Business Ethics Today - Essay Example

Thirdly, it is often thought of as a habit, smoking is a kind of addiction; that is why companies should make sure that their consumers understand that they might end up being addicted to the product (Orleans, 1993, 81). Fourthly, smoking may surely become whole in a budget, so companies who promote this product should warn about possible financial consequences when a person will have to spend a certain sum of money each month to harm one’s organism (Sloan, 2004, 51). Finally, the reality of smoking is not as glamorous or exciting as it is being portrayed. So, tobacco companies should not deceive people by providing them with different pictures that do not reflect reality at all (Wallander, 1995, 143).

Сapitalism often relies on shared ownership which means that a considerable number of people might hold shared and by combining their voices they might shape the decision-making process in a way they want (Kruse, 2010, 41). In addition to that, capitalism often points out that making ethical decisions may be quite beneficial in the long term perspective, especially when a company accepts its social responsibility and tries to maintain sustainable production (Young, 2003, 194). What is more important is that capitalism puts great emphasis on the notion of the free market, which urges companies to make sure that their decisions will ensure their competitive advantage over competitors (Buchholz, 2012, 28). As for the connection between capitalism and tobacco, I think that the former might view the latter as a popular commodity that is likely to bring a considerable amount of profits, regardless of the harm that it will do to the person who consumes or is addicted to it, and encourage people to buy it.

Keeping in mind the above-mentioned, one can argue that it is quite possible to combine the interests of a company with personal interests. Thus, on the one hand, any organization wants to be successful, so profit might be recognized as one of its primary goals of it (Jayachandran, 2004, 71). Nevertheless, a company is expected to perform actions that are beneficial for it in the short as well as in the long perspective, so taking into account the interests of the consumers might be seen as a part of it (Rosam & Peddle, 2004, 3). Utilitarianism might explain this kind of thinking in the following way: companies accept social responsibility and want to improve not because that is their ultimate goal, but because by doing so they will be able to achieve what they want – the profit.

Finally, speaking of the way a company can combine the points of view of the industry and the consumer, it would not be a mistake to suggest that the former will always prevail (Kakabadse, 2013, 250). Of course, it does not mean that companies will always think about the profit that they will be able to get; however, every action that will be performed them will lead to beneficial consequences in the long term perspective which will ensure that the interest of the consumers is taken into account. In other words, a company may want to have a good reputation in the eyes of the public; however, the real motive for making a certain decision is always connected to organizational goals. Even though up to a certain point organizational and personal goals might coexist, in times of crisis, a company is likely to choose the former since it is a for-profit organization the behavior of which is primarily guided by the desire to maximize the return on investment.