Black friday Quote by Brian de Haaff
““The idea of putting customers first and acting with integrity is gaining traction. Outdoor-gear retailer REI received adulation for adhering to its values when it announced that it would not only close its stores on Black Friday in 2015 but pay its employees to get outside. Contrast that with blood-test startup Theranos. CEO Elizabeth Holmes was lauded as “America’s youngest self-made billionaire,”12 and the firm was quickly valued at $9 billion. Then, testing showed that the company’s flagship Edison device, which purported to deliver test results from a single drop of blood, did not work.13 The federal government swiftly began investigating Holmes, with regulators not only revoking the company’s license to operate but suggesting a ban preventing Holmes from owning or operating a lab for two years. Walgreens Boot Alliance Inc. sued Theranos for $140 million, equivalent to the amount the drugstore giant had invested in the startup. 14 In the fall of 2016, Theranos announced it would be shutting down its blood-testing facilities and shed at least 40 percent of its workforce. 15””
About This Quote
Source Article: Business Ethics Case Study, 2016
Prioritizing customers and integrity builds trust and reputation, while deception leads to legal and financial collapse.
In simple terms: Integrity earns trust; deception destroys it.
Key Takeaway
Commit to ethical practices.
Themes
ethics
trust
leadership
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
analytical
cautionary
When to use this quote
- product launches
- employee policies
- public relations
- regulatory compliance
Key Concepts
integrity
customer focus
corporate governance
Questions to Reflect On
- How can companies verify ethical claims?
- What safeguards prevent fraud?
A Different Perspective
Success can be short‑lived if underlying claims are false.
