by Elliot Ewert

Created on: September 15, 2009

The primary question the capitalistic entrepreneur has always asked him or herself is, How can I make the most money as quickly as possible? Motives for accumulation of wealth are the drive behind businesses operating all over the world, apparent in both hyper-capitalistic nations such as the U.S. and (as much as they detest admitting it) in purportedly communistic states like Cuba and China.

Striding hand-in-hand with the financial incentive of business is the age-old conundrum of how to accrue money ethically. In today's postmodern society, active consideration and discussion of business ethics is more pertinent than ever.

America's business world is an entity where solid principles are not often paired with originality, creativity, or aggressive critical thought, where those smart enough to reach the top are rapidly undone by their unscrupulous behavior and those who display competence and honesty even in the prospect of failure are indulgently showered in accolades as if they were deities of virtue rather than mere, decent humans. I am not stating that moral behavior should not be rewarded, only that it should be emphasized as the norm of human action and not the extreme exception.

Most Americans with a modest knowledge of news and politics could probably name at least three major corporate scandals that have played out on the national stage within the last five years. The accounting imbroglios known as Enron, Worldcom, and the jobbery at Hewlett-Packard come to mind immediately. Their salience is important to note. In the wake of the Enron fracas Forbes compiled a list late in 2002 of Fortune 500 companies that were under investigation for various malfeasant practices. Over 40 corporations made the list, representing about 8% of the organizations in America's business elite. Imagine if 8% of U.S. citizens were arrested for criminal acts and placed on trial (25 million people!), or to make a more direct comparison, 8% of those in government office. The economic and social detriment caused to our society would be unfathomable. And don't forget how much more duplicity still occurs and has yet to be unmasked. How did the business world reach such a severe moral nadir?

While the vast majority of Americans lead a very values-imbued lifestyle, it is not hard for even the most righteous among us to self-rationalize a minor theft from a faceless, cold-blooded corporation. A CFO who augments his payroll by siphoning a negligible percentage of revenues into his own

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