Essay On Business Ethics Conundrum

Are ethics a priority over profitability in the modern business and market? This is a weighted question that has drawn the attention of economists, politicians, and philosophers alike, as it has numerous approaches and impacts billions of people every day. In many businesses and industries today, corners are cut, and ethical practices are thrown away in efforts to maximize profits, primarily in the short-run. However, some will say that companies that practice more ethical and moral values in their business models tend to be more profitable in the long-run. This conundrum has been an issue as long as humans have tried to scale the implications and consequences of their actions, while also seeking to maximize benefits. According to the utilitarian

At no point should the lives of others, including animals and people, be put at risk due to the greed of a few that wish to maximize profits. According to utilitarian principles, these companies are acting extremely immorally in their attempts to maximize their profits. People and companies like this are destroying the planet and the lives of people and animals everywhere without care. This viewpoint has grown in popularity over recent decades, as the general public has become more aware and concerned with the actions of large corporations and companies around the world. Most of this enlightenment is due to the age of technology and the internet making it significantly easier for people to understand their impacts on the environment and lives around them. Despite the awareness of the public, I believe that in most cases in 2017, most companies will set side aside ethical values in order to earn a

This is not surprising considering it was started by one of the most generous philanthropists that the world has ever seen, Bill Gates. The technology giant donates over $1 billion annually to charities and non-profit organizations. Microsoft also pays their employees extremely well and offers huge benefits, such as full medical insurance. (minyanville.com) The management and employees of Microsoft are also actively attempting to solve the increasingly imminent shortage in IT professionals through their TEALs (Technology and Literacy in Schools) program. In this program, teachers, primarily employees at Microsoft, volunteer in schools to help teach students about computer science. Microsoft offers a stipend to the teachers in order to commit them to teach the classes for a year. The program can now be found in dozens of schools located across multiple states. (minyanville.com) Although Microsoft is conducting these classes to help their own company in the future, their altruism represents an example of utilitarianism. Microsoft will benefit greatly from the program in the future, but there is a global shortage of IT and computer science specialists, as well as a huge increase in demand for such talent. This program will benefit numerous other companies, as well as students and consumers all over the