Is it really possible to work ethically and still remain competitive? There are a great many who doubt this! In business, time is of
the essence. If one delays the availability of a product, the competition will beat you to the market. In any case, the competition is trying every trick in the book to steal your customer from you!

HOWEVER!!!………… would you rather deal with a person or organisation that is honest and reliable or are you comfortable dealing with those who are known to cut corners and cannot be counted upon?

I started my career working in the Foundry Division of the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co. Ltd. (known as TATA MOTORS today). We ran a very reputable Steel Foundry and were selected to develop the Track Links for the Vijayanta tank, which was being developed by the Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF), Avadi. We had made several supplies to the satisfaction of the
customer but during one particular tender, our product was not selected because a competitor had quoted a lower price. We were sorry to lose such a prestigious order but forgot about it. Six months later, the HVF people were back with us in Jamshedpur, pleading for fresh supplies of track links. It transpired that HVF had rolled out the first Vijayanta tank with track links from our
competitor and during the public demonstration of the tank which was being witnessed by various foreign and Indian dignitaries, the track links failed, much to the embarrassment of the Ministry of Defence, and hence the competitor had been blacklisted. The HVF were so desperate to get the supplies from us that they were willing to sign a contract for all their requirements of this casting
for three years in order to induce us to start supplies again.

The problem between Ethics and Competitiveness begins when we think about being competitive first and then try to find the means to achieve this. Once this happens, ethical practices lose out because there are many more unethical short-cuts available. One needs to decide first that he or she will only do business ethically and then find ways by which to become competitive.

Once the commitment to ethical practices has been made, an innovative mind will very easily be able to find the route to becoming and remaining competitive. I would like to welcome you as a member of Caux Initiatives for Business (CIB). We sincerely believe that it is not only possible but a great source of joy and happiness to conduct business honestly and ethically. You, in becoming a member of CIB, seem to share this desire and we
would like to help you achieve your goal as  quickly and easily as possible. We don’t believe that this can be achieved by theorising, or by prescribing or making up lists of Dos and Don’ts or Codes of Conduct. We believe that the finest way in which we could help you is by sharing experiences, the experiences of hundreds of colleagues in business and industry who have resolved to conduct their businesses honestly and ethically and have succeeded in making themselves competitive. In fact many of them occupy some of the foremost positions in their businesses today.

We propose to issue this magazine quarterly to share with you the experiences of fellow members or others; interviews with those who share our beliefs and other matters of interest to help you maintain your passion for ethical practices and keep the pot of your enthusiasm boiling. I do hope that you will enjoy its contents and will share them with others so that our fraternity may grow

With Love, because…………………………….
Only Love is Real!!

Director
Caux Initiatives for Business
Sarosh J. Ghandy
Being Ethical While Remaining Competitive

CIB eMagazine – Jan to Mar 2014 – Download PDF