Are our consumer choices affected by a corporations business practices?

I love shopping at IKEA. I like wandering through their marketplace and picking up little items that I don't really need but that are so inexpensive I find myself thinking `oh why not!' In reflection, I realize that because I like the experience so much, I have not paused to think critically about how IKEA is able to deliver such a wide variety of items at such low prices. Having read an article in last weekends Globe and Mail titled `just don't ask why it is so cheap', the writer identifies a number of environmental and business practices by IKEA that are not aligned with my personal values - so it appears that someone else is paying a price for my cheap IKEA things.

In reading the Globe article, I was confronted with some questions. Is it sufficient for organizations today to have the appearance of being good corporate citizens, thus soothing my conscience, or are we as consumers prepared to become more discerning and willing to change our shopping practices when we learn that a corporation may not be act as a good corporate citizen? Are there enough organizations that are committed to being good corporate citizens and are they willing to challenge their business practices if there is a cost to the bottomline in the short term? How can an organization change to act in a way that is aligned with their stated values and the values of many consumers today- is this in essence a leadership challenge?



The Acacia Group's mission is

`to offer transformative and unique experiences in the world of leadership and
executive coaching, for those organizations seeking to contribute to corporate
citizenship.'

We believe that it is a leadership challenge for most organizations - transformed leaders create transformed organizations. See our website for more information http://www.theacaciagroup.ca/.