Business ethics is an essential part of a successful company, regardless of its niche. In his article “It Seems Right in Theory but Does It Work in Practice?”, the author states that the business must be competitive and build trust to achieve its goal. To operate successfully, people should develop their businesses using Kant’s categorical imperatives (Bowie, 2017). However, I believe that Bowie does not take into account many factors and forms of business.
Not every company should keep the same pace as its competitors in order not to go out of business. For instance, Apple Inc. keeps the same line of products, which remain in demand and are only adapted to the requirements of the time. At the same time, their competitors, Microsoft Inc. or Xiaomi, are continuously expanding the offer of its products, adding devices and software for various needs. In my opinion, each company should first strive for customers’ satisfaction, and only then strive to win over competitors.
The second statement, “A person… who starts a business and invests in it, does not want to get out of business”, is also controversial (Bowie, 2017, p. 104). Reluctance to get out of business comes from making a profit, as the original purpose of the business. On the other hand, non-profit organizations set entirely different goals, for example, community engagement or education. Kant states that people should act in such a way that their actions are applicable by other people in a similar situation (Herissone-Kelly, 2019). Thus, Bowie’s statement cannot be universal and correspond to Kant’s imperative.
The third statement regarding building trust to achieve business competitiveness is only partially true. A business based on trust between a company and a client; investor and owner; employer and employee, can work more efficiently than strict formal rules. Nevertheless, the absence of any links of trust and their replacement with a monitored relationship does not have a critical impact on the competitiveness of a business. For example, some companies use security cameras or require employees to use time tracking apps, which do not make firms less competitive. Trust relationships, similar to control instruments instead of trust, do not guarantee success.
Summing up, it is arguable that Kant’s philosophy would work in practice. Categorical imperatives cannot take into account all aspects of the rapidly changing business environment. However, the basic concepts of morality must be considered by business people.
References
Herissone-Kelly, P. (2019). Kant on maxims and moral motivation: A new interpretation (Studies in German idealism (21)) (1st ed. 2018 ed.). Springer.
Bowie, N. E. (2017). It seems right in theory but does it work in practice? In L. P. Hartman, J. DesJardins, & C. MacDonald (Eds.), Business ethics: Decision making for personal integrity & social responsibility (4th ed., pp. 102–104). McGraw-Hill Education.