The first thing that strikes me about the “Working for Ethically Complicated Organizations” article is how objective the tone of the author is. It’s difficult to separate emotions (whether you’re on the ‘moral-high-ground’ or the defensive side of things) from the discussion of ethics. After all, it’s a subject that inherely requires strong opinions, and personal ones at that.I
I appreciate that this article provides a objective set of criteria for evaluating the ethical problems of a company (i.e. exploitation of workers, exploitation of consumers, suspicious missions, and environmental concerns). Not only that, but the article also provides a framework for evaluating how OK you, as a worker, are for these things. And this second part is what makes the article compelling to me — it’s not ignoring the nuances and motivations that may be more ethically dubious, but are equally as valid in the complicated process of life.
As I struggle to find my own way into postgrad, I’ve flip flopped every which way on what type of job I should be looking for. One morning I wake up filled with inspiration to volunteer, to work on something that matters, and with that comes a certain contempt for my peers in high-earning jobs at Google or Apple or McKinsey. “They’re complicit,” I tell myself, “They chose the easy way.” Other mornings, I wake up filled with existential dread about the job market (this scenario is happening more and more these days), and I realize, at the end of the day, I AM UNEMPLOYED! What good am I doing to the word, to myself, by overvaluing these skimpy dreams and the notion of a honorable job, when I literally have no skills and no job? I’d be much more useful as an APM for Google Ads, learning something at least, building wealth, getting something on the resume, and there’s always time to pivot later.
And which is the correct way to think?? In some ways I wish this article weren’t so objective. I wish it would tell me the correct opinion. Give me a lead. Tell me I’m wrong, or tell me it’s ok. But at the end of the day, I guess it’s only me who needs to live with the choices I’ve made, and so it’s only me that can make these decisions for myself.
