First and foremost, it is of dire importance to draw a distinction between appearing to be ethical and actually using ethical considerations. There has been an attempt by several corporations to appear to be ethical. In these instances there has only been an effort to reach an immediate goal of prosperity. Of course this will work in the short run but in a sophisticated society "fake" will not survive. With the advances in technology and the increase of information, we as a community are becoming better informed. It is only a matter of searching and gathering the facts to make the decisive decision of proceeding with a certain company. In current times the line dividing truly ethical considerations and appearing to be ethical are becoming much easier to distinguish but in several cases are still unclear.
Ethical considerations in practice lead to a decrease in friction within the public domain. In other words, less conflict will arise between private individuals and corporations when ethical behavior is being practiced. For corporations, social conflict takes place when behavior is seen as wrongful or unethical but in actuality is perfectly legal. Many times this leads to calls for boycotts from churches or other organizations. Whether the public demonstrates in front of the gates, charitable organizations set up wailing walls, or the media uses pressure through critical reporting, this will mean a definite loss in social recognition of the company in question. Kathy Lee Gifford fell victim to the media a couple years ago when her clothing company was caught abusing child labor laws in factories abroad. Whether this leads to a fall in the share price or there is a measurable loss in sales are of secondary importance. Criticism "from the outside" generally means that the management role is taken up with defensive activity and therefore not free for the shaping of the future.
