Whether or not ethics in business plays a big role in the success of the venture is a very sticky and contentious topic among the movers and shakers in the business world. While most people would consider doing the right thing as basis for good karma and a perfect application of the Golden Rule, a growing number of business mavens have chosen to play the bad guy and do the shrewd and tactical business decisions if it can give them the edge and a better bottom line.
While a company president does not necessarily need to be ruthless and scheming, being somehow more aggressive and sure of what you want out of a deal brings out benefits. The obvious deterrent to harsh business practices may be glaring, like bad media coverage, poor public approval ratings and a negative business image. But the effects are really transient more than anything else.
Take for instance how the late Michael Jackson jumped on the chance to buy the Beatles catalogue when it went on sale a while back. The self-proclaimed "King of Pop" was easily the world's most popular and perhaps richest entertainer back then and had already won the hearts and minds of millions all over the world. Instead of resting on his laurels, he pounced like a shark to obtain The Beatles' discography to solidify his grip on music's finest records. This was viewed as a shrewd move because Paul McCartney-an original member of The Beatles and songwriter to most of the songs-was also involved in the bidding war. People hated the decision by Jackson back in the day, but now, experts view it as one of the best business decisions that Michael has ever made in his business career.
McCartney isn't that much of a fan though. Due to Jackson's actions, he has to pay him every single time he sings one of his songs. In some books, this might come across as something very sneaky and unethical, but ethics is relative and even if it was reprehensible, the mere fact that it produced financial rewards and outlived the backlash of such a shrewd act shows that the gamble was a risk well taken.
Companies protect their image because their integrity is reflected by how they carry themselves in public. Nowadays though, acting like a shark pursuing a school of fish is sometimes viewed with great admiration. Companies routinely do takeovers and mergers in which another competing company is engulfed in the process. This may not sit well with most people, but at the end of the day, it consolidates the market makes the resulting company better in nearly all aspects.
Take Donald Trump for example, he is the most pompous guy in the business world, but he sure knows how to back up all the talk with actual results. His construction projects are among the best in the country (and perhaps the world). His personality has become his brand. His demeanor may be seen as brash and unethical by some, but it's undeniable that it works for him.
The bottom line is that while people may aspire for everyone to stay ethical according to their own ethical standards, one will be stuck in a Utopian vision of how he or she want things to turn out. Controversial practices seem to produce results so the decision if you want to head that path is all yours.
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