The question "Why do we start businesses" can simply be answered, by the majority of the business class in the words "to earn profits". And the goal can be achieved through proper strategies and all these business strategies are directly linked to the society.
The society where businesses are being run consist of human beings and what makes humans different from others is that they have the ability to choose freely and make decisions as what they want to do with their lives.
They have a fundamental moral right to have these choices respected. People are not object that can be manipulated. It is a violation of human dignity to deprive people of their right to choose freely.
So all businesses should be responsive to the demands and complaints of the people. One can be ethical in business when he responds to the needs of his customers in particular and the whole society in general.
Businesses should not take actions causing harm to the society. A lot of firms are dangerous to the society by their actions. Just a few days back, I saw a picture in a daily newspaper.
There was a little girl whose both legs were burnt just because she happened to walk on chemical waste from a factory in Karachi. So this is all about ethics and social responsibility.
Businesses always make decisions to raise their profit margins. But these decisions and actions should not go against the basic rights of people. Actions are wrong to the extent that they violate the rights of individuals; the more serious the violation, the more wrongful the action.
For example, the decision of a factory to have small chimneys can minimise their cost but it is against the laws and also harmful for the health of the people in the locality.
Unfortunately in our country, we are not aware of the wrong or right properly. People do not know, what they are doing is right or wrong. For instance if someone is offered bribe, he is likely to accept it with an argument that most of the people are taking, why should not I. Collectively, we are to change the values of our society; we should renew the values which are characteristics of our society.
Businesses should be ethical within their structures too. They should follow the code of ethics. It does come to the employees also. Do businesses treat everyone in the same way, or does it show favouritism and discrimination?
Favouritism gives benefits to some people without a justifiable reason for singling them out; discrimination imposes burdens on people who are no different from those on whom burdens are not imposed. Both favouritism and discrimination are unjust and wrong in nature.