Читать книгу Business Plans For Dummies - Paul Tiffany - Страница 54

There is growing evidence that financial investors favor the good guys over the ethically challenged. Government regulators around the world are beginning to impose ESG (environmental, social, and governance) mandates on publicly traded firms in their jurisdiction, with appropriate penalties for violators of social norms. Investment funds, which constitute the majority of stock holding in public firms, are also jumping on the bandwagon and restricting purchases of shares in firms that cross the line. In short, doing good is increasingly a route to doing well financially.

Having no fundamental guidelines to follow — or, worse yet, being told “don’t rock the boat” and play it safe — means that businesspeople are forced to choose the easy path paved by profit opportunity. But the easiest path isn’t always the best. When profits are the only guide, you may find it easier to cut corners or even bend the law — and that has spelled serious legal trouble for many companies in recent years, bringing some very high flyers crashing down.