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Story 20

📘 Lesson Title: “The Price of Profit”

Level: Expert

VOCABULARIES

  1. Transparency – (tran-SPAIR-uhn-see) /trænˈspærÉ™nsi/
    (noun) – being open and honest in actions or decisions
    Synonyms: openness, clarity, accountability
    Sentence: Transparency builds trust between a company and its clients.

  2. Exploit – (EK-sploit) /ˈɛksplɔɪt/
    (verb) – to take unfair advantage of a person or situation
    Synonyms: misuse, abuse, manipulate
    Sentence: The company was accused of exploiting its workers.

  3. Ethical – (ETH-i-kuhl) /ˈɛθɪkÉ™l/
    (adjective) – morally right or principled
    Synonyms: honest, fair, moral
    Sentence: She made an ethical choice by reporting the mistake.

  4. Whistleblower – (WIS-uhl-bloh-er) /ˈwɪsÉ™lËŒbloÊŠÉ™r/
    (noun) – a person who exposes unethical or illegal activities
    Synonyms: informer, reporter, truth-teller
    Sentence: The whistleblower revealed corruption in the company.

  5. Conflict of interest – (KON-flikt uv IN-tuh-rest) /ˈkÉ’nflɪkt É™v ˈɪntrÉ™st/
    (noun) – a situation where personal interest may affect professional judgment
    Synonyms: bias, partiality, favoritism
    Sentence: He stepped down from the deal due to a conflict of interest.


IDIOMS

  1. Play by the rules – (follow ethical or legal standards)
    Synonyms: follow guidelines, act fairly
    Sentence: Successful companies play by the rules and still profit.

  2. Bend the truth – (be dishonest without lying completely)
    Synonyms: mislead, distort, sugarcoat
    Sentence: The CEO bent the truth in the annual report.

  3. Turn a blind eye – (ignore wrongdoing intentionally)
    Synonyms: overlook, pretend not to notice
    Sentence: Management turned a blind eye to unsafe working conditions.


TONGUE TWISTER

Instruction: Read the tongue twister 3 times quickly and clearly.


“Blunt bosses boast big bonuses by bending business basics.”


STORY: The Price of Profit

Victor ran a thriving tech startup. Investors were pleased with the profits, and expansion was on the horizon. But one day, an intern discovered that the company was exploiting customer data without consent. When Victor learned of it, he faced a dilemma.

Should he turn a blind eye and protect the company’s image? Or should he play by the rules and come clean? After a restless night, he chose transparency. He held a press conference, admitted the failure, and launched an ethical review. A whistleblower later confirmed that similar issues were ignored before.

The decision caused a dip in stock prices, but clients and partners respected the ethical stance. In the long run, Victor’s honesty strengthened the brand. He learned that integrity might cost you today—but saves your reputation tomorrow.


KNOWLEDGE CHECK

  1. What ethical issue did Victor’s company face?

  2. What does “turn a blind eye” mean in the context of the story?

  3. Who confirmed the issue within the company?

  4. How did Victor respond to the situation?

  5. What was the long-term result of his ethical decision?


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Is it possible to succeed in business without ever compromising ethics?

  2. How can transparency impact a company’s reputation?

  3. What would you do if you witnessed unethical behavior at work?

  4. Should whistleblowers be protected or punished? Why?

  5. How do you personally define ethical leadership?


SPEAK UP

Instruction: Share your opinions about the following moral lessons.

  1. Transparency builds long-term trust.

  2. Ethical choices may bring short-term loss but long-term gain.

  3. Turning a blind eye to wrongdoing makes you part of the problem.

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