HONG KONG, Dec. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hang Seng Management College (HSMC) held "Junzi Corporation Awards Presentation Ceremony 2016 cum Business Ethics Forum", an event with over four hundred guests for promoting the Confucian concept of "Junzi" and its five virtues, namely "Ren", "Yi", "Li", "Zhi", "Xin", in HSMC's campus on 28 November 2016. The event was officiated by Mr. Steven Ng, Chairman of Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and Chairman and Managing Director of The Wharf (Holdings) Limited, and Prof. Simon Ho, President of HSMC. Other guests include Dr. George Lam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company, Ms. Susanna Chiu, Director of Li & Fung Development (China) Limited and Dr. Ricky Szeto, Executive Director and General Manager of Hung Fook Tong Holdings. Besides the staff and students of HSMC, students from secondary schools (e.g., Ng Yuk Secondary School, Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College, Yan Chai Hospital Tung Chi Ying Memorial Secondary School, Carmel Holy Word Secondary School and Confucian Tai Shing Ho Kwok Pu Chun College), also attended the event.
Mr. Steven Ng said that collusion between business community and government for private gain will not be tolerated, but it should be encouraged if it is for Hong Kong's public interests. He noted that nowadays more and more companies start to provide services for public good. They assimilate into society to enhance communication and reduce boundaries. Companies contribute with both money and effort to cooperate with the social enterprises for a better Hong Kong. He believes that this trend in Hong Kong is gratifying, constructing a more positive relationship between the business sector and the society.
Prof. Simon Ho, Dr. George Lam and representatives of the award-winning companies discussed about the importance of business ethics and the implications. Students from HSMC and the secondary schools were particularly concerned about and raised questions on how the award-winning corporations in different industries reflect the values of 'Junzi' and the five virtues in the daily operations. In answering their questions, the panelist gave practical examples to explain the considerations taken in upholding business ethics.
Prof. Ho commented that the award-winning companies this year are exemplary since they could adhere to their beliefs and promote positive values even during economic downturns. Ms. Alison Ho, Director of Corporate Responsibility of Hang Seng Bank, emphasised the importance of communicating with customers to have better understanding in order to provide the most suitable services and build trust between each other. Mr. Benjamin Lee, Operations Manager of Hong Kong Tramways, said that the employees have made major contributions for the company to serve Hong Kong. Therefore, the company puts much efforts to employees' welfare and happiness, making they feel being in a warm family. Mr. Johnny Leung, General Manager of the "Star" Ferry Company, Limited, said that when a company enjoys competitive advantages, it should consider the interests of other stakeholders. In addition to maintaining the quality of service, establishing reputation and retaining the collective memories of the people of Hong Kong, it is also necessary to provide better and more diversified services. Dr. George Lam concluded that integrity of business practitioners is very important, being legal is the minimum requirements. Instead, companies should have a higher standard of conduct requirement. He also encouraged young entrepreneurs not to only promote themselves, but also to accurately reflect companies' development in the early stage of their business.
"Through this event, we want to provide an opportunity for practitioners from award-winning corporations and scholars to engage in dialogues about the Confucius philosophy in relation to business ethics and best practices. It is encouraging for us to have the support from both the academic and business sectors. We are thankful for the joint effort in promoting the high standard of business ethics and particularly the funding support from Research Grants Council for setting up the Research Institute for Business to conduct business research and to disseminate findings benefiting to both the academia and the business community," said Dr. Felix Tang, Director of the Research Institute for Business and Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Junzi Corporation Survey and Awards 2016.
Research Institute for Business
HSMC obtained funding from the Research Grants Council for setting up a Research Institute for Business (RIB) under the Institutional Development Scheme in 2016 (project code: UGC/IDS14/15). RIB aims to provide support and coordinate research efforts in business research so that HSMC can advance the understanding of business practice with a focus of local relevance. It organizes academic conference, seminars, workshops, and symposium to disseminate the research findings of HSMC. This year, RIB is the leading organizing unit of "Junzi Corporation Survey and Awards 2016", a large-scale public survey regarding business ethics at HSMC.
Junzi Corporation Survey and Awards
HSMC has launched "Junzi Corporation Survey" for six years to promote the Confucian concept of "Junzi" and business ethics. Awarded companies were selected by Hong Kong people for their respectable business integrity. This year, survey teams formed by HSMC students, have surveyed around 2,100 Hong Kong citizens for their opinion about the extent to which corporations' actions are in accordance with the Confucian concepts of Junzi and its five virtues, namely "Ren", "Yi", "Li", "Zhi", "Xin". The industries included are public transport and services, media, retailing, financial services, food catering, property development and cultural and creative industries. Seventeen corporations are awarded in 2016, based on the survey result.
