Comments on: Businesses Shouldn’t Have to be Socially Responsible

By: We Can’t Ban Cigarettes « Crastinate

We Can’t Ban Cigarettes « Crastinate — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:11 +0000

[...] Ban Cigarettes Posted November 26, 2008 Filed under: Uncategorized | I’ve recently written about the need for businesses to be cognizant of social issues and should try their best to improve [...]

By: levael

levael — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:14:15 +0000

Sounds very evil but I feel its not unethical…

By: Barry

Barry — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:11:05 +0000

The government makes rules and “hinders” business (read: taxes) in order to promote a certain behavior. Either you recognize that the cigarette companies are inherently immoral, or your position should be to allow them to do business without any special government interference.

By: Ely Rosenstock

Ely Rosenstock — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:57:02 +0000

Barry, whether I would work for a cigarette company is a different story. I don’t think, however, that cigarette companies should HAVE to stop selling cigarettes for the social good. I think the government needs to step in to make rules that hinder businesses that prey on addictive substances, such as cigarettes.

If cigarette companies were smart, they would start diversifying their business and stop relying so heavily on cigarettes as their main source of income.

By: Ely Rosenstock

Ely Rosenstock — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:49:48 +0000

Mechwarrior, since our class is in an MBA program and people are going into a multitude of industries, it’s hard to focus on what is ethical and what is not. The professor tries his best to outline guidelines but there are no hard and fast rules.

By: Barry

Barry — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:03:24 +0000

So you would have no ethical problem working for a cigarette company? One with complete transparency? Yes, (educated) consumers are responsible for their own choices.
But a) most consumers will never be educated
b) a business that profits only when people suffer is…well, evil.

By: Mechwarrior

Mechwarrior — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:38:12 +0000

Thats the Business Ethics class? I thought it would be a class on what is considered illegal,unethical and ethical business practices. I mean, considering that much of the economy was trashed by unethical, sometimes completely illegal practices, I would think that they would emphasize these things. My engineering ethics coursework didnt have so much saying that I must work in solar power or whatever. My class basically taught what various forms of unethical behavior are, and how to avoid the,.