Business ethics are not universally practiced in the best of times, so imagine how difficult things are becoming during this economic downturn. It's when times are tough that true business ethics are tested. Auto makers have often wielded the upper hand in business relationships with their suppliers: demanding price cuts, delaying payments, and ignoring volume projections -including their effect on amortization of supplier R&D and tooling investments. There had been a shift to a more enlightened approach, led by Toyota. This involved a realization that both the automobile manufacturers and their suppliers must be profitable, and that by working together waste can be eliminated, value maximized, and profits shared.
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