Business As Usual?
December 7th, 2007 by insighter
I remembered one of the many business class discussions about “Business Ethics” in my college years. I quickly realized that for a majority of the students being a successful “business person” or, what’s worse, a “smart” business person went hand in hand with being willing to make unethical decisions. Why? Well, one way or the other - through several different examples - we understand that strength and success come as a result of sacrificing your morals and/or doing “whatever” it takes.
Haven’t you met at least several people whose greed has overcome them and changed them completely? Haven’t you met the self-professed business person who seems to have NO shame?
Our class discussions concluded in the idea that business does not mean corruption or unethical behavior. Business can be done honestly. To me that’s part of what makes a good business satisfactory. It’s not a challenge (or a success) if you cheat and it’s actually more rewarding in the end if you know you made all the right decisions and that that was successful. I find it particularly disappointing that some many understand they need to be unethical in order to succeed.
I’ve been trying to understand from an academic point of view what capitalism is - or least what it’s meant to be. I have a suspicion that, like democracy and communism, the theory and the action have parted ways long ago. What is obvious to me is that capitalism is a system that allows greed to be…to be uncontrolled and dangerous if people care about themselves and no one else.
In our modern cultures being selfish is a basic and necesary concept. It translates to self-motivation and ambition - can’t really survive without it - but where do we stop? Or do we? When do we turn to our communities? Do we need to be responsible participants in our communities?
Where does a reasonable amount of ambition turn into excessive selfishness?
Talking about business as usual, I heard the other day in a radio show the idea that capitalism is “creative destruction”. It made me think of Zorg and Father Cornelious’ conversation in the movie 5th Element. Check it out if you don’t know what I’m talking about: 46 to 1:53.
Don’t take me wrong - I’m not against doing business. I have a business of my own. I have a problem with unethical business standards, just like I have an issue with any kind of lie - even little white lies.