Business ethics can more or less be defined as the moral principles that direct the way a business is run. The same principles that determine an individual”s actions also apply to business.
Ethical practices recognize the difference between right and wrong and consistently strive to set an example of good conduct. In a business setting, being ethical means applying principles of honesty and fairness to relationships with coworkers and customers.
The very roots of brand loyalty and the development of trust of a consumer in a brand, stems from the degree of ethical conduct of the enterprise. For example, In 1982, Johnson & Johnson spent over $100 million dollars recalling Tylenol, its best-selling product, after someone tampered with bottles of the painkiller. The company followed its credo, a set of ethical organizational values, and the result was a boost in consumer confidence, despite the contamination scare. This simplly goes to show and validate for the fact that companies that aim at giving back to the society, receive a boomerang effect in the form of brand loyalty and an increase in the goodwill of the brand.
Talking about companies that give back to the community and follow an ethical business code, lets talk about Google: which is not only the most ethical company in the Computer Services category, it is the only company in the Computer Services category.
Talking about he corporate culture and work environment first, which forms the most integral part of an ethical conduct, Google succeeds in cultivating a fun and stimulating working environment. Former employees often think of the offices and instantly draw up images of games rooms, floor-to-ceiling whiteboards and helter-skelters between floors.
Looking at the employee satisfaction and security aspect, Google offers its staff much more than scooters and ping pong tables, with healthcare services, travel insurance, childcare facilities and academic scholarships among its more meaningful benefits, running a free bus service for employees and encouraging them to drive electric cars, with hundreds of chargers on-site.
In light of its global impact and ethics standards, Google’s initiatives include heavy investment in solar and wind power, with the ambition of becoming the world’s first carbon neutral company in the foreseeable future. Google has taken firm stances on social issues too, including LGBT rights. In 2010, Google began covering the extra tax paid by its employees in gay and lesbian relationships – a tax that doesn’t exist for straight married couples – raising the bar for its Silicon Valley neighbours.
Though investing and focusing on Business ethics could hamper the profit maximization of a company, Google proves to be a world leader and sets an example as a profitable global power through an ethical approach to business.
Word Count:444
Patrice Chung
January 10, 2023 — 1:59 pm
Hi I work for TTEC
I’d like to report an ethics violation.
Thank you