Barbados Maunfacturers’ Association, the Barbados Small Business Association, the Barbados Coalition of Services Industries, the Cave Hill School of Business and the University of the West Indies.