Is Business Bluffing Ethical?

By Albert Carr
Linda DellaPia MGT 570 Ethics
Are you lying, or are you bluffing? Carr captivatingly polishes the
fine line between the rules of business and the rules of poker. Yes the
game poker, which welcomes bluffing as a tactic by all players and
where it is not considered morally wrong. Carr explains business like a
game with its own set of rules and ethical standards. This game of
business includes bluffing and not being truthful. No one thinks the
game of poker as bad as overseeing a business even though the game
calls for uncertainty of other players, masquerading of ones strength
and goals, and not being so kind or apparent. And in the world of
business, the standards of right and wrong clash from the fundamental
traditions of morality in our society. However, does this go against all
the morals that are instilled in us from birth or is it just life?
The lawfulness and moneymaking standards that people in
business usually follow are quasi contradictory to the specifications in
the game of poker. Just like arranging the cards to display the players
advantage, the association of business customs and ethics can be very
suspicious. A businessperson will only succeed and make money in the
business industry if he follows a code of ethics. These codes contradict
the values that the religious ethics of today exemplify. The basic rules

include deceiving consumers, not giving up all the facts on a product,

and/or doing anything to their get their bottom line advantage at the
customers expense. With all of this dishonesty in business, how could
all maintain a conscious of principles and morals that were the spiritual
ethics engrained so deeply from when they were young? Do they not
have any honor within the realms of the business world?
In a way, poker and business do share a particular brand of
ethics. Poker not only rewards shrewd trickery, but it commends it. In
the same way, business rewards cunning deception with profits and
accolades. Both are competitive games played according to a set of
rules. In poker it is called bluffing and in business it is called
negotiation. However, is it ok to lie in business? There is a proper
protocol to follow in business, granted. There are laws and regulations
and the legality of the law on decisions. For example, there are laws
that do not encourage monopolies. This usually happens when
companies try to control the market in any way they see possible. The
strategies that are not judicious allows for the hostility and greed to go
beyond ethical proportions. It is all about the mighty dollar. Selfgratification, greed and thirst for the bottom line almighty dollar. This
is what is more important than loyalty and honor in many cases today.
Let me get it straight, I am a supporter of capitalism. I feel our country
thrives on competition, however, the rules of the game can be
calculating. They can hurt people directly and indirectly.

Carrs comparison leaves one to think of the similarity of poker

and business. If you know the person is going to bluff in poker, should
you not know the same hymn applies to the business world? Why is
this not accepted? The Utilitarian view allows you to see that if an
achievement can trigger both good and bad concerns, the way to
critique whether this deed is morally right or wrong varies on which
action yields more contentment. Gratification in winning the game or
increasing your profits for the majority of people while making more
people happy is the main goal. If all things said in love and war hold
truth, bluffing can be accepted as a norm of business ethics and the
true character of the person who allows it.
Fairness and honesty are at the pulse of business ethics and
relate to the general values of decision makers. Well, it should be.
But, in reality, about fifty percent of the people in business carry out
unethical behavior. For example, General Motors released ignition
switches, knowing that they were defected without recalling them. In
doing so, there were many deaths. Now General motors is doing
damage control. However, it has been revealed that this defect was
known even before shipment of these vehicles. This may take a long
time to gain the trust of the many customers who have been loyal to
them for years. As my father always said, It takes a lifetime to build
someones trust, but three seconds to loose it completely. That being

said, the consequences of not upholding honesty, loyalty, and trust for
another, can affect the bottom line even more than people think so.
The game of poker is only a game. By definition, it is something
not taken seriously. Like boxing, you cannot start punching people in
the streets without any ramifications of the law. In addition, it is not
morally tolerable. Either we have a societal composition that grips us
all, or we have an unaffected concern in regards to ethics. Poker has
its own brand of ethics. The distrust is expected and not its sincerity. I
think Carrs analogy is very feeble. Business is the basis for our society
and has its own moral standards. In my opinion, Carr does not really
understand the rules of business. By detaching business from ethics,
Carr is distorting both. By handling the policies of all business
endeavors as if they had nothing to do with the rules of conventional
morality, Carr is considering morality as something we give hypocrisy
to with no impact on our lives.