Wal Mart and Business Ethics
I am currently taking Marketing 301 and one of the units in this course takes a look at the company Wal Mart. Wal Mart partakes in many actions that raise concerns over business ethics. In Management 250 we dedicate a lot of our time to discussing ethics. The main question surrounding our studies of Wal Mart was whether they should buy its products from Chinese factories that exploit workers. If the Chinese government does not change the laws in a way that will benefit workers, is it the right of Wal Mart to get their products at the best price possible? This is capitalism at its best but is their certain point where we need to say that profit comes second? In business school we are taught that we want to minimize costs in order to maximize profits. From the very beginning this principle is engrained in our heads, it may seem as if all the Wal Mart executives are doing is practicing this strategy. These are tough questions, in 250 we are consistently confronted with scenarios that have questionable ethics but the answers are never clear cut. I think Wal Mart has the right to buy from China, and it is China’s responsibility to award their workers better conditions and wages. The problem is when Wal Mart turns around and treats their own workers like they mean nothing.
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