Ethics In Steve Jobs

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) This verse asks the question how can someone profit or take advantage of the world if they damage or lose their character along the way, what is worth more than one’s soul? This question can help one in determining their ethics by balancing what is right, meaningful, and most important to them. Knowing and understanding one’s ethical values is important on the path towards achieving one’s goals.

“Ethics is about choosing or doing the 'right ' thing, the ethics of business is about making the right business decisions, or doing the right thing in business.” (Haddad, 2007) Each person decides

His personality and way of thinking played a role in his many un-ethical decisions. Steve was a man of great intellect, but he lacked heart, hurting countless people in his personal life and in the work place. He would attack anyone that got in the way of his goals. He was a rude and controlling man, and who lacked concern for the welfare of others. “One thing Jobs himself avoided doing was "helping neighbors in need." There is no public record of him giving a dime to charity, and on several occasions he was ostentatious in his refusal to do so” (Ferguson 2015). Is this proper ethics? “Workplace bullying also is very bad for business. Researcher Emily Bassman found that "employee abuse can have major bottom-line consequences" for employers. An employer may suffer direct costs, indirect costs, and opportunity costs as a result of abusive work environments”. (Yamada 2000) Poor ethical choices effect the profitability of a company. Steve was a genius for what he contributed to the technology industry, but he was not very ethical. He gained the world, but where was his

Recall the tale of an impoverished man who steals a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. In the instance when two moral obligations collide, the only way to comply with one is to violate the other. No matter which course is chosen, the other must be ignored.”(Freeman, Engels & Altekruse 2004) Stealing and breaking the law challenges the philosophy of breaking the responsibility of caring for one’s family. Accountants need to think clearly, challenge the possibilities, understand the options, and acknowledge the consequences. The choice to steal bread will vary from one person to another, but as Christians, dying of hunger is more of a reward than a consequence. Accountants can learn from examples of people and companies who have been faced with pressing ethical dilemmas. Accountants can learn from Bernard Madoff and his $61 billion ponzi scheme that ruined thousands of people’s life savings (Freshman 2012), or Enron “circumventing the rules, temporarily changing or suspending the rules, and outright thievery to achieve his objectives” (Gini 2004). Knowledge about the past will lead people to make wise ethical decisions. The world can clearly see the consequences that these people and firms have undergone and do not want to follow in that path. There are responsible businesses, like Frito-Lays who have a major go green campaign. They have a better business by reducing their natural