Ethics in business or business ethics is an area that has seen a marked rise in interest in recent times. The media is one of the main contributors to this as it has made people increasingly aware of many companies low regard for morality in their search for higher profits. Many people believe that the accelerated interest in business ethics has been further increased by the recent trends towards total quality management (TQM), whereby management are required to define in advance the quality standards within the firm make sure that the appropriate systems are in place to pertain that desired quality.
             It could also be argued that the increased awareness many companies now have for business ethics is on the back of the success of the Bodyshop, a British company who built their success around their business ethics. The Body Shop is a manufacturer and retailer of skin and hair care products that over its 27-year existence has grown into huge international company with over 2000 stores spanning nearly 50 countries and 24 languages worldwide. It all started when a woman named Anita Roddick went travelling in the early seventies to exotic countries such as Tahiti and Mauritius and observed the local women's skin and hair rituals with great interest. She saw the women using such things as cocoa butter and pineapple juice on their skin and to quote Anita, "their skin was wonderful." Anita was inspired by the results the local women were achieving and decided to open up the first Body Shop store in Brighton in 1976 selling skin and hair care products made from the natural ingredients she had discovered whilst on her travels. The reaction from the public was extremely positive, and although over its 27-year existence there have been a few indifferent moments, especially in recent years, it has grown to be a big player in the cosmetics and toiletries industries worldwide.
             There is little doubt in most critics' mi...