The "balanced" perspective can be applied to any number of organizational sub-units or functions, but one area often overlooked that demands a balanced perspective is ethics.
Most Fortune 500 companies today incorporate an ethical component into their strategic plans. A major challenge for management, though, is that different stakeholder groups may have vastly different perspectives on what constitutes ethical decision making. For a company to be "ethical," must it:
Starbucks, known for ethically sourced coffee beans, is dogged by accusations that it crushes smaller competitors. Amazon, which provides customers with top notch customer service, is known for its challenging corporate and fulfillment center cultures. Apple, which revolutionized multiple industries on the way to becoming the world's most valuable company, has come into question for the practices of its suppliers. Chevron, often recognized as America's best oil and gas company to work for, regularly faces complaints that it is environmentally unfriendly.
These successful, well-respected companies look different depending on one's perspective, which is why it is critical to look at your company's approach to ethics in a balanced and holistic manner. Much like a company needs to pursue excellence in operations, people, finances, and customer to be successful, it should consider multiple perspectives to be considered an ethical organization.
When weighing the ethical implications of a business decision, consider the following perspectives:
Your customers, your potential employees, and the community all want to do business with ethical companies. Weighing multiple ethical perspectives in the strategic decision making process improves the decision itself, helps identify potential objections from different stakeholders, and positions your company as an ethical player.
