USING ETHICS AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE – 3 OBSERVATIONS We can blame the media if you like, and I have little doubt that they have played a role – as have many other businesses – but the fact is, trust levels for businesses are at an all-time low. Politicians are one of the few groups […]

USING ETHICS AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE – 3 OBSERVATIONS We can blame the media if you like, and I have little doubt that they have played a role – as have many other businesses – but the fact is, trust levels for businesses are at an all-time low. Politicians are one of the few groups trusted less than most categories of business people. We can blame movies such as Wall Street or the business that inspired such movies as Enron, but the fact is, consumers view businesses as having low ethical standards and requiring regulation to keep them honest. I would argue that this situation has been made worse by the propensity for businesses to talk about, and even publish their values, and then failing to reflect them in their behaviour. I would argue that it has been made worse by the number of businesses who have defined and communicated…