“The business of business is business?”: The myth of amoral business and business practices in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The subject of business ethics has continued to provoke debate among academicians, proprietors, politicians and even members of the public because of its continued relevance to the prevailing situation in the business arena the world over. In the case of Zimbabwe, the economic challenges faced by the country have invited and incited serious debate on the subject of business ethics. This paper examines the immoral business practices and the myth of amoral business that have fast gained root in the Zimbabwean business sector in recent times. In the process of exploring the myth of amoral business and the concept of business ethics, the paper justifies the necessity of integrating a culture of ethics in business in the country. It thus notes that though the integration of business and ethics in the face of economic challenges in Zimbabwe is riddled with numerous absurdities and controversies, cultivating a culture of ethics is necessary in business decision making by business people, if the country’s business sector is to gain a modicum of respect. Thus the key conclusion from the paper is that the need to dispel the myth of amoral business practices and to pronounce the indispensability of an ethics culture in the Zimbabwean business landscape remains a necessity.

KEYWORDS: Ethics, myth, amoral, business, Zimbabwe, cultural, economic