The compact disc I am listening to was recorded in London, manufactured in Germany, and purchased from a mail-order house in Toronto. My compact disc player is truly a cosmopolitan product. I usually take this for granted. In my portable compact disc player, the best work of the best minds in music, electronics, manufacturing, transportation, and merchandising has been coordinated into a package that, for less than a day's pay, allows me to enjoy the sunrise over Lake Ontario while experiencing the passion of a 19th century Russian musical genius. This is a book about business ethics.
Ethics is about what is valuable and how to achieve it.
My musical sunrise was made possible by thousands of such individuals. Start with the orchestra. Each member of the orchestra acquired a specialized expertise and found a way to integrate his love of music with the need to make a living. The orchestra sells its product to the manufacturer of compact discs. The manufacturer cooperates with experts in transportation, advertising, and merchandising, who cooperate with me.