The business of ethical authority
Where we last left off, I was pondering the trajectory of DLB. Spreading the word about design ethics is our next step, but ultimately, we want to go out and help people design more ethically. We'd also like to get paid to do so. This begs the question: How does one balance business with authority?
To be in business, you have to have the requisite knowledge and/or skills of your trade. People trust that you know what you're doing; that you know more about something than they do-- I would call this authority. If you don't have it, you have no business diagnosing and fixing things.
The trouble is authority can easily be abused. The quintessential example of this is an auto mechanic. While it's the mechanic's job to diagnose your car for you, it must be difficult for them to be impartial. It's in their best interest to find something wrong or at least tell you that there is some work that needs to be done. This is not to say mechanics are inherently dishonest, it's just that there is a definite conflict of interest in play.
| Tagged with: | Athority, Business, Consumer Reports, Design Ethics, Ethisphere, Trust |