You consider yourself to be a decent person. You pride yourself on your conscience, and are discerning in what you buy and consume. Yet every day you get dressed, eat breakfast and go to work for a company you think hurts other people and the planet.
This presents a terrible conundrum for millions of us. Too many industries do harm in the world — whether through their actual practices, their lobbying efforts, or their treatment of the environment or of workers. They have lofty mission statements and attempt to mitigate this harm by donating to some good causes. But part, or all, of their bottom line is built on doing or abetting bad stuff.
Meanwhile, in this flagging economy, many of us are glad to have work at all. It's difficult to think about quitting a decent-paying job simply because of the values of the person in the mirror. Instead of thinking about whether the work of our brains and hands actually helps to abet evil, we regular engage in various moral trade-offs to make ourselves feel better.
What Next for Us? Connect here with the HBR Blog Network article on the subject…
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