Palin, Politics, and Patagonia: Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Uncle Milton

The Wall Street Journal reports that businesses from WigSalon.com to Kazuo Kawasaki (the manufacturer of Mrs. Palin’s eyeglass frames) are benefiting from the Palin nomination.  The wigs are flying off the shelves and the glasses frames orders have quadrupled.  Kazuo Kawasaki has shifted to a 24-hour production schedule to keep up with demand.  However, not all businesses want the sales Mrs. Palin’s style choices bring.  Mrs. Palin once joked, when asked who her favorite designer was, “Patagonia.”  Patagonia spokesperson Jenn Rapp said that the company had “absolutely no” intention to use the connection to promote sales, and added, “Patagonia’s environmental mission greatly differs from Sarah Palin’s.  Just wearing the clothing of an environmental company does not necessarily make someone an environmentalist.”  Milton Friedman said the primary responsibility of a business was to its owners and shareholders — to make money.  Is Patagonia serving the interests of its owners well with its position?  Does Patagonia risk alienating customers who like Mrs. Palin?  What does a company do with politically charged and unsought attention?  Steven Kolb, executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America said that he “couldn’t envision” the fashion industry offering any “design talents” to the Republican ticket.  Wise business decision?  Socially responsible decision?  Where does politics fit in the discussion of ethics and social responsibility? 

About mmjdiary

Professor Marianne Jennings is an emeritus professor of legal and ethical studies from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, retiring in 2011 after 35 years of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics and the legal environment of business. During her tenure at ASU, she served as director of the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics from 1995-1999. In 2006, she was appointed faculty director for the W.P. Carey Executive MBA Program. She has done consulting work for businesses and professional groups including AICPA, Boeing, Dial Corporation, Edward Jones, Mattel, Motorola, CFA Institute, Southern California Edison, the Institute of Internal Auditors, AIMR, DuPont, AES, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Motorola, Hy-Vee Foods, IBM, Bell Helicopter, Amgen, Raytheon, and VIAD. The sixth edition of her textbook, Case Studies in Business Ethics, was published in February 2011. The ninth edition of her textbook, Business: lts Legal, Ethical and Global Environment was published in January 2011. The 23rd edition of her book, Business Law: Principles and Cases, will be published in January 2013. The tenth edition of her book, Real Estate Law, will also be published in January 2013. Her book, A Business Tale: A Story of Ethics, Choices, Success, and a Very Large Rabbit, a fable about business ethics, was chosen by Library Journal in 2004 as its business book of the year. A Business Tale was also a finalist for two other literary awards for 2004. In 2000 her book on corporate governance was published by the New York Times MBA Pocket Series. Her book on long-term success, Building a Business Through Good Times and Bad: Lessons from Fifteen Companies, Each With a Century of Dividends, was published in October 2002 and has been used by Booz, Allen, Hamilton for its work on business longevity. Her latest book, The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse was published by St. Martin’s Press in July 2006 and has been a finalist for two book awards. Her weekly columns are syndicated around the country, and her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Reader's Digest. A collection of her essays, Nobody Fixes Real Carrot Sticks Anymore, first published in 1994 is still being published. She has been a commentator on business issues on All Things Considered for National Public Radio. She has served on four boards of directors, including Arizona Public Service (1987-2000), Zealous Capital Corporation, and the Center for Children with Chronic Illness and Disability at the University of Minnesota. She was appointed to the board of advisors for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators in 2004 and served on the board of trustees for Think Arizona, a public policy think tank. She has appeared on CNBC, CBS This Morning, the Today Show, and CBS Evening News. In 2010 she was named one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Business Ethics by Trust Across America. Her books have been translated into four different languages. She received the British Emerald award for authoring one of their top 50 articles in management publications, chosen from over 15,000 articles. Personal: Married since 1976 to Terry H. Jennings, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Deputy County Attorney; five children: Sarah, Sam, and John, and the late Claire and Hannah Jennings.
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One Response to Palin, Politics, and Patagonia: Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Uncle Milton

  1. Evange Joyce says:

    the minute a business responds, the public automatically considers them a supporter of a candidate; be it glasses, hair or a fleece jacket. Even the comment made by Patagonia, regarding Palins environmental portfolio strikes a tone. I would suspect that there are plenty of Environmentalists that wear Patagonia .. but theres probably loggers, men on oil rigs, fisherman, and many Alaskans wearing it too. Their best bet would be to remain silent; no position either way. As far as the glasses and the wigs, I suppose they will jump on a band wagon to make a sale. and that type of fashion wanes. THese days everyone is so passionate about their candidate and its difficult not to be. So if a company shows the most simple encouragement one way or the other .. they’re marked; despised or loved, they’re marked.

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