You are helping Calvin with the construction of his new fence. Everything is moving along fine, until one day, his flawed planning leads to the destruction of a national historic site. Everyone is shocked and disapproves of Calvin and his fence, which continues stubbornly. You feel increasingly less inclined to help Calvin, and eventually decide to quit.

Likewise, Vancity Investment Management parted ways with Enbridge Inc. on August 23^rd, 2012 by selling its shares of the company whose reputation plunged after its disastrous oil spill in July 2010. Instead of showcasing a business’s tendency to neglect its moral and social responsibilities, Vancity displayed a proactive approach by distancing itself from supporting Enbridge, who not only has a tainted past but is heading into a risky future with plans for yet another pipeline that poses unpredictable economic and environmental consequences.

Today, a business cannot operate successfully without complying with the numerous components of business ethics, which tie a business to the community through morally driven decisions rather than profit-driven ones. Business ethics: the secret ingredient to the modern-day formula for success, or just another headache to sort through?

…Looks like it’s time for a reality check for Calvin.

Sinoski, Kelly. “Vancity sells its Enbridge shares over ethics concerns.” Vancouver Sun. N.p., 23 Aug. 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. <http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancity+sells+Enbridge+shares+over+ethics+concerns/7132208/story.html>