Abstract

This study examined whether a lack of ethical considerations affects the procurement process in federal and New York City commerce. As two secondary issues the researcher examined the extent to which a lack of ethical considerations affects the procurement process and societal development as a whole, and the extent to which this lack of ethical considerations in the public and private professions influence society. The study examines how Western civilization developed through the application of a Hermetic philosophy that influenced the Judeo-Christian-Islamic belief of ethical standards. Egyptian and Greek philosophy and Hermetics of the Middle Ages sparked the beginnings of the Renaissance, leading to the present ethics as it relates to Western commerce. ;A review of the present ethics in the federal and New York City procurement systems, and its relation to Total Quality Management, Value Engineering, and Value Analysis identified certain problems with the present system. ;This process offered a contrast of the past to the present age and aims at making clearer the reason a lack of procurement ethics can cause a distorted view of wisdom and lead to a society seemingly out of control without a philosophical base for business or public administration. ;The study concludes by presenting a Procurement Enforcement Model that demonstrates how procurement ethics bridge the gap between modern communication and the public interest. In this way, the relationship between among business, commerce, government, and ethics may be restored to its rightful place as a guiding and coordinating force for generations to come