Grappling with the Gray #106: In the jungle, the mighty jungle?

What price do we pay for convenience?

That's the question that drives the conversation when Christopher Bauer, PhD, CSP, CFS, Jennifer H. Elder, CSP, CPA, and Paul Glover join the ethics panel to Grapple with the Gray.

Here is our topic:

Is Amazon taking over the world? It certainly seems that way, especially after Jeff Bezos bought his half a billion dollar sailing yacht.

I have no problem with people making money honestly and spending it as they wish. But the stories coming out of Amazon are deeply disturbing. Working conditions have been questioned and high turnover is reportedly part of the business plan. Policies make it easy for the customer but prove onerous for retailers, who end up with razor slim profit margins and are seemingly with no option but to comply if they want to compete in the marketplace.

Presumably, these assertions have merit, since the company has been sued by the FTC for antitrust violations and stands accused of bullying partners and vendors.

There are a number of alternatives to online shopping, such as Etsy, bookshop.com, Uncommongoods, and Shopify, as well as online ordering from Costco, Walmart, and Target.

But Amazon is so darn easy and convenient. That’s why I keep using it.

So I’m calling myself out. If I find Amazon’s business conduct odious, do I have any good excuse for using it? Or am I just being lazy?

Meet this week’s panel:

Christopher Bauer is a Speaker, Author, and Consultant on Ethics, Compliance, and Accountability.

Jennifer Elder is a CPA and Certified Speaking Professional who helps leaders future-proof their businesses by making smart decisions and staying ethical.

Paul Glover is the No B.S. Leadership Coach - Guiding Leaders on Their Journey to Their Mountaintop. He is a TEDx speaker and author of Work Quake: Making the Seismic Shift to a "Knowledge Economy"