Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Ethics in the workplace
Capitalism based on profoundly unethical behaviors where contributions, needs, wants, and money become unbalanced has never worked in the long run. It breeds, instead, a complete attitude of "I don't care, I just work here" on the part of employees. It also builds anger and paranoia in consumers and consumer groups served whether it is me shopping for groceries or the Pentagon buying services for Iraq reconstruction.
The Christians had a lot of trouble with the legacy of Greek commercialism for a reason -- their attachment to commercial practices (and the wealth brought by them) instead of values related to a higher power. I'm not defending Christianity any more than I am doing a 'dis on capitalism. What I am pointing out is that people shouldn't just chose between two bad things without making a commitment to making a change even when the cost is high. Sometimes, you, as a columnist, send a message to employees that going along and getting along is OK even when it might be unethical to do so.
Capitalism falters because it is increasingly one-sided -- winning at all costs. I think that the best capitalists are those who build on "reasonable expectations" for profit, market share, and for delivering quality.
I sense a little Thomas here. FYI, Advice Line by Bob Lewis, while sometimes annoying, is always informative. I recommend signing up.
The Christians had a lot of trouble with the legacy of Greek commercialism for a reason -- their attachment to commercial practices (and the wealth brought by them) instead of values related to a higher power. I'm not defending Christianity any more than I am doing a 'dis on capitalism. What I am pointing out is that people shouldn't just chose between two bad things without making a commitment to making a change even when the cost is high. Sometimes, you, as a columnist, send a message to employees that going along and getting along is OK even when it might be unethical to do so.
Capitalism falters because it is increasingly one-sided -- winning at all costs. I think that the best capitalists are those who build on "reasonable expectations" for profit, market share, and for delivering quality.
I sense a little Thomas here. FYI, Advice Line by Bob Lewis, while sometimes annoying, is always informative. I recommend signing up.
