To you, does morality apply in business?

[YUPPIE]

you know how people always say the people that run unethical businesses or corporations (like Nestle) are wrong when they get an impression of it in the news? From your firsthand experience in working to get to higher places, do you think this applies in the reality you are in and not just in the news? If you could advance your career or become successful at the expense of others, do you believe you would have the conscience to not go down that route when money is on the line?

For reference, I recently watched the movie Nightcrawler and was fascinated by Louis Bloom's rise from a petty thug into the king of a successful news outlet. However, when you read what people have to say about the character, he is considered one of the most heinous villains imaginable. To me though, I found it rather inspirational that anybody no matter how down under, can find a way to win the game of life.

[Shadowferal]

Ouch....
"Morality" has a bit of baggage connected to it...a rather loaded word to use.

"Ethics" would have played out far better.

[Lynarii]

you know how people always say the people that run unethical businesses or corporations (like Nestle) are wrong when they get an impression of it in the news? From your firsthand experience in working to get to higher places, do you think this applies in the reality you are in and not just in the news? If you could advance your career or become successful at the expense of others, do you believe you would have the conscience to not go down that route when money is on the line?

For reference, I recently watched the movie Nightcrawler and was fascinated by Louis Bloom's rise from a petty thug into the king of a successful news outlet. However, when you read what people have to say about the character, he is considered one of the most heinous villains imaginable. To me though, I found it rather inspirational that anybody no matter how down under, can find a way to win the game of life.

Yes, it makes absolute sense that you would find a sociopathic murderer, manipulator, and sexual exploiter to be inspirational.

[Daedius]

I'm making money in an hour that many people in extreme poverty don't make in a year.

/feelsbad

[PC2]

To you, does morality apply to business?

Yeah it applies to any form of human interaction. Getting wealth immorally would only work over the short-term, over the long-term being immoral will eventually get you ostracized or jailed. So immorality is not just wrong but it's not very effective and sustainable either.

To me though, I found it rather inspirational that anybody no matter how down under, can find a way to win the game of life.

Yeah there's always a way for each person to improve in every area, which includes their career and wealth. But a person's potential is infinite so no one can ever "win" the "game of life" in the sense that you can't ever arrive at an ultimate end-point like in a typical game.

Also, until humanity cures ageing in the future then technically we'll all lose the game of life.

I'm making money in an hour that many people in extreme poverty don't make in a year.

/feelsbad

If you feel bad then just request a pay cut or donate money to the people in extreme poverty.

[uuuhname]

If you feel bad then just request a pay cut or donate money to the people in extreme poverty.

you first. since this truly, terrible line of argument is only ever pushed by simpletons who don't understand what "systemic" means.

[Azadina]

you know how people always say the people that run unethical businesses or corporations (like Nestle) are wrong when they get an impression of it in the news? From your firsthand experience in working to get to higher places, do you think this applies in the reality you are in and not just in the news? If you could advance your career or become successful at the expense of others, do you believe you would have the conscience to not go down that route when money is on the line?

For reference, I recently watched the movie Nightcrawler and was fascinated by Louis Bloom's rise from a petty thug into the king of a successful news outlet. However, when you read what people have to say about the character, he is considered one of the most heinous villains imaginable. To me though, I found it rather inspirational that anybody no matter how down under, can find a way to win the game of life.

No doubt you also find it inspiring how certain poor and rejected Austrian art student became the leader of multiple nations.

[Endus]

If your morality or ethics gets set aside for certain things, like business, then you don't actually have those morals or ethics in the first place.

[Grym]

To me, no it doesn’t.

What does matter though, is legality, what the business do must be legal, but if that is the case, anything goes. The prime focus on a business should be profit, a business exist to maximise shareholder’s wealth.

People can form an ethical business and try to use it as a selling point, some people dig that shit even if things cost more. But majority of the people don’t give a damn.

Amazon being the Prime example (pun intended) here.

People are free to open up ethical online shop or local shop, but with Amazon’s result it suggest that most people don’t give a damn.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Of course, if not then they wouldn't be morals. That said I don't feel the need to wear my morals on my sleeve or beat people over the head with them unwarrented.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

They are important in business but never as an absolute. Like anything it can guide you or even save you a time or two but if you aren't mindful it can cut you too. Really as long as you don't try to ram them upon others or put your own on a billboard for the world to see and skeem around then they can be very helpful and guiding principles.

