Running head: CONSUMER VS BUSINESS NEED 1
Consumer vs Business Needs – Ethical Dilemmas
Antonio Lattimore
Liberty University
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Consumer vs Business Needs – Ethical Dilemmas
Ethics is defined as “moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting
of an activity.”. Business ethics are along that same line, and every decision a corporation makes,
goes back to business ethics in one way or another. When we look at the day-to-day choices that
companies make, with every choice there is a consequence, and perhaps the most challenging
choices to make, are those that put the needs of the consumer, against the needs of the
corporation. Balancing those needs aren’t black and white, as needs vary, so does the impact, and
the consequences of such high-stake decisions
How do we make those choices?
I think the for-profit corporations should start by understanding what their intent and
purpose is. A company’s mission, and values often determine how choices are made and, in most
cases, go straight to the core of the “who we are”. From there it is a matter of understanding what
the needs of the customer are, and just how important those needs are. Ethical dilemmas are not
uncommon. Maxwell (2010) wrote that ““An ethical dilemma can be defined as an undesirable
or unpleasant choice relating to a moral principle or practice”. When I think of these decisions, I
think that pharmaceutical companies are a prime example of having to come to terms with the
nature of ethical dilemmas and navigating those.
While there is no true science to making these decisions, Trevino, and Nelson (2013)
stated that some of the most important parts of making these choices in the context of business
involve looking at the consequences, the obligations as a company, looking at who is affected,
and looking inward in several ways. Sometimes however, there is no clear answer. On the one
hand, for profit companies must make a profit to be successful, and in a world where competition
is virtually endless, this can mean utilizing things like patents to give you that exclusivity and
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putting the needs of the company above the needs of the customer, especially if in doing so, you
are able to serve the customer better than you would otherwise. If we look at the cost of medical
research, and the time it takes to develop medicines that help the public, perhaps it makes more
sense as to why certain companies fight for exclusivity. A drug development study stated that it
takes almost 3 billion dollars and up to a decade to create a new drug. This is a huge
commitment, and without the exclusivity of a patent, this makes it harder for investors to want to
commit. Let alone actually doing so. In fact, Mahdavi (2017), states that patents were built to
encourage development of drugs. This is a prime example of balancing the needs of the
company, vs the needs of the customer. The company needs investors, and exclusivity to get
them, and so it would make sense to put those needs ahead. This is not always the case, and there
are several stories of this very exclusivity being used to price gouge.
When it comes to necessities, I think it is most important to start with the adverse effects
of whatever society is impacted and work backward from there. It is my belief that companies
should follow in part, the concept of utilitarianism, which aims to product the greatest good for
the greatest number of people (Johnson, 2001). From an ethical standpoint, this is a great way to
balance the needs of the company vs that of the customer, especially when considering those live
saving products and tools developed by companies in high competition markets.
From a biblical perspective, we must look at things through the lens that Christ would
have, and so honesty and integrity must be at the forefront of business decisions. The bible is full
of examples of ethical tenants, and how to navigate with faced with hard choices. If we look at
Jesus, and his teachings we see that above all we are supposed to love our fellow man, be
truthful, honest, selfless, and responsible in our everyday and from a biblical perspective this
often means, being selfless. This is not to say that the needs of the customer are always the best
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choice, but that determining this, we must do so with integrity. Gill (2004) states that the bible in
several places teaches the “critical importance of community” and that we must use that as a
guide to figure out and to do what is right. I have to say I agree with that. A biblical perspective
and worldview make those decisions a little easier. It is not always going to be easy in nature, but
I do think the first step is to figure out the “what” regarding what the needs are and how essential
they are, the context in society and the consequences should companies decide to put their needs
first.
References
Gill, D. (2004). Upgrading the Ethical Decision-Making Model for Business. Retrieved 9 March
2022, from https://www.gordonconwell.edu/wp-
content/uploads/sites/19/2019/04/GillD.UpgradingEthicalDecisionMaking2004.pdf
Johnson, C. (2009). Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light or
Shadow (3rd ed., p. 138). Sage Publications, Inc.
Mahdavi, E. (2017). Patents and the Pharmaceutical Industry. Retrieved 9 March 2022, from
https://cmr.berkeley.edu/assets/documents/pdf/2017-05-patents-and-pharmaceuticals.pdf
Maxwell, J. (2007). There's No Such Thing As Business Ethics There's Only One Rule for
Making Decisions. Boston: Hachette Nashville.
Trevino, L., & Nelson, K. (2014). Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk about How to Do It
Right, 6th Editi (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
