Ethics and Business Success: A Case Study of Sackler Family

Museums and galleries
supported by the Sacklers
family

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ethics are known as the principles which guides organisations or individuals about right
or wrong code of conduct. The unethical practices can make business affected greatly and
negatively. The report has discussed the case study of Sackler family who followed unethical
business practices. It has discussed that how unethical business practices can influence the
success of the organisation. It has been determined from the analysis of the study that the
negligence of ethics is not good for long term success and for retaining customer loyalty and
good brand value organisations must follow the ethical behaviour.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................4
ANALYSIS .....................................................................................................................................4
Success evaluation and measurement for unethical organisations .............................................4
Strategies recommended for organisation to protect against unethical behaviour .....................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Success is define as the creation of business which empowers employees, community and
service users in equal measurement (Khan and Rasheed, 2015). The ethical principles guide
organisation to follow practices which assist in balancing all these aspects. However negligence
to ethics can result in huge imbalance between monetary gain as well as in other success
parameters of business. Sustainability of the organisational success can be questioned if it does
not follow the ethical practices. Unethical behaviour or practices not only affect the organisation
practising them but it can also influence the success of other organisations who supports or
neglect such practices.
The report will analyse the role of ethics in business success and how organisations can
make efforts to deal against the consequences of unethical behaviour. It will discuss the case
study of Sackler pharmaceutical company which enjoyed huge success form several years.
However the organisation neglected the ethical considerations in order to make profits from
addictive drug OxyContin which was responsible for causing addictions and deaths. The success
of organisation become so much questionable that even donations of organisation to cultural
institutions such as Tate art group, Serpentine gallery, National portrait gallery and Metropolitan
museum is also facing huge criticism and opposition from people. The study will also provide
recommendations that how organisation can address conflicting situations from unethical
behaviour. Further the report will describe the various implications of unethical practices and the
way in which organisations can avoid the unethical practices.
ANALYSIS
Success evaluation and measurement for unethical organisations
The organisation which does not follow ethics cannot be described as successful.
Organisations such as Sackler family which receives huge financial gains on the basis of their
good corporate strategies can also fail if their ethical foundation is not strong. For example
Sackler family earned huge profit but their negligence towards ethical behaviour resulted in
deaths of number of customers. As a consequence of it despite having financial success
organisation cannot be considered as successful in terms of brand value, service quality and
public perspective (Rashid and Mahmood, 2018). The association of museums and galleries with
Sackler family by accepting their donations also influenced their success. Thus it is vital that