A few years ago, I was asked to lecture on Business Ethics or Ethical Standards. My presentation was in a very simple and straightfoward manner devoid of high- falutin terminologies used in management and economics.
A company is as ethical or unethical as the people who own it and work for it.
Business Ethics is simply about people doing business ethically, period.
Our society salutes men and women based mostly on the material wealth they have acquired whether legally or illegally. I cannot blame the public for believing that certain individuals have accomplished something great because material successes can easily be quantified and seen.
How do we classify businessmen running legitimate businesses but their so- called business secrets or strategies are unethical and violate rules of conduct? We admire them, we even say, “eh magaling sila, maabilidad”. With the amount of money they reap, they can easily gloss- over their bad deeds by donating to worthy causes and sponsoring charity events. The more we admire them, we say they practice social responsilibility, or they’re giving back, kuno.
My parents were very honest individuals. They were sincere in all their dealings be it with their household helpers, neighbors, customers, workers, etc. They only had micro-businesses but I can proudly say that my parents never cheated anyone. Galing sa mabuting paraan ang ipinakain sa amin. We did not live in a mansion or rode in flashy cars but their hardwork and honesty were true wealth in a different form.
You are a woman of depth and substance. I like you a lot.
Ethics in business is of increasing importance in today’s shrinking world. Not only do consumers demand ethical behavior from the companies they patronize, but ethical business practices are rapidly fading in a world where cheating people and industries is getting easier and easier. Perhaps one of the first steps to take is to redefine our definition of “success.” As you said, many people define success by the material wealth that we accumulate over time. I recently read a book by John Wooden titled “Coach Wooden’s Leadership Game Plan for Success: 12 Lessons for Extraordinary Performance and Personal Excellence” (link is https://www.amazon.com/Coach-Woodens-Leadership-Game-Success/dp/007162614X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276094122&sr=1-1). I highly recommend this book because Coach Wooden, possibly the greatest coach in sports history, redefines success according to the values and principles he learned as a child. Too many of us have forgotten what is important in life and have made monetary wealth the end goal. It is time to start fighting back.
Thanks for your insights Steve.
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thank you Gregory
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