Ethics in business

It is a ruthless concept but “the ends justify the means” is often the motto of big businesses and global corporations. Indeed many businesses come under speculation for their methods of treating their employees and in the procedures they employ all to provide a service or good with a lower price. Large global corporations such as Nike have been criticized for their placement of factories in third-world countries, employing laborers at lower wages in order to lower the costs of their products for their consumers in developed countries. Many of the people who work at their overseas factories are subject to inhumane conditions, long work hours, unsanitary or high-risk environments or use child labor as well. These types of unethical conditions are overlooked as businesses aim their efforts at providing lower costs to the consumer, regardless of the moral or ethical costs of such actions. Whether or not businesses should be liable for these actions is something that can be argued on both sides. One one hand, business proponents say that “business is business” and that indeed the ends does justify the means. They argue that what they are doing is all in the name of good business and that as long as people are willing to do the work, they are doing nothing wrong. On the other hand many argue that regardless of the industry, ethics should play a role in how people act and in the decisions they make. Whether or not ethics should play a role in the decisions people make in business is something that has come into question in today’s morally aware world.
Those who believe that ethics should not play a role in business decisions view ethics as an obstacle to many good business practices. Business thrives on solutions which employ the use of savvy solutions, utilizing cheaper markets when available and providing the best model to increase profits on a specific good or service within a limited model. In globally expanding markets, businessmen view all countries and its citizens as fair game when it comes to business. The fact that an underdeveloped country has cheaper labor is not a concern for the business decision maker--it is not his fault, after all, that the socioeconomic status of a particular economy is the way it is. If he can provide employment to those people while manufacturing his product for a cheaper cost then manufacturing in another country, then there is no reason he ought to not exploit that. Paying those employees a similar rate as he would employees in his country would be equally as ludicrous as limiting his available labor force solely based on ethical dilemmas. Good business is good business and although it may seem unfair to those in developed countries, these types of business practices are what keep the company ahead, affordable for consumers and profitable for shareholders.

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