Final answer:
Consumerism may conflict with business ethics by prioritizing profit over ethical practices. This can result in focusing on lower-cost or higher-profit products at the expense of ethical labor or environmental standards. The integration of consumer demands with ethical responsibilities is complex, especially with the introduction of emerging technologies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Consumerism may be at odds with the growing concern for business ethics because consumerism often prioritizes profit and the consumption of goods over ethical considerations. This can lead to a situation where the goals of consumerism, such as higher profits and increased market share, come into conflict with ethical practices that could potentially curb profits by imposing additional costs for fair labor, environmental protections, or other socially responsible actions.
In the context of consumerism, businesses may focus on offering better or less expensive products to consumers to increase their profits. However, this can sometimes be achieved at the expense of ethical considerations, such as paying fair wages to employees or ensuring products are produced in an environmentally sustainable manner. The prioritization of profit over ethics is not in alignment with ethical egoism, which allows for ethical conflict-regulation; nor does it support the health of the environment, which is an important consideration in contemporary business ethics discussions.
When evaluating the responsibility corporations should take for social, economic, and environmental problems, a balance must be struck between consumer demands and ethical business practices. This assessment becomes even more complex with the advent of emerging technologies where ethical practices are still being established, such as with artificial intelligence (AI).