Ethical Behavior and Profitability

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the Enron scandal became one of the most high-profile examples of poor business ethics in the history of the United States. It looks at how the financial breakdown of Enron and the eventual legal prosecution of several key players illustrated that instances companies that lie don't come out ahead. It discusses how business ethics serve as guidelines to what employees and executives should or should not do and how the goals of a business ethic vary from individual to individual, company to company.

From the Paper:

"However, a strict deontologist would not survive long in the world of business. A company that always tells the truth is an outright fantasy; any company that starts out without a single white lie to sully its reputation will eventually come into hard times. Lying is sometimes essential for the smooth functioning of a business and to ensure the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Utilitarianism is therefore a more practical and more common business ethic than is any deontological perspective."

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