Corporations have undoubtedly oriented their philanthropy to
take advantage of the potential synergy with marketing their products and
services. This “revelation” should not surprise anyone in modernity. Even so,
overdoing any convergence to maximize profits is certainly open to ethical
critique, even if leaning excessively on strategic interest at the expense of
reputational capital is perfectly legal. This point ought to impress itself on
the frontal lobe of any dean who hires lawyers to teach business ethics. In
this essay, I focus on McDonald’s funding of its own charitable organization,
McDonald House Charities. Has the corporation’s financial contribution been
sufficient, ethically speaking, to justify the resulting reputational capital,
marketing synergies, and long-term profitability?
The full essay is in The full essay is in Cases of Unethical Business: A Malignant Mentality of Mendacity, available in print and as an ebook at Amazon.com.
