By Nomadic Chris, 24 June 2009

Good business ethics begins with the young! In corruption-rife Indonesia, cashier free ‘Honesty Cafés’ are opening across the archipelago to teach the basic fundamentals of integrity to communities.

Patrons pay for what they purchase into a clear box. The ‘responsibility’ shift of correct payments makes people hold themselves up to a higher standard of behavior, it makes people responsible for their behavior, and of course intensifies guilt if anyone cheats.

The idea is growing and 10,000 honesty cafes are expected to be operating in 26 provinces by the end of the year! Hopefully, this can be a small step to change Indonesian society at the grassroots, for the better. It's about giving people the benefit of doubt, that people will behave ethically when given the chance, and that people will choose to "do the right thing" in most cases. iCUBED.us cannot condone gross generalizations that poor people will be more likely to steal and cheat "because they are poor", for the same reasons that it is likewise ludicrous to think, or believe, that rich people do not steal or cheat because they can "afford" to pay for things. It's ultimately about the values that we hold dear, and if these cafes work, it means that people are taking the steps necessary to - in the words of M. Gandhi - "be the change they want to see in the world".

This concept can and should be easily implemented around the world, as a beacon of light for the average citizen to "contribute to solutions" instead of giving away "our" power with idle complaints, expecting others to solve all the problems of the world for us.

Ultimately, the message is simply that for a business to be truly successful, it is vital to have good business ethics because:

Clients: Who would choose to do business with a crook?

A business, no matter how big or how small, needs integrity in its core foundation, otherwise it cannot possibly succeed in the long run.

Have a business idea? Go for it, but do it ethically!

DREAM BIG!

A special thanks to our "Patron & Friend", Mr. A. Lin for forwarding this article to us and highlighting good practices for sustainable living

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Making Honesty a Policy in Indonesia Cafes BUSINESS ETHICS: A CORPORATE ADVANTAGE

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