Becoming As Ethical As We Think We Are | Morgan Hamel | TEDxYYC
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on the complexities of ethical decision-making, drawing on personal experiences with egg donation and the fashion industry. They recount how Andy Fastow, former CFO of Enron, viewed himself as ethical despite his role in a major scandal. The speaker's own ethical stance was challenged when faced with the need for egg donation to conceive a child. They then explore the ethical dilemmas in fashion, discussing the influence of compensation on influencers' opinions, consumers' willingness to overlook unethical practices for desirable products, and brands' tendency to 'greenwash' or make token ethical gestures. The speaker advocates for acknowledging the interplay between ethics and self-interest to make better decisions and shares their journey in founding a company that connects consumers with ethical fashion, emphasizing the importance of community and economic incentives in fostering ethical behavior.
Takeaways
- 📈 Andy Fastow, former CFO of Enron, claimed he was ethical but faced 78 counts of fraud, highlighting the complexity of ethical decision-making.
- 🏆 Fastow's story illustrates the contrast between perceived ethics and actual actions, showing that ethics can be subjective.
- 🎓 The speaker's experience with egg donation case studies in university versus personal need for it reveals the gap between theoretical ethics and real-world decisions.
- 👨👩👧👦 Ethics isn't always clear-cut; it's often a balance between moral principles and self-interest.
- 👗 The speaker's venture into fashion ethics through her company 'The Garment' shows the practical application of ethical considerations in business.
- 📱 Influencers can be swayed by compensation, affecting their judgment on ethical products, as seen in the Payless shoe experiment.
- 🛍️ Consumers may compromise on ethical standards when faced with attractive, affordable options, as demonstrated by the sweatshop labor study.
- 👗 Brands might engage in 'size washing', making it appear as though they are more inclusive or ethical than they actually are.
- 💸 The economics of ethics plays a role in how brands and consumers approach ethical decisions, often influenced by cost and perceived value.
- 🌐 The Garment's business model aims to make ethical fashion more accessible and affordable, addressing the economic barriers to ethical consumption.
- 👨👩👧👦 The speaker's personal journey with egg donation and the creation of The Garment shows that acknowledging the tension between ethics and self-interest can lead to better decisions.
Q & A
What was Andy Fastow's role at Enron and what charges did he face?
-Andy Fastow was the former chief financial officer of Enron. He faced seventy-eight counts of fraud and spent six years in jail for his role in Enron's downfall.
What did Andy Fastow hold in each hand during his talk, and what did it symbolize?
-Andy Fastow held a CFO of the Year trophy in one hand and a prison card in the other, symbolizing the contrast between his professional success and subsequent imprisonment due to unethical actions.
What was the ethical dilemma the speaker faced during her Master's studies at Utrecht University?
-The ethical dilemma was regarding the ethics of egg donation, particularly the compensation of anonymous donors, which complicated the ethical considerations.
How did the speaker's personal experience with infertility change her perspective on egg donation?
-The speaker's personal experience with infertility made her realize that ethics isn't always black-and-white, and it's challenging to maintain ethical standards when they stand between you and something you deeply desire.
What is the name of the company the speaker founded and what is its mission?
-The speaker founded a company called 'the garment' with the mission to change the face of fashion by connecting women and responsible brands.
What is the role of Instagram in the new fashion economy according to the speaker?
-Instagram is considered the new mall with a strong potential to be an ethical one, connecting hundreds of thousands of people interested in ethical fashion, companies who consider themselves ethical, and influencers.
What is 'size washing' as mentioned in the script?
-'Size washing' refers to the practice of brands exaggerating their commitment to inclusivity in sizing, often not following through with substantial offerings in plus-size fashion.
What was the outcome of the influencer's visit to the fake luxury store filled with Payless shoes?
-The influencers, swayed by the fancy store and compensation, believed the Payless shoes were of high quality and worth the high price tags, demonstrating how their judgment could be clouded.
How does the speaker suggest we can make better ethical decisions?
-The speaker suggests acknowledging the tension between ethics and self-interest and diving vulnerably into the grey area to make better decisions.
What is the speaker's view on the current state of ethical fashion and what can be done to improve it?
-The speaker believes that the current state of ethical fashion is discouraging due to the cycle of fast fashion continuing. However, by acknowledging the tension between ethics and self-interest and supporting businesses that make the economics of ethics work, we can improve it.
How did the speaker's experience with egg donation influence her approach to ethical decision-making?
-The speaker's experience with egg donation taught her the importance of acknowledging ethical concerns and self-interest, leading her to ask robust questions about compensation and informed consent, and ultimately resulting in the birth of two daughters.
