Seriously, why can’t we all just play nice? I’d be willing to bet that everyone, at some point or another, has learned the difference between right and wrong. Don’t make me pull out The Golden Rule on you heathens.
If we all know what we’re supposed to do, why do we need ethics in the media and business decision making? Because what we’re supposed to do is rarely the easiest (or profitable) option – and humans are, by nature, lazy and greedy. So ethics help us counterbalance those nasty traits, right?
They can help, at least.
Okay, I’m going back to The Golden Rule, because it’s important for these next two examples. Picture yourself as the CEO of a Fortune 1000 company. Everything is going well; you’re looking to expand into a new region, but need your advertising firm to put together some material for you.
Oops, they’re busy with another client – that Fortune 200 Corporation that’s trying to expand globally. With no ethics in decision making, you’re put on the backburner and given half-assed work because your advertising firm is busy (and let’s face it, you’re less important). They tell you it’s their grade-A stuff, but in reality, it’s not and they know it.
Lucky for us, we live in a business world with those nifty ethics I’ve been rambling about.
Let’s flip that equation and say you’re in charge of the Fortune 200 account at the same firm. Well, here comes the CFO of that Fortune 1000 company and (s)he throws you $50,000 under the table. No ethics? No sweat. “Straight to the top of the priority list,” you tell him, and the Fortune 200 company gets thrown under the bus.
The U.S. has taken major legal steps to stop the next WorldCom or Enron disaster. And they’re working on stopping the next huge AIG fallout, but without ethical behavior in the business world, our economy is going to experience more turmoil. No one is more responsible for this financial crisis than big business, and in the end, no one can help fix it as much as they can either.
We’re all counting on you. No pressure, though.
