Can Ethics be Bought?

Where do we get ethics? Can you buy them off a shelf? Can you be taught ethics? Do we get them from our genetic makeup or from watching our parents? All great questions.

Let me tell you a story of my early days in Purchasing. I was asked to sell off a large pile of scrap metal at our municipal Works Yard. I asked all the dealers to meet me on site to view the scrap and then to later provide me with a written quote. All arrived on this misty yet warm summer morning in the early 1980's. All but one drove near to the pile and began their inspections. One dealer however drove his dirty old pick up truck over to where I was standing. He got out of his truck beer belly flapping with gravity and his arm stretched out to greet me with a hand shake. I reached out my hand to receive him and stopped when I saw a $50 bill folded up in his creased hand. I asked him "what is that?" He proceeded to tell me it was a token of thanks because we were going to do business. I said, "keep your money, inspect the pile of scrap and present your price. If you are the highest bidder, we will do business". He did as advised. When I told this story to my Senior Buyer back at our office in City Hall he said "good for you. If you accepted the $50 you would have told the world you could be bought for $50." I was stunned by this. It suggests that we all have a price. His by the way is $1 million. I said I can't be bought. He said, sure you can. Someone just needs to find your price.

So what is Ethics? Is it black and white? Is their a grey area? Let me know your thoughts? By the way, I can't be bought for any price.