Outlines
🔍 The Ethical Dilemma of Andy Fastow and Personal Realization
The speaker begins by recounting Andy Fastow's speech, who was the CFO of Enron and responsible for its downfall, leading to his imprisonment. Fastow claimed to be ethical, yet his actions resulted in a massive scandal. The speaker reflects on their own ethical stance, having studied ethics and worked in a corporate ethics office. They thought they were ethical until faced with the reality of needing an egg donor to conceive a child, which complicated their ethical views. They used ethical theories to analyze the compensation of egg donors and initially concluded it was unethical. However, when faced with infertility, they reconsidered their stance, realizing that ethics isn't always clear-cut and is often influenced by personal desires and situations.
👗 The Complexities of Ethical Fashion and Influencer Bias
The speaker transitions to the topic of ethical fashion, sharing their journey from making a dress to questioning the origins of their clothing. This leads to the creation of 'The Garment,' a company aimed at promoting ethical fashion. They discuss the rapid growth of Instagram as a new marketplace and its potential for ethical commerce. However, they highlight the challenges by sharing an experiment where influencers were deceived into praising cheap shoes presented as luxury items. This illustrates how influencers' judgments can be swayed by compensation and context, affecting their reliability in promoting ethical products. Consumers are also shown to have flexible ethics, justifying purchases from sweatshops when attracted by cute shoes. Brands are criticized for 'greenwashing' and 'size washing,' where they make superficial ethical changes for marketing without substantial commitment.
💸 The Tension Between Ethics and Self-Interest in Fashion
The speaker acknowledges the inherent tension between ethical behavior and self-interest, especially in the fashion industry. They argue that influencers, consumers, and brands often fail to act ethically due to financial motivations or perceived threats to their interests. Influencers may mislead due to compensation, consumers compromise on ethics for affordable and appealing products, and brands make token ethical changes for publicity without genuine commitment. The speaker emphasizes the need to recognize this tension to make better ethical decisions, using personal experiences to illustrate how awareness can lead to more ethical choices.
👨👩👧👦 Overcoming Ethical Challenges in Business and Personal Life
The speaker concludes by sharing the success of 'The Garment' in promoting ethical fashion, which not only acknowledges the tension between ethics and self-interest but also creates a business model that supports ethical choices. They explain how the company helps brands afford ethical changes and makes ethical fashion accessible and appealing to consumers. The speaker also returns to their personal journey with egg donation, emphasizing the importance of asking robust ethical questions and seeking quality and ethical services despite higher costs. The narrative ends on a hopeful note, with the speaker celebrating the birth of their children and the potential for ethical growth both personally and within the fashion industry.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ethical Home
💡Enron Scandal
💡Ethical Dilemma
💡Case Study
💡Egg Donation
💡Corporate Ethics
💡Fast Fashion
💡Greenwashing
💡Influencers
💡Ethical Fashion
💡Self-Interest
Highlights
Andy Fastow, former CFO of Enron, claimed to be raised in an ethical home and considered himself ethical during his tenure at Enron.
Fastow holds himself most responsible for Enron's forty billion dollar downfall, the largest business ethics scandal in history.
Fastow faced seventy-eight counts of fraud and spent six years in jail for his role in the scandal.
The speaker, who studied ethics in university and worked in a corporate ethics office, initially thought ethical choices were clear-cut.
A case study on the ethics of egg donation during the speaker's Master's program challenged their perception of ethical clarity.
The speaker initially concluded that compensating egg donors was unethical based on theoretical analysis.
Personal experience with infertility led the speaker to reconsider their stance on egg donation compensation.
The speaker suggests that ethics is rarely black-and-white and that recognizing the gray areas can lead to better decision-making.
The speaker founded The Garment, a company aiming to connect women with responsible fashion brands.
The Garment operates primarily on Instagram, leveraging its platform to promote ethical fashion.
The speaker discusses the difficulty of perceiving ethical aspects in our decisions and the tendency to not act as we predict.
Influencers, consumers, and brands all face ethical dilemmas in the fashion industry, often swayed by self-interest.
The speaker highlights the example of influencers being deceived by the context of a luxury store into promoting low-quality shoes.
Consumers often compromise on ethical values when faced with desirable products made in sweatshops.
Brands sometimes engage in 'size washing,' exaggerating their commitment to inclusivity in fashion.
The Garment's business model addresses the tension between ethics and self-interest by making ethical choices more accessible.
The Garment's first corporate year saw over 1 million dollars in responsible garment sales, demonstrating the viability of ethical fashion.
The speaker's personal journey with egg donation concluded with the birth of two daughters, highlighting the complexity of ethical decisions.
