Volunteer internship program to raise generations with work ethics

ISTANBUL (AA) – KAAN BOZDOĞAN – Turkish Economic Enterprise and Business Ethics Association (İGİAD) is implementing the “This is Internship, Here is Ethics” program in order to raise generations with business ethics and adding value to the institutions they work for. Business ethics, which stands out as a set of moral principles, values and standards that businesses, managers and employees must comply with in their decision-making and behavior processes, and concerns all segments of society, is fundamentally based on the principle of “doing the right thing”.

This concept, which includes principles such as honesty, transparency, justice and equality, responsibility, reliability, sustainability, confidentiality and avoiding conflicts of personal interest, plays a decisive role as the most important element in the healthy functioning of society. Research shows that businesses that operate with attitudes and services that prioritize business ethics and provide services within the framework of ethical rules are more successful in the long run.

Practices that are far from these principles and that harm trade become the focus of criticism in society. The association, which has been operating and conducting research on business ethics since 2003 and working in cooperation with many institutions, organizations and universities in this field, is launching a new internship program for students in this context. With the field practices within the scope of the program, which will be implemented to raise generations with business ethics, it is aimed for young people to gain sectoral awareness and base their career journeys on value awareness.

During the program, students will have the opportunity to gain experience in three different sectors by staying for two weeks in each. Students will gain field experience at member businesses on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and will receive training at the headquarters of the association on Fridays. The main source of training will be the association’s publication “Business Ethics with Fundamentals and Applications”.

Within the scope of the program, which will take place in a voluntary internship format and is offered to students from all over the country, the salary and insurance expenses of the interns will be covered by the association. 2nd, 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students of universities between the ages of 18-25 can apply to the program, which requires attendance. Candidates who fill out the application form will be invited to the written exam to be held at the association center as the first stage.

Candidates who are successful in the exam will be entitled to the second stage, a face-to-face interview. Candidates who successfully pass this stage will have the right to participate in the program. – 10-week program covering university students Hüseyin Akça, Chairman of İGİAD Board of Directors, stated to the AA correspondent that they have launched the “Here Internship, Here Morality” program this year within the scope of raising moral generations, and that the program covering 2nd, 3rd and 4th year university students will last 10 weeks.

Akça said that their aim is to ensure that young people who graduate from university bring value to the institution they attend, in addition to their diplomas. Stating that İGİAD is preparing a curriculum for entrepreneurs with distance education modules on business ethics, Akça explained that they are trying to educate entrepreneurs on this subject. Stating that morality starts from the womb and is shaped by family, school, work and social life, Akça noted that each phase has different areas of intensity.

Akça recommended especially young people between the ages of 18 and 25 to work or do an internship in a job they are interested in. – Business ethics also affects the social image of businesses. Stating that business ethics affects society as well as businesses, and that morality is directly related to the creation of nature, Akça defined good morals as “behavior that is done properly for the sake of justice and does not harm anyone else when done.” Akça gave the example of a person who cleans the front of his house not polluting the front of someone else’s house, and stated that if a job done correctly causes harm to someone else, it becomes unethical.

Explaining that companies use the concept of moral attitude as “ethical” today, Akça noted that this does not fully meet the meaning of the word “morality”. Emphasizing that the right is necessary for all stakeholders, Akça said, “If an industrialist discharges the wastewater from his facility into a stream and future generations are poisoned because of that stream, if the fish population there disappears, if the seas are polluted, if those flowing waters are polluted, this has not been done properly.” he said.

Expressing that moral attitude affects all components of society, Akça explained that morality is indispensable for living humanely, just like air, water and soil are for sustaining life. Akça pointed out that immoral attitudes have a deep impact on people’s living spaces and said that the right to a humane life, which is considered sacred by God and included in all legal texts, should be protected. Stating that the country and its geography can be saved from many issues that seem to be problems today, such as social peace, social welfare and income inequality, if morality is valued, protected and adapted to life, Akça conveyed his expectations from business ethics with the concepts of “not being deceived”, “being reliable” and “being confident”.

Akça said that the sanction powers of the organizations whose roots are “Ahiism” should be updated, “Those who cheat are not from us.” Suggesting that the motto be kept alive again, he said, “The main criterion for us in business ethics is tradesmen who do not deceive, are honest with their words, and are generous. Increasing their number means increasing both the trade and reliability of the country.” he said. Underlining the importance of the understanding that leads to the Islamization of a geography by telling the truth at the expense of loss, Akça continued as follows: “Of course, the merchant does business to make a profit, not to make a loss, but if being honest requires making a loss, we need to raise merchants who can afford to do so.

We need to work on this. We need to raise merchants who are not only winners, not sellers, not only those who accumulate a lot, but also observe what is halal and adopt the principle of fair sharing of halal earnings.” Akça said that deception can provide short-term gain, but long-term gain depends on honesty and trustworthiness. Pointing out that there is a serious interaction between law and morality, Akça emphasized that the law of those who are right should be taken into consideration, not the law of the powerful.

Stating that, according to the latest statistics, “breaking promises” and “adulterated” products are the leading reasons for doing business in Turkey, Akça noted that they have recently begun to see improvements against practices that would damage the country’s image. – The box game where the person who does the most good deeds wins. Akça stated that the “Way of Ahilik” box game, in which children learn both trade and the 7 moral principles of Ahiism while having fun, was prepared by the İGİAD Business Development Commission with the support of professional box game designers.

Explaining that they implemented the project in order to prevent complained behaviors in trade and to raise awareness on this issue, Akça said that some of the existing board games are “Steal if you can from the safe without getting caught.” He stated that it was in the format. Pointing out that it is wrong to impose this consciousness on children, Akça mentioned that they designed the game with game professionals, which includes the principles of “ahism”.

Akça added that they implemented their project in the form of a box game due to their sensitivity to the issue of digital addiction, and that in the game that encourages sharing, not only the one who earns the most money or collects coupons, but also the one who does the most good deeds reaches the top.