Ethics in business a compulsion or choice??
This above question is one which I have been following for some time, and have made some conclusions
of my own.
The traits of ethics and integrity are valued highly for a manager or rather anyone entering the corporate world.
However I have seen life and business closely and deeply enough to come to the conclusion that "Ethical " behaviour amongst corporates is a "compulsion" rather than a choice. All big corporations of the world started out as a small entrepreural business, where - to become big you did what it took. Since the business was small and the responsibility rest with the owner, he could mostly sleep with the decision. As The business becomes bigger, you have to hire outside people, people apart from aquantainces and friends, and here it starts......
99 % of the people if asked to make a choice between money/growth and continued struggle for survival would opt for the 1st option.
In the corporate world, employees are expected to behave extremely ethically, whereas actually the board or CEo or other top level management may be implementing some schemes bordering on unethical in most and absolutely unethical in some
cases. It is my personal conviction and experience that you have to cheat/ act unethically atleast once to make it to the big league. I know some people may find it preposterous , but look closely and you will have BIG skeletons in invariably
all the big businesses. It is only the good that gets told about corporations and work culture and not vice-versa, because this is exactly what will let it remain big.
Now imagine a corporation where the staff are allowed to emulate the top-management blindly. There will be leakages in the whole system
the total cost of producing goods and services will rise abnormally and hence ultimately lead to demise of the corporations.
Actually, I guess some people keep redefining rules of ethical behaviour as they climb each step of corporate ladder.
I sincerely feel there are actually only a handful of good people at the top anywhere. Anybody who has become somebody had to do it, sometime.
Some of the biggest names have indulged in it, though they may choose to whitewash away their sins once they achieve the SIZE
which enable them to do so.
Think about it,and leave your comments.
of my own.
The traits of ethics and integrity are valued highly for a manager or rather anyone entering the corporate world.
However I have seen life and business closely and deeply enough to come to the conclusion that "Ethical " behaviour amongst corporates is a "compulsion" rather than a choice. All big corporations of the world started out as a small entrepreural business, where - to become big you did what it took. Since the business was small and the responsibility rest with the owner, he could mostly sleep with the decision. As The business becomes bigger, you have to hire outside people, people apart from aquantainces and friends, and here it starts......
99 % of the people if asked to make a choice between money/growth and continued struggle for survival would opt for the 1st option.
In the corporate world, employees are expected to behave extremely ethically, whereas actually the board or CEo or other top level management may be implementing some schemes bordering on unethical in most and absolutely unethical in some
cases. It is my personal conviction and experience that you have to cheat/ act unethically atleast once to make it to the big league. I know some people may find it preposterous , but look closely and you will have BIG skeletons in invariably
all the big businesses. It is only the good that gets told about corporations and work culture and not vice-versa, because this is exactly what will let it remain big.
Now imagine a corporation where the staff are allowed to emulate the top-management blindly. There will be leakages in the whole system
the total cost of producing goods and services will rise abnormally and hence ultimately lead to demise of the corporations.
Actually, I guess some people keep redefining rules of ethical behaviour as they climb each step of corporate ladder.
I sincerely feel there are actually only a handful of good people at the top anywhere. Anybody who has become somebody had to do it, sometime.
Some of the biggest names have indulged in it, though they may choose to whitewash away their sins once they achieve the SIZE
which enable them to do so.
Think about it,and leave your comments.
posted by Thought Leader at 2:21 AM
<< Home