Transcripts
a couple of months ago I had the
opportunity to see Andy Fastow former
chief financial officer of Enron speak
he began his talk by saying that he was
raised in a very ethical home and that
when he was at Enron he thought he was a
very ethical person and he also said he
holds himself most responsible for
Enron's forty billion dollar downfall
arguably the biggest business ethics
scandal in history for his role in that
scandal he faced seventy eight counts of
fraud and spent six years in jail and he
began his talk by holding his trophy for
CFO of the year in one hand and his
prison card in the other and told the
story of how he got both in the same
year well some might see this is just
another example of the greed of big
business my experience tells me that
this leaves something out you see I too
used to think I was really ethical in
fact if there's anyone who should have
been at achill it was me
I studied ethics in University and spent
six years working in the ethics office
of a large corporation as part of my
role there I routinely answered
questions from employees I was on the
ethics side of the desk they were on the
business side and because I wasn't
actually in the situation it was easy
for me to say no and then something
happened that made me realize that the
ethical choice isn't always clear and
that sometimes we don't do the thing we
think we will do when we are actually in
it I went to do my Master's in Utrecht
University in the Netherlands we
routinely did case studies
one of these was about the ethics of egg
donation it was the first time I had
ever heard the term which for those who
don't know involves an intense process
or one woman donates her eggs to help
another woman conceive things are
relatively clear for known donors where
the woman is a sister or friend but when
it comes to the compensation of
anonymous donors the ethical waters get
muddy i sat in my classroom table
windmills out the window and used my
training and ethical theory to consider
all the factors I thought through the
possible impact to the donors fertility
and the risks of financial compensation
might have her her ability to make an
informed choice and in response to this
particular case study question about
whether or not it is ethical to
compensate an egg donor for her eggs
I said no fast forward six months my
husband and I returned from the
Netherlands to start our next adventure
starting a family when things weren't
going as planned I went to the doctor
for some tests I can still feel it the
feeling of dread in my stomach as we
waited to see the specialist a deep
knowing that the doctor was going to
confirm something I'd known intuitively
for some time Morgan he said tears in
his eyes your tests confirm the
diagnosis there's a less than 5% chance
they go get pregnant on your own and if
you want a baby egg donation is your
best option it is one thing to say
something is that ethical when you're
sitting on one side of the desk or
writing a case study it is something
entirely different
when ethics seems to stand between you
and the thing you want more than
anything you've ever wanted in your
entire life what I want to suggest is
that ethics is
rarely black-and-white and that we have
a better chance of making better
decisions if we realize this is the case
and I've courageously into the gray the
fact that Andy saw himself as ethical
while at Enron and that I found it easy
to judge situations as unethical until I
was in them myself teaches us something
important which is that as humans our
motivations are mixed we are both moral
and self-interested and this means two
things first we often don't see the
ethical aspects of our decisions and
second we often don't make the decision
we thought we would even if we do so why
does this matter
it matters because individuals and
corporations are making far fewer
tangible improvements in ethics than we
would be if this was understood so even
though it feels like we're going a world
away from Enron an egg donation I want
you to stick with me as we look at the
implications of this in my world which
is no longer ethics corporate ethics but
the ethics of fashion a few years after
returning for home from the Netherlands
I took a sewing class my first project
was a blue dress I chose the pattern cut
the fabric pinned and stitched it and as
I did so I began to think embarrassingly
for the first time about who made my
clothes this question led me to start
the garment a company whose mission is
to change the face of fashion by
connecting women and responsible brands
we search the world to find the
beautiful quality responsibly made
pieces we shoot these garments on real
women of all colors shapes and sizes and
we connect them to our community members
with a discount and we do almost all of
it on Instagram
Instagram is growing with shocking
ferocity and is in my view the new mall
with a strong potential to be an ethical
one there are hundreds of thousands of
people interested in buying ethical
things hundreds of thousands of
companies who consider themselves to be
ethical and hundreds of thousands of
influencers connecting them over the
Internet
this is great you might think we can use
this to help shift the fashion world
from one that is fast and excessive to
one that is slower and more sustainable
not so fast
think back to what we learnt at the
start about how difficult it is for us
to see the ethical aspects of our
decisions or make the decision we
thought we would even if we do so let's
look at the implications of this for the
three main players in this new fashion
economy influencers consumers and brands
first influencers last fall social media
influencers arrived decked out cell
phones in hand to a beautiful storefront
in Santa Monica to attend the launch of
a new luxury store called pale SE
unbeknownst to them it was actually a
trick and the store was filled with $35
payless shoes they're elegant and
sophisticated said one influencer
holding up a shoe with a $500 price tag
I could tell they were made from
high-quality material said another now I
don't think these influencers were
misleading people intentionally it's
just that the fancy store paired with
