A Profit's Promise
Guo, Elaine
Abstract
Profit-driven behavior has caused long-lasting debates. Does it serve as an impetus to unlock human potential and foster achievement, or does it treat financial gain as the sole objective, thus leading to unethical harm to society? Gaining profit is vital for enterprises to seek survival and expansion, it is undoubtedly an incentive for businesses to find ways to improve. Generating creativity, evaluating multiple alternatives, optimizing process flow, and meeting diverse customer needs, are all driven by this incentive. As a result, innovations and even revolutions occur, which raise the overall economic and technological level, enhancing human capabilities. On the other hand, the temptation for money gain compels some people to lose sight of ethical business practices. In this case, regulations are ignored, public health is put aside, and environmental sustainability is sacrificed in exchange for short-term financial rewards. However, the intention for pursuing profit is not wrong, what needs to be rectified is the path some people take to reach the goal without integrity. Cultivating ethical values and civic responsibility, selecting ethical business leaders, enforcing strong regulations, and establishing a healthy competitive environment can help shape responsible business conduct and ensure the journey of profit acquirement promotes human progress rather than causing trouble for humanity.
Cite (Chicago)
Guo, Elaine. “A Profit's Promise.” Student Journal of Business and Economics (2026). https://doi.org/10.67521/sjbe.2026.001.