Is 'business ethics' an oxymoron? Is 'laws governing wars' oxymoronic?

[Delta4Embassy]

Business is capitalism. And capitalism's sole purpose is to make profit. Not provide workers with good wages, or careers. So is any incorporation of ethics in business like admitting capitalism's nature is inherently unethical so must be reigned in via ethical rules and standards?

War is premeditated murder of human beigs, indiscriminate destruction of property, and stealing other people's stuff after you murder them. So how can any laws be imposed on something so naturally unlawful?

 

[BluePhantom]

Business is capitalism. And capitalism's sole purpose is to make profit. Not provide workers with good wages, or careers. So is any incorporation of ethics in business like admitting capitalism's nature is inherently unethical so must be reigned in via ethical rules and standards?

War is premeditated murder of human beigs, indiscriminate destruction of property, and stealing other people's stuff after you murder them. So how can any laws be imposed on something so naturally unlawful?

I have no idea what your second paragraph has to do with the first, but no business ethics is not an oxymoron. I have worked for several corporations in my career and like people some are good and some are not so good when it comes to ethics. Yes, the ultimate goal is to make a profit, however, unethical business practices are a good way to go broke. When a company gets a reputation for being unethical they will have difficulty developing relationships with other businesses that are vital to their survival.

Are you somehow under the impression that businesses are resistant to higher wages because they have some secret desire to see their workers suffer? It's not the case. Most businesses would love to pay their employees more or provide them with better benefits, it's that they can't. They don't have the financial resources to do it and maintain their profitability. Many corporations embrace what is known as "voluntary obligation" (now there is an oxymoron) wherein they must do something to contribute to the community. That may be charitable giving, sponsoring community programs, building parks, whatever. Some do this purely to establish an image of caring and giving back to the community that supports them, but many do it from a true desire to give back. Helping the community also helps their stability. But again, it's a question of resources. A company often can't build parks and increase wages at the same time. So something is going to have to give way to the other. For example, McDonald's could easily jack up their wages, but the cost may be the Ronald McDonald Houses that help sick and underprivileged children. Which is it going to be?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Business is capitalism. And capitalism's sole purpose is to make profit. Not provide workers with good wages, or careers. So is any incorporation of ethics in business like admitting capitalism's nature is inherently unethical so must be reigned in via ethical rules and standards?

War is premeditated murder of human beigs, indiscriminate destruction of property, and stealing other people's stuff after you murder them. So how can any laws be imposed on something so naturally unlawful?

I have no idea what your second paragraph has to do with the first, but no business ethics is not an oxymoron. I have worked for several corporations in my career and like people some are good and some are not so good when it comes to ethics. Yes, the ultimate goal is to make a profit, however, unethical business practices are a good way to go broke. When a company gets a reputation for being unethical they will have difficulty developing relationships with other businesses that are vital to their survival.

Are you somehow under the impression that businesses are resistant to higher wages because they have some secret desire to see their workers suffer? It's not the case. Most businesses would love to pay their employees more or provide them with better benefits, it's that they can't. They don't have the financial resources to do it and maintain their profitability. Many corporations embrace what is known as "voluntary obligation" (now there is an oxymoron) wherein they must do something to contribute to the community. That may be charitable giving, sponsoring community programs, building parks, whatever. Some do this purely to establish an image of caring and giving back to the community that supports them, but many do it from a true desire to give back. Helping the community also helps their stability. But again, it's a question of resources. A company often can't build parks and increase wages at the same time. So something is going to have to give way to the other. For example, McDonald's could easily jack up their wages, but the cost may be the Ronald McDonald Houses that help sick and underprivileged children. Which is it going to be?

Ya, because a business that gets a bad rep can't start another business with 'clean rep' figurehead and continue the process of get ahead by any means, make profits until people realize how you've been doing it. No one ever thought of that before. I only just came up with it.

