Joshua not only did an excellent job of speaking, he was successful in communicating a point the resonated with me, and I believe, with the rest of the class.  I like when Joshua stated: "Business ethics can be used as a strategy to increase profits and gain customers."   Our economy would be in much better shape if more companies adopted this view. Companies need to believe that there is a positive end result to operating ethically, not just because they are in fear of getting in trouble with the law or having a bad image, but because it is a sound long term strategy for the organization's growth.  Doing the right thing always leads to a long term payoff while doing the wrong thing leads to short term gain and long term loss.  

I think that a good guideline for businesses to consider when making ethical considerations would be whether or not the decision would violate the beliefs of most of the population in the country within which the company is operating.  Of course, ethical concerns can extend far past this consideration, but it is a starting point for the businesses to measure their decisions. 

I also believe that ethics start at the top of organization and go down.  Top management most definitely sets the tempo for how the organization operates.  If there is a recurring trend of unethical behavior on the bottom side of the organization, it is either a sign that top management is loose with their ethics, or that they don't have the proper control over their organization.  Both scenarios are equally devastating.

This was a great presentation that left a lasting impression on me. 

It is very important to understand your strengths; however, it is equally important to understand your weaknesses.  For while the competitor may have won many victories; he has never lost because of strength, but because of weakness.  So while understanding our strength gives us the ability as assess our standing, understanding our weaknesses give us the ability to assess where we are vulnerable and where we need to improve.

The Essence of Knowledge

The true essence of knowledge is not in making the simple seem complex.  The true essence of knowledge is in making the complex seem simple.  Such is the foundation of understanding. The latter fosters innovation, while the former fosters confusion.