Which ethical theory provides the most convincing guide to the ethical Essay

Which ethical theory provides the most convincing guide to the ethical conduct of business - Essay Example The fundamental reason for this is the emergence of the ethical consumer. This is a special breed of the common person which finds solace in the fact that his/her buying decisions are responsible decisions. This type of consumer will make purchase decisions influenced to some extent by knowing the operations of the company from which certain products are being bought. Understandably, being ethical is likely to have as many meanings as there are consumers but in a broad sense, the consumer could be very hesitant in buying goods or services from a company which does not ensure that its products or operations do not harm or exploit labour, animals or cause extensive pollution to the world around us (Ethical Consumer, 2006). Such decisions are very easy to make for the majority of people living in the UK where being an ethical consumer is relatively easy as compared to the situation a few years ago. The ethical consumer depends on information since it is the root of ethical buying decisions (Ethical Consumer, 2006). Information about companies, their actions, deeds and use of money is very easily accessed, shared and distributed on the internet (Adams, 2004). The use of the internet certainly makes the task easier as compared to getting information about companies in the developing world. Therefore, anyone with even a passing interest in a certain company can find out as much as they would like about the company and their various processes. At the very root of business is the image of the company and the way in which it presents itself to consumers (Brown, 2005). The usefulness of ethical egoism is clear when the image that the company wants to present is that of an ethical organisation or even an ethical government (Yeatman, 2004). This is particularly important for organisations dealing in finance who must present an image of honesty and reliability to their consumers. Similarly, a company which produces outdoor camping gear would be