Albert Carr's Opinion On Business Ethics

Albert Carr argues that business is a game and that business ethics differs from private life ethics that individuals practice. Carr explains that practices such as bluffing and not telling the whole truth are morally acceptable in business context. Carr claims that one cannot apply a single standard of ethics universally as situations differ from one to another. My response to such claim is that I refuse to accept that businesses cannot be strictly ethical.

Carr illustrates his point with a poker analogy. According to Carr just like poker has ethics of its own, business also has ethics of its own which differ from the standard rules of morality. People who are playing poker do not obey to the same moral rules that they would follow in other situations. Carr demonstrates that in poker, lying and dishonesty are benefits; whereas in normal circumstances those traits are immoralities. It is therefore a mistake to judge business practices by rules of everyday morality. Thus, by businesses obeying their own moral standards their practices are morally acceptable. However, a person can argue that business is not a game and that people’s means of support is at stake. In addition, it is highly unclear that consumers or stakeholders have accepted these rules or are in on this “game”. In poker, one chooses to play the game and accepts its rules; however, in business one is forced to play the game of business. William Shaw is one of the people that criticized Carr’s claim and responds that Carr is defending a kind of ethical relativism. Ethical relativism refers to the idea that what is right and wrong depends on one’s own culture or society. Shaw agrees that the consumers of business have no choice of playing the game of business therefore ...

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...mmunity. In addition, businesses should not play by their own rules because they would put rules to their own advantage and ignore consumer’s rights. There is no doubt that businesses want to motivate themselves to maximize profits; however, that should not be acceptable it the consumers livelihood is at stake. Businesses and organizations influence the community at large therefore they should be responsible for their community and indeed implement ethical behavior.

To conclude business organizations do not have the right to deceive individuals and consumers in specific because Albert Carr’s claim that business is a game cannot be justifiable and supported with reasons that may harm or the community and its people. However, I do believe that business organizations should be socially responsible and that would help them maximize profits in the long run (Lauren, 2011)