Story 20

The Price of Profit

Expert Level

VOCABULARY

1. Transparency – (tran-SPAIR-uhn-see) /trænˈspærənsi/
(noun) – openness and honesty in actions or decisions
Synonyms: openness, clarity, accountability
Sample sentence: Transparency builds trust between a company and its clients.

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

3. Ethical – (ETH-i-kuhl) /ˈɛθɪkəl/
(adjective) – morally right or principled
Synonyms: honest, fair, moral
Sample sentence: She made an ethical decision.

4. Whistleblower – (WIS-uhl-bloh-er) /ˈwɪsəlˌbloʊər/
(noun) – a person who exposes wrongdoing
Synonyms: informer, reporter, truth-teller
Sample sentence: The whistleblower revealed corruption.

5. Conflict of interest – (KON-flikt uv IN-tuh-rest) /ˈkɒnflɪkt əv ˈɪntrəst/
(noun) – personal interest affecting judgment
Synonyms: bias, partiality, favoritism
Sample sentence: He stepped away due to a conflict of interest.

IDIOMS

Play by the rules – to act fairly and legally
Sample sentence: Successful companies play by the rules.

Bend the truth – to distort facts
Sample sentence: The report bent the truth to avoid blame.

Turn a blind eye – to ignore wrongdoing
Sample sentence: Management chose to turn a blind eye.

TONGUE TWISTER

Instruction: Read the tongue twister aloud three times. Increase your speed each time while keeping your pronunciation clear.

Blunt bosses boast big bonuses by bending business basics.

STORY

The Price of Profit

Victor ran a thriving tech startup. Profits were rising, investors were satisfied, and expansion seemed inevitable. One day, an intern discovered that customer data was being exploited without consent. When Victor learned the truth, he faced a serious ethical dilemma. Should he turn a blind eye to protect the company’s image, or play by the rules and be transparent? After a sleepless night, Victor chose honesty. He held a press conference, admitted the failure, and launched an ethical review. A whistleblower later confirmed that similar issues had been ignored before. Stock prices dipped, and criticism followed. Yet over time, clients and partners respected the decision. Victor learned that profit gained without ethics comes at a cost — but integrity protects a reputation far longer than money ever could.

This story shows that ethical leadership protects long-term credibility.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Instruction: Answer the questions based on the story.

1. What ethical issue did the company face?

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

3. Who confirmed the wrongdoing?

4. How did Victor respond to the situation?

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

SPEAK UP

Instruction: Answer the questions clearly and briefly. Use complete sentences.

Open Speaking

1. Describe a situation where honesty was difficult but necessary.

2. How do companies balance profit and ethics?

3. Why is transparency important in leadership?

4. How should leaders respond to mistakes?

5. What risks come with ignoring ethical issues?

Opinion-Based Speaking

6. Some people say profit justifies unethical actions. Do you agree or disagree?

7. Some people believe whistleblowers damage companies. What is your opinion?

8. Some people say transparency hurts business growth. Do you agree?

9. What is your opinion about exposing wrongdoing publicly?

10. Some people believe ethics define true success. What do you think?