Final Report: Global Business Ethics Program

The program aimed to promote business ethics among high school students in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The program was designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of core ethical values that underpin free and open markets and well-governed democracies. The program was implemented in 12 countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The program was taught in the traditional JA format, using teachers and local business volunteers as classroom mentors to guide the learning process with a hands-on personal approach. The program consisted of a 12-week, case study-based curriculum that enabled students to explore personal values, character development, and business ethics. Students interacted with other students in the region as well as from around the world, widening their perspectives on ethical issues and developing cross-cultural understanding. The program was designed to foster ethical decision-making in students as they prepared to enter the workforce. The program was evaluated through a comprehensive assessment, which showed significant differences in students' approach to ethics after completing the program. The results also indicated that the program had a positive impact on students' attitudes at home and how they perceived their roles in their communities. The program was delivered through JA's Enterprise portal, which was supplied by Hewlett Packard, BellSouth, and Sybase. The program had a significant impact on the educators, volunteers from the private sector, and the parents of the students involved. The results from the summative evaluation showed that the program had a lasting impact on students' attitudes and behaviors. The program also expanded JA's network of private sector partners in the region, directly impacting 130,047 students and involving 3,019 teachers and volunteers. The program's budget was $2,500,000, with $1,546,476 allocated for program costs and $500,000 for indirect costs. The program was completed in 12 countries, and since the conclusion of the grant, the program has continued in all the countries with financial and in-kind support coming from local and global partners. The program has been revamped and is presently being implemented globally, with adaptations in Arabic, Chinese, English, Spanish, and Slovak. The program's goals and objectives included implementing a self-sustaining ethics program in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, developing the capability of linking students internationally, and introducing the concept of ethics to students early enough to the internet. The program achieved its goals and objectives, with a lasting impact on students' attitudes and behaviors.