Business Research Ethic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Research Ethic - Essay Example In recent years, numerous businesses have been found guilty of unethical business research practices. Companies such as Enron and AIG are by far the biggest that come to mind, as they fraudulently reported profits, amongst other falsified reports, that persuaded current shareholders and potential investors that their current business model was more fiscally sound than it actually was. These ‘White Collar’ professionals made the news in recent years due to their big promises and ability to deliver – for a season (Shurden, Santaudreu, and Shurden, 2010, p. 117). Through than many questionable business practices, AIG ended up paying bonuses in the billions of dollars, even in the midst of receiving government bailout money. This one action, almost more than any other, got the public and the government questioning at what point certain business practices become unethical and affect all of society, not only a select few. Business ethics has long been a grey area. As th is article effectively points out, it is often difficult to determine what practices are truly unethical, and which are simply questionable. In the end, it is important to consider this topic because such behavior can truly impact the masses. As the authors state, â€Å"Our laws are a starting point for ethical conduct and are implemented in order for society to avoid extreme situations† (Shurden, Santaudreu, and Shurden, 2010, p. 117). In many of these situations, the injured parties are the shareholders, employees, and anyone in the public directly or indirectly involved in the company. The point is made, therefore, that unethical business research practices affect more than just the immediate parties involved. In the case of AIG, a massive government financial bailout was required to keep the company from failing. The company was deemed to be too valuable to allow the unethical practices to destroy the viability of the institution. To have done so would have not only impac ted thousands of jobs in America, but would have also resulted in repercussions felt around the world as global financial institutions have vast holdings in AIG. Taxpayer money was used, then, to inject needed capital into the company to keep it afloat until such time that the company could be reorganized and new management bought in (Shurden, Sataudreu, and Shurden, 2010, pp. 118-119). Enron is another example mentioned in this article. The unethical business research practices at this company began when they falsified information that it gave to the public. This resulted in people, both outside and inside the organization, believing that the company was financial sound and provided a great investment opportunity. The opposite, in fact, was true and the failure of the company resulted in great hardship not only in America, but globally as well (Shurden, Sataudreu, and Shurden, 2010, pp. 121-122). Society was greatly impacted by both of these examples. When large companies willingly conduct their business research in an unethical manner, trust begins to wither away. Our capitalist system is predicated on a certain amount of trust. We need to believe in the companies that we support in order to help them prosper and thrive in today’s rapidly advancing and global society. Each time that trust is violate, society becomes a bit more

The Responsibility of Intellectuals, Redux Essay

The Responsibility of Intellectuals, Redux - Essay Example Historically, intellectuals who disagreed with the authorities suffered severe consequences as illustrated by, Eugene Debs, Rosa Luxemburg, Bertrand Russell, and Karl Liebknecht and Zola. This shows that intellectuals who pose a challenge to governments are usually painted as public enemies, while those who help the government to carry out their policies were regarded responsible. The trend has not changed much up to now, as illustrated with the intellectuals in Latin American, who despite their call for justice over the years, they have not received due honor compared to their counterparts who support the authorities. The author also condemns various injustices practiced by the U.S government, among them the support of the military junta in Haiti, planning and implementation of military coup in Brazil, and the brutal murder of Osama Bin Laden, as opposed to apprehension and prosecution, a clear illustration of governments’ act in overriding the process of justice. ... He calls upon intellectuals to take up the role of protecting various principles they uphold, which are mainly the principles of peace (Chomsky). Response I am in agreement with Chomsky’s observation, that Governments have not been fair in recognizing the achievements of these intellectuals, as they have always privileged those who help them pursue their policies and interests, and condemn those who stands for their principles, even if it is against the interest of the government. The example Chomsky gives, of John Dewey, who was a well-respected policy maker until his ideas of freedom of press conflicted with the government is a perfect prove that Chomsky is not just making claims, but he is supporting them with real life examples. Another example is Nelson Mandela, who fought tirelessly for end of apartheid and racial discrimination, only to be viewed as a criminal with no rights to visit United States until 2008. The same principles advocated by Mandela, are the same ones t hat Martin Luther King Junior advocated for in America but the later was highly valued in Kennedy Administration, unlike Mandela. It seems therefore that some intellectuals are privileged not by the values they stand for, but by the aspect of how well they relate with the government of the day. Chomsky calls upon Intellectuals to play a major role in upholding values of the society, despite what status the authorities may put to them. He insists that social evils that our governments promote should be openly rebuked by intellectual, which in my view is a very good advice that intellectuals should adopt. Chomsky also makes a very important and genuine plea to intellectuals, when he says that they should not be used by government to scheme injustices like manipulation of democracy to reserve