Ethics in business....

So this week in Business 482, we're discussing situations that have occurred in our places of employment that could be considered unethical. We've all had some tales of deception to share, particularly with regard to the business of sales. We all pretty much shared how there was deliberate withholding of information with some of our employers; others shared how some workers who weren't exactly licensed or trained to perform certain tasks would still perform these tasks for the company. This leads me to think: does the company really have the customers' interest or their bottom line at heart? What if someone were to be seriously hurt by some misdeed performed by someone at the company?

These are the things you'll have to face if any of you are either working or are business students; where will you draw the line? No one else can be your conscience; you have to make these decisions on your own. Will you do something that you feel is morally wrong or unethical if it means a consistent paycheck? What do you consider unethical? These are decisions that you will have to face every day of your working lives--well beyond the classrooms of Berkeley College.

I offered some insight regarding a company I used to work for; this company has since been in the newspaper in an unfavorable light for "unethical business practices". To sum it up, I was a part of a company where we would have to withhold information from customers in order to make our offer attractive. The thing is, I didn't know that we were being dishonest until I overheard a conversation between two of my co-workers; I decided that I needed to seek employment elsewhere. But this is a decision we all must face. Follow your conscience, and you'll always make the right decision, fellow students.