If you watch television and movies and read newspapers, you may believe that all business leaders lie and cheat, want to destroy the environment, make any compromise for financial gain, and risk the lives and health of their employees and the public to make money. Front page news reports of airplane crashes, injury and illness, illegal stock market trading, and sweatshops make business professionals appear to be greedy, selfish, money-hungry villains. According to E. Marie Bothe, president of Wetherill, even small lies and infractions of ethics are unacceptable. Operating from honesty, truth, fairness and integrity is the only way to truly succeed. Once that question is answered, the ethical decision is made.
Many pressures affect business leaders.
Ethical considerations are sometimes difficult for business leaders when they must choose among different priorities . Making decisions based on the needs of employees, customers, stakeholders and the community requires a good leader. First, there are laws that guide business leaders. Breaking laws can lead to arrest and imprisonment. For example, one company s sales manager decided to discount prices of outdated fruit.