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To quote Dr. Seuss, Christmas came just the same!
By Lauren | December 25, 2008
Thanks to the sagging economy Americans spent less on gifts and trimmings this Christmas, and there may have been some disappointed faces this morning. But probably there were fewer than the pundits predicted. Americans may have given each other fewer, less expensive gifts, but the presents aren’t really what Christmas is about.
I’ve written a lot in the past months about the subprime mortgage debacle and other factors that contributed to the recession because I think it’s important to focus on the impact unethical conduct has on ordinary people. Folks sometimes ask me why business ethics are important, or what difference it makes if the sharks of Wall Street eat each other alive. For the record, I’m not terribly interested in ethics as a “high and mighty” point of abstract principle. I just think business ethics matter because, when people in positions of power and influence act unethically, it does real harm to everybody else.
But this Christmas morning, I’m reminded of Dr. Seuss’ wonderful story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch, an angry misanthrope who hated the noise and hubbub his neighbors, the Whos, made when celebrating, decided to stop Christmas from coming by stealing every gift, decoration, and scrap of food in town. Although the Grinch managed to steal everything the Whos came together to celebrate anyway, teaching the Grinch that Christmas is less about expensive trinkets than about people gathering with those they love.
It may be that the greedy and powerful people whose unethical behavior caused the recession succeeded in stealing some of the gifts from under America’s trees. They’ve certainly caused us a lot of anxiety, and made even it harder for less well-to-do people who were struggling to make ends meet even before the economy collapsed. Here’s hoping, however, that we’re able to teach those arrogant folks the Grinch’s lesson. Despite what they’ve done, Christmas came just the same.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
Topics: Business Ethics, corporate responsibility, ethics |