Quote:
Originally Posted by hrosvit
I find it interesting that in this thread we have people saying that we, as consumers, are behaving unethically if we go into the store to look at something and then buy it online for cheaper. But, in other threads, we have people saying that corporations are neither good nor evil, and exist only to maximize profits for their shareholders, and so are not obligated to act towards us in any particular manner.
Does anyone have an issue with consumers being held to ethical standards towards corporations, when, apparently, there are no such expectations of the corporations?
|
Corporations are run by people. People make the decisions. People should adhere to some ethical standard, whether they are acting in their own personal interest as a consumer, or in the interests of corporate success as a board member, executive, employee or stockholder of a corporation.
However, the ethics involved may be different. The set of rules that determine the right action when your duty is to the public at large or to stockholders or to what is supposed to be a value-neutral market transaction may be different then when your duty is only to your own conscience.
For example. It might be quite ethical for an individual to chose not to patronize a company because he objects to the political affiliations of the company owners, but it may not be ethical for that company to refuse to provide services to an individual for the same reason.