Ethical business conduct is a topic of dramatic importance, given the constant news about immoral behaviors by both large and small businesses. As such, the recent developments in the field of corporate ethics and citizenship are promising, though the field is still far from achieving its intended objectives. Well-defined criteria for what constitutes acceptable actions can help companies direct their operations better and assist their stakeholders in identifying wrongdoing. As such, their development should continue, accompanied by increased complexity and greater transparency from the side of businesses.
The evolution of the need for corporate social responsibility is a vital milestone in the achievement of these goals. As Mohn claims, it is no longer only an ethics concern that can be overruled by more practical consideration but rather a tangible risk. Ideally, any undesirable behaviors by a company would be exposed immediately and met with widespread social backlash as its customers turned away to more ethical businesses. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to further spread awareness of the importance of corporate ethics and develop instruments for monitoring companies in collaboration with them.
With that said, the dangers of an excessive focus on ethics also have to be taken into consideration, especially when specific metrics are employed. The practice Mohn calls greenwashing is becoming increasingly widespread, with companies manipulating indicators to appear ethical instead of addressing their problematic practices. This tendency is indicative of a persistent lack of commitment and transparency on the side of businesses, which are unwilling to abandon lucrative but unethical policies due to various reasons. While working toward a more ethical business framework, researchers and stakeholders need to remember to try to understand matters in-depth and critically evaluate their sources.
Work Cited
Mohn, Tanya. “Howard Schultz, Starbucks and a History of Corporate Responsibility.” The New York Times, 2017, Web.