[Hellobolis]

i don't exactly have a choice in the matter.

i require products like clothes, food, electricity, gas, phone, etc. to live and for anyone on a normal income it's financially not feasible to get morally/ethically sound products if they even exist in the first place. heck it isn't even possible to check for most products.

i buy what is offered. i can't buy what isn't offered or what is too expensive. the government can use all the eco and energy tax i pay to fix any issues they think exist.

[Krakan]

No doubt you also find it inspiring how certain poor and rejected Austrian art student became the leader of multiple nations.

I mean if you leave it right there it sounds inspiring.

[Fencers]

The question makes no sense; pausing or setting aside morality for X goal would mean that the morality did not exist in the first place.

[Zaktar]

To me, no it doesn’t.

What does matter though, is legality, what the business do must be legal, but if that is the case, anything goes. The prime focus on a business should be profit, a business exist to maximise shareholder’s wealth.

People can form an ethical business and try to use it as a selling point, some people dig that shit even if things cost more. But majority of the people don’t give a damn.

Amazon being the Prime example (pun intended) here.

People are free to open up ethical online shop or local shop, but with Amazon’s result it suggest that most people don’t give a damn.

This is probably the most common take of businesspeople which is one of the reasons why ethics need to get built into the law. Assume businesses will default to the least common denominator because if one doesn't, another will.

[Afrospinach]

This is probably the most common take of businesspeople which is one of the reasons why ethics need to get built into the law. Assume businesses will default to the least common denominator because if one doesn't, another will.

Law makers are incapable of leading business ingenuity, this should be abundantly clear when we speak of thinks like tax loopholes.

"why don't we just close em!?"

Yeah, because it is that simple, and hey, you make it illegal in your country that just means opportunities for everyone else. You know why China is essentially the only country on earth that mines raw earth minerals, for example? This is now a "national security concern" and they underpin everything from military to environmental concerns(ironically).

[Zaktar]

Law makers are incapable of leading business ingenuity, this should be abundantly clear when we speak of thinks like tax loopholes.

"why don't we just close em!?"

Yeah, because it is that simple, and hey, you make it illegal in your country that just means opportunities for everyone else. You know why China is essentially the only country on earth that mines raw earth minerals, for example? This is now a "national security concern" and they underpin everything from military to environmental concerns(ironically).

Balancing your morality against necessity is something we all have to do, sure. Some people rigidly adhere to whatever their beliefs are, but most of us are pretty flexible if we think our survival is at stake. That doesn't mean it isn't worth trying to do better.

The example of rare earth minerals is an interesting one. The regulations you're talking about have preserved resources, our ecosystems, and natural beauty in the US for many years now, at the expense of the resources available in China which have funded the explosion of new devices we've seen in recent decades. The main risk for the US is loss of mining/refining expertise, and while it's an issue, it's a surmountable one. If China and all countries had the same kinds of regulations, I'd assume the price of rare earth minerals would significantly increase, making it more economical to mine while adhering to the regulations. If people are unhappy about the prices, or if there is a widespread concern that we're overly dependent on China, guess what will happen to the regulations...

I don't think we should ignore reality, but I do think the widely held belief that ethics or morals should be discarded for important decisions is childish and destructive.

[Theodarzna]

you know how people always say the people that run unethical businesses or corporations (like Nestle) are wrong when they get an impression of it in the news? From your firsthand experience in working to get to higher places, do you think this applies in the reality you are in and not just in the news? If you could advance your career or become successful at the expense of others, do you believe you would have the conscience to not go down that route when money is on the line?

For reference, I recently watched the movie Nightcrawler and was fascinated by Louis Bloom's rise from a petty thug into the king of a successful news outlet. However, when you read what people have to say about the character, he is considered one of the most heinous villains imaginable. To me though, I found it rather inspirational that anybody no matter how down under, can find a way to win the game of life.

Obviously it doesn't or no capitalist enterprise would be possible.

[braydencook0712]

It's quite simple, you treat customers, like the way you'd like to be treated as a customer

[Krakan]

It doesn't but I feel like to some extent it should. I simply can't see how you can enforce it with the current power dynamics.