You're perpetuating the lie that ethics are inherent to capitalism. That capitalism even has a term of 'business ethics' reveals that business is inherently unethical. If it were inherently ethical it wouldn't need 'business ethics.'

 

[BluePhantom]

Ya, because a business that gets a bad rep can't start another business with 'clean rep' figurehead and continue the process of get ahead by any means, make profits until people realize how you've been doing it. No one ever thought of that before. I only just came up with it.

Shit like that does happen but you are assuming that other businesses don't know who is running the new company. Of course they know and the reputation will follow them. I have been in this game for over 30 years brother, and I can tell you from experience that other businesses know who is in charge and how they operate, even if they start a completely new company under a different name.

You're perpetuating the lie that ethics are inherent to capitalism. That capitalism even has a term of 'business ethics' reveals that business is inherently unethical. If it were inherently ethical it wouldn't need 'business ethics.'

Quite the contrary, you are merely engaging in left-wing propaganda. My guess is that you haven't dealt with a corporation from the inside and at the higher levels where things like this are discussed internally and such decisions are made. If you had, you would know that what you are saying is totally wrong. Businesses don't operate in the manner you are suggesting.

 

[BluePhantom]

Ok I am home from work. So let me educate you a bit about how business ethics and reputation works. I am the corporate manager for a casual, full-service restaurant/lounge chain in Portland, OR. It's my job to ensure the profitability, efficiency of operations, AND REPUTATION of four separate restaurant locations as well as a central distribution hub where we make base products for all the restaurants as well as products to be sold in local supermarkets and sold to other food manufacturing businesses. Let's talk about reputation and ethics.

I did not apply for this job. They did not post an ad that I responded to or went to them and asked for employment. The previous corporate manager was not getting the job done and the owners decided to find a replacement. They knew of me (they didn't know me personally) because I had taken another smaller company, who they were in competition with, from the verge of bankruptcy to great profitability and did it in such a way where the reputation of the company was enhanced, the satisfaction of the staff was improved, and the guest experience dramatically improved. They asked around about me and found that I had an excellent reputation with other businesses and they were told 'if you can get BluePhantom from the other company it will be a major score'. So they contacted me and I agreed to go work for them. That would not have happened if I had a reputation as anything other than an effective, fair, strategic, and ethical businessman.

On my first day...I am not exaggerating, my very first day...I cancelled accounts with two suppliers of raw ingredients and created new accounts with different suppliers. I did this because the suppliers I cancelled had bad reputations for ethical business. One was a produce supplier who I knew from experience had a habit of mixing cases and putting fresh produce on top of the case and old (sometimes even rotten) produce on the bottom of the case. This is not only unethical it's fucking illegal because it makes it impossible to track lot numbers in the event of an FDA recall. So out they went and in came businesses I could trust to supply us properly.

Now I knew the manager of the produce company that I fired. They lost a lot of accounts because of his policies and eventually he left and went to manage another produce company that we did business with. When I heard he had gone to the other company I cancelled our account with that company and found a different one based on my experience and his reputation of running an unethical business. Many other companies did the same and he was ultimately fired because no one would do business with him. He is done in this town and he has himself to blame. His best opportunity is to change industries altogether or move to a different city where no one knows him and he can start fresh. But he is done here.

So yes, people move around and yes people close companies and start new ones under different names. But the industry knows who is running the show. It's our job to know who we are doing business with and if they are unethical they get drummed out of the picture. So your suggestion that unethical business practices are ignored or can be hidden is totally wrong. It is wrong on so many levels that the mere suggestion does nothing more than demonstrate your ignorance of how business works. You should really stick to religion threads. At least there you are only amusing, where on this topic you are demonstrating a total lack of even the smallest shred of understanding.

 

[amrchaos]

Business ethics is not an oxymoron.
In fact, asking ethics in terms of itself(internally), the market, and/or
government can demonstrate how complex the issue is

War ethics--useful if you win, pointless if you lose. All propaganda to shape and justify the victor.