As a young executive, Jerry Fleming wondered if making a profit and behaving ethically were even compatible. Years later, he discovered that ethical companies not only showed greater profits than their unethical competitors but also experienced greater employee satisfaction and public trust.
With corporate scandals in the headlines, Profit at any Cost? is Fleming’s call for businesspeople to rethink how ethics are lived out in the marketplace. In so doing, he says, they will find greater peace, success, and profits. With real-life examples from his thirty-year business career, Fleming challenges readers to:
" see that the business world is not a separate playing field with its own “rules” examine the failures of energy-giant Enron and other troubled corporations
" understand how seemingly insignificant choices lead to unethical business practices
" discover four moral principles that lead to long-term success in business and life
" learn why ethical companies are more successful in the long run
With humor, poignant insights, and a wealth of research, Profit at Any Cost? will challenge and inspire men and women of all professions to bring integrity back to the workplace.
From the Back Cover
True or False?
1. Ethical companies show greater profits than their unethical competitors.
2. Ethical companies are more successful, experience greater employee satisfaction, and create higher consumer confidence.
3. There are separate rules in the business world, and honesty is not one of them.
Answers:
1. True 2. True 3. False
Deception and greed are all over the headlines-as if they’re synonymous with business in today’s world. Even people who consider themselves moral make seemingly small unethical decisions in order to “make the sale” or "close the deal."
In Profit at Any Cost? former CEO Jerry Fleming offers research, examples, and insights that prove there is a better way to do business-a way that not only improves a company’s bottomline but also builds public trust, protects investors, and gives employees greater peace of mind.
"Fleming’s book calls all of us to return to the foundation of truth and honesty, which should lead to a life of peace and prosperity by God’s standards."
Dr. Hal W. Hadden, president, Christian Leadership Concepts
"Challenging, thought-provoking, and timely."
Randall P. Kozak, president, Pioneer Manufacturing, Inc.
"I highly recommend this book to all those who want to make a positive difference by the way they live their lives."
Ambassador Joe M. Rodgers
"Anyone who does not believe that ethics pays should read this book. Anyone who still does not believe that ethics pays should read the stock market listings!"
N. R. Augustine, retired chairman & CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation