Ethics. Ethical. You know what it means when you see it, but when a business positions itself as such, you have certain expectations that it will be fair and honest, that it won’t rip you off, that you will be treated with respect.
Shouldn’t all businesses be ethical in that case? What does that really mean, or is it a word thrown out there to add more glitz and glitter with little substance?
Well, that’s an excellent question that deserves an excellent answer. For help, I consulted legal and scholarly organizations, culled and condensed, and came up with a description that best defines what it means to be ethical.
==> Respect for human dignity.
==> Aims to acheive the greatest good for the greatest number while creating the least amount of harm or preventing the least amount of suffering.
==> Regarding all individuals as part of a larger community, and to protect the sustainability of the community for the good of all.
==> All equals should be treated equally. Those who are unequal due to relevant differences should be treated in a manner that is fair and proportionate to their difference.
==> A given action should reflect the kind of person we are or want to be. It should promote the kind of character we value in ourselves and our community. Does the action enable us to act in accordance with our “higher selves?”
The above was inspired by and quoted loosely from www.capsim.com.
Working with businesses that serve a greater good is a priority for us. Profit is important of course; without one we couldn’t carry on in our work. But we feel there’s more to business than serving needs and turning a profit. All those are important. But we feel there’s a real opportunity for a business to improve the human condition.
We mess up sometimes. Everyone, no matter how intense the effort, falls short from time to time. Conducting one’s business in an ethical manner is a very high standard indeed. So we’re sure to mess up, but Tala Arts’ goal is always to serve the greater good.
Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash
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