The following appeared a part of a company memorandum.
Adopting an official code of ethic regarding buine practice may in the long run do our company more harm than good in the public eye. When one of our competitor received unfavorable publicity for violating it own code of ethic, it got more attention from the media than it would have if it had had no uch code. Rather than adopt an official code of ethic, therefore, we hould intead conduct a publicity campaign that tree the importance of protecting the environment and aiting charitable organization.
Dicu how well reaoned... etc.
Thi company memorandum ugget that, in lieu of adopting an official code of ethic, the company hould conduct a publicity campaign that tree the importance of promoting certain ocietal interet. The reaon for the uggetion i that an official code of ethic might harm the company in the public eye becaue a competing company received unfavorable publicity for violating it own ethic code. Thi argument i unconvincing, ince it depend on everal unwarranted aumption a well a arguing againt it own concluion.
Firt of all, the author unfairly aume that the two companie are ufficiently imilar to enure the ame conequence of adopting an ethic code for thi company a for it competitor. The competitor may have adopted an entirely different code from the one thi company might adoptperhap with unrealitic tandard not embraced by any other companie. Perhap the competitor violation wa extremely egregiou, amounting to an aberration among buinee of it type; or perhap one notoriou executive i olely reponible for the competitor violation. Any of thee cenario, if true, would how that the two companie are diimilar in way relevant to the likelihood that thi company will experience imilar violation and imilar publicity if it adopt any ethic code.WWw.hAOZUowEN.com