Business ethics as a source of competitive advantage. Indicators of its effects o organizations

Abstract

There is currently a trend towards the establishment of a harmonious relationship between companies and the environment in which they carry out their activities, in which ethics and corporate social responsibility become relevant. New strategies are carried out by organizations in order to respond to sustainability aspects, and at the same time, obtain differential competitive advantages.  The objective of this work is to analyze whether companies that obtain competitive advantages provide, through disclosures about their ethical and sustainable performance, concrete responses that allow stakeholders to obtain clear, timely and comparable information for and adequate decision-making process.  Bibliography from primary sources on the subject was consulted, also proceeding to analysis of disclosures related to ethical and responsible behavior, provided by companies that, operating in Argentina, access the capital markets and are socially responsible. It is concluded that the information provided contributes to decision-making of readers interested in the analysis of an ethical performance. This generates competitive advantages for issuers, such as access to capital with lower costs, prestige, a higher degree of adherence and collaboration of personnel, a better relationship with key stakeholders, among other benefits. However, this information cannot be guaranteed to be complete or comparable, which it is estimated could be achieved with the implementation of a framework that regulates the comprehensive performance of companies.