On Opportunism in Business

Is it possible to achieve success in business through ethical means? This question has followed and troubled me for many years. Although I know the statements that follow may provoke resistance, my research and professional experience have led me to conclude that, despite the demands of citizens and government institutions, ethical behavior in markets, companies, and business may reduce competitiveness and continuity, at least in the short term. In my view, the essential characteristic of an unethical act toward others is the combination of opportunism and self-interest. "Kairós" is a concept from Greek philosophy meaning the right or opportune moment. It can also be understood as the emergence of an opportunity that allows a desired goal to be achieved. Throughout this book, I will refer to the "unethical" behavior of exploiting such opportunities for personal gain as kairospathy (kairospatía). Allow me to propose the pathological, psychopathic form of opportunism—"kairospatía"—as a synonym for unethical behavior. In this book, we will examine different perspectives, including neuroscience, behavioral sociology, economic models and market failures, business dynamics, and civic responsibility, in order to identify the behaviors we observe, understand why they occur, and determine which biological, social, and environmental factors shape individual conduct. By the end of this book, I hope readers will have acquired an integrated perspective drawn from multiple fields of knowledge. My aim is to bring together insights from biology, sociology, philosophy, economics, and business management. This integration seeks to provide people of our generation with a deeper awareness of human behavior as it is influenced by biological evolution, population growth, technological development, and social change. At the same time, it is an attempt to answer, as fully as possible, the question of how ethical business practices can produce satisfying and lasting results.