As a significant driving force behind numerous decisions in the business world, business ethics play an integral role in the operations of virtually any enterprise. A business, as a collective entity, is part of society.

Lean on… each other!

It should be recognized that the vast majority of enterprises are able to thrive as a result of the opportunities presented to them by society. Many regions of the world do not provide opportunities for startups or businesses. Consequently, the actions of an enterprise should be completed with a  degree of social responsibility. With very few exceptions, the prosperity of a business is contingent on the prosperity of its society; therefore it is also in the business’ best interest to promote the well being of its society.

A real life scenario of this application of business ethics can be found in the article “CVS Vows to Quit Selling Tobacco Products,” by the New York Times. The article details a company by the name of CVS Caremark promising to stop selling tobacco products while also declaring a goal to get “half a million Americans to stop smoking.”  The company believes that it should promote the well being of its consumers despite the projected loss of $2 billion in revenue.  Therefore, this is a prime example of how a business in good conscience should make decisions with a sense of social responsibility.