The business case caveat

I’m helping a client create a case for responsible tech so they can secure the high-level support these initiatives need. Having collated plenty of these cases (with evidence) over the years I sent some starting thoughts on risk reduction, revenue opportunities, and cost savings. I’ll write about these in the book.

But the most important part of the document I sent is the caveats section. There’s a common trap here. If your ethical arguments are entirely financial then you’re unwittingly claiming ethics should be entirely subservient to the profit imperative. In more philosophical terms, you’re saying moral behaviour only has instrumental value: it’s only worthwhile because it earns you money. And then you’re in trouble. You may win some commitments but the minute someone comes along with a horrifying, unethical proposal that promises outsized profit you’ve no grounds to object: it earns money, and didn’t you just say money’s the point?

So sure, you need to convince people that responsible approaches will help the organisation flourish. Many of your arguments will be financial. But it’s never just about bottom-line impact. You can appeal to the organisation’s purpose or mission, particularly in government departments, non-profits, or charities, but I also urge my clients to consider personal or intrinsic justifications for responsible tech. 

Many staff see treating users and stakeholders well as a personal duty. Perhaps we can tap into people’s intrinsic hopes of making the world a little better. Reflecting on the idea of integrity can prove useful too. If your personal and professional moral decisions don’t align, aren’t you compromising some important sense of wholeness as a person? Introducing tools like the Sunlight Test (‘what if my decision were headline news?’) can help here.

Some people find these arguments idealistic or naive, and resist them in favour of valuing only business outcomes. So be it. I’ve found this is a common malaise among mid-to-senior managers, although less so among top-tier leaders. But I also know that senior values-driven ICs, among others, often find personal reasons more convincing than business justifications. And why miss a chance to engage more of your team in this important work?