the fact that they were being
compensated made them actually think the
shoes were pretty good next let's look
at consumers show of hands who here
thinks sweatshop labor is wrong yeah me
too well what have I told you then it
all likelihood both of us are pretty
willing to toss that out the window when
we see something from a sweatshop that
we want in her study titled sweatshop
labor is wrong unless the shoes
cute near Oprah haria showed that we're
before seeing a cute pair of shoes
people like us simply say that sweatshop
labor is wrong
whereas afterwards they modify their
morals and justify the purchase they do
this by telling themselves that the
sweatshop labor results in jobs that
wouldn't otherwise be available to
people in poor countries and also in
products that wouldn't otherwise be
affordable to low income people sound
familiar
yeah I've done it too lastly let's look
at brands many of us are familiar with
the term green washing which is used to
describe brands that exaggerate their
environmental commitment in recent years
I have watched size washing grow this
appeared to be the case last year when a
well-known sustainable brand announced
their launch into the plus-size market
with an inclusive sizing collection the
move was celebrated by plus-sized women
around the globe
unfortunately perhaps due to fears about
the financial viability of the plus-size
market their commitment seemed to stop
there the number of plus-size dresses on
their website was at one point dwarfed
by the company's New Year's Eve dress
collection leaving all the women who at
first felt excited thinking WTF now
don't get me wrong I'm not criticizing
these three players for behaving the way
they do I'm only using them to show that
most times because of our desire to
either make or save money and our
perception that ethics is a threat to
that those of us who think we're pretty
ethical don't always live up to our own
standards the effect of this in the
fashion space is this influencers are so
swayed by their compensation that we
can't really trust them consumers will
only buy ethical fashion if it's cheap
enough and right in front of them and
brands make the ethical changes they
think they can afford and publicize the
hell out of it the result is that the
cycle of relatively poor quality
fast-fashion continues this is
discouraging and thankfully we can do
better
I built the garment on the understanding
that ethics is in black and white and my
experience tells me that we have the
best chance of building a better story
if we acknowledge the tension between
ethics and self-interest and dive
vulnerably
into the grey here's what this looks
like when I'm standing at the mall I
know that I'm a person who says like you
that's what child labor is wrong I also
know that the fact that these shoes are
cute is going to make me want to think
that buying them is okay simply the act
of realizing that my self-interest has a
role here can be enough to snap me out
of it I can remind myself of this at the
mall but also at the office when I'm
preparing my financial results or when
standing in a group of friends trying to
decide whether to speak up after someone
tells a racist joke or when I'm standing
in front of the kitchen sink trying to
decide whether to wash out the peanut
butter jar before putting it in
recycling if all of us acknowledge this
tension between ethics and self-interest
were in a better position to do better
if we have the courage to acknowledge
this tension in community my experience
tells me that it not only results in a
special type of human connection but
also an ethical ripple effect this
simply is impossible if we make these
hard decisions on our own now these
decisions still aren't easy but the
garments business model helps make them
just a little bit easier by making the
economics of ethics work when brands
like the New Year's Eve dress company
say that they can't afford more
inclusive sizing the garment sponsors
those larger patterns and helps the
brand's make more money and bigger
ethical shifts by selling those new and
improved larger garments to members of
our community when individual consumers
say that ethical fashion
is too expensive too hard to find and
not cute enough we find the cute quality
responsibly made things and connect them
to our community members with a discount
something which makes it easier for them
to follow through on their anti
sweatshop labor convictions the model
helps make it easier for people and
companies to behave the way we they want
to and it works
last year in its first corporate year
the government did over 1 million
dollars in responsible garment sales
I want to come back to Andy from Enron
intrigued by how someone as smart as
Andy could get himself in a situation
where he spent six years in prison I
sent him a message hi Morgan he
responded yes I don't think the
challenge is getting people to do the
right thing 99% of us always want to do
the right thing the challenge is even
realizing we have this decision to make
what we've learned here today is that
that's hard to see because of our
self-interest and that we can be better
when we realize this is the case
speaking of which you might be wondering
what happened with the egg donation we
spent the first few months after our
appointment with a specialist grieving
then I acknowledge the tension between
my ethical concerns for the donors
well-being and our self-interested
yearning for a baby open my heart and
open I emailed a friend from the
Netherlands who has her PhD in bioethics
and together we drafted a series of
robust questions about compensation and
informed consent which my husband and I
proceeded to ask every clinic we looked
at in addition to questions about ethics
we also asked them questions about their
success rates and didn't stop until we
found one with high levels of both and
in case you're wondering it cost more
the quality and ethical things usually
do so that blue dress I told you I made
in the sewing class it was for my
daughter
her sister now wears it
and because of our dive into the gray we
have not one wonderful daughter
by two
you
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