A recent story on CBS’s “60 Minutes” discussed the widespread use of child labor by a company called PSSI, owned by Blackstone. This story and many more that have percolated up in the past few years tell a story about what happens when the capitalistic need for profits outweighs any alignment with corporate responsibility and core values.

Capitalism, as we all know, is an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production and the creation of goods and services for profit. In a capitalist economy, businesses operate in a competitive environment where shareholder returns, profit, and financial gains measure success. As seen in the PSSI story, pursuing profit can sometimes lead to unethical behavior and a lack of concern for social and environmental issues. This is where the importance of core values comes into play.

Core values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that shape an organization’s culture and decision-making processes. They serve as a compass for a company’s actions and help to ensure that its behavior is aligned with its purpose and mission. In a capitalist economy, core values are essential to creating a sustainable and responsible business that benefits the company and society.

Integrity – The most important core value in a capitalist economy is integrity. Companