Consumerism

1
Consumerism

• When is enough, enough?

2
Objectives

• At the end of this session you should
• understand consumerism
• understand green and ethical consumerism
• understand anticonsumerism
• be able to make ethical business decisions

3
Consumerism

• 1/5 of worlds population uses more than its fair
  share of resources
• 20 world population
• consumes 70 of resources
• has 80 of monetary wealth
• USA has 6 of worlds population, yet uses 30 of
  resources

4
Consumerism

• Ideal that encourages us to want more
• Forget the consequences

5
Wants and needs

• Businesses often blamed for rise of consumerism
• thought to look for profit, not whats good for
  people or planet
• use advertising to turn wants into needs
• prey on greed and other weaknesses

6
Green Consumerism

• People look for goods or services which attempt
  to replace existing ones with something
  friendlier and less damaging to the environment

7
Ethical Consumerism

• Same issues as green consumerism
• Also deals with
• eliminating slave labour used to make products
• companies who trade in weapons or other immoral
  goods

8
Anti consumerism

• Takes the view that consumerism is not only
  damaging planet, but also ourselves
• We must ask when is enough, enough?

9
Business concerns

• Organisations must be aware of concerns
• they must take into account views of
  stakeholders, which can affect image of
  organisation
• they must consider effect that their business
  decisions have on others

10
Decisions

• No simple answers to how ethical decisions can be
  made
• People watch decisions of organisations
• organisations judged on decisions
• this can have great impact on organisations
  future

11
What next?

• Choosing how we shop is just one part of the way
  in which we can be responsible consumers
• We can also take a more active role by seeking
  out causes that we are passionate about and by
  supporting their charitable efforts