800,000 children carrying machetes walk approximately 200 miles every day to do one of the world’s sweetest jobs; harvesting cocoa pods to export as ingredient of delicious chocolate. With over $6 billion in annual revenues, Hershey may have little thought to give to its’ violation of business ethics. But even the little thought presented seems just as insincere; “Employees are our most valuable asset,” a CEO says. In accordance to the flip side of the business ethics, Hershey also finds the short-term shareholders much more ‘valuable’ than long term stakeholders. Like Edward Freeman stated, ‘a corporate that doesn’t pay attention to issues of corporate responsibility of sustainability of its affects on civil society; that’s a corporate that is in decline,’ the idea that a sweet corporation such as Hershey absolutely does not respect local laws and customs ring a bell to the ethics of the business world.

No argument could be made to reconcile the violation of business ethics, made by Hershey. I believe that as a leader in a type of industry, it is important for Hershey to abide by the rules and readily present exemplary operations honoring the Stakeholder Theory as well as business ethics.

Sources:   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15681986

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/16/hershey-child-labor-suit/