Normative Ethics: Utilitarianism And Deontology
I. Introduction
Should a CEO personally go to jail? I believe that if you're in that role and that's your job, I'd say absolutely. I'd expect that you would have the information available to you. It doesn't mean that others don't have functional responsibilities, but it would be expected of someone in that position. I believe that it all comes from the top. The CEO sets the tone for ethics and integrity, and the corporate culture should include these concerns.
II. Social Responsibility
There has been much argument about the purpose of business in society. Some philosophers argue that the sole purpose of a business is to increase profitability and shareholder value (Bottorff, 2002). They contend that those companies that place profit maximization above everything else will succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. Other philosophers disagree. Some theorists argue that a business has a moral duty well beyond serving the interests of its owners or stockholders, and these duties consist of more than just obeying the law. (Bottorff, 2002)
They maintain that business has a moral responsibility to stakeholders, or people who have an interest in the conduct of the business, which might include employees, customers, vendors, people in the community and society as a whole (Bottorff, 2002).
According to Boone and Kurtz (2006), business should be held accountable for social responsibility. They define social responsibility as the management’s acceptance of the obligation to consider profit, consumer satisfaction, and societal well-being of equal value in evaluating the firm’s performance.
III. WorldCom: A Case of Unethical Business Practices
You see a CEO who was at the top of the world looking haggard and scared on the front pages of every paper and television station across the nation. That sends a strong message. It should let the CEOs know that they will be held responsible for the company's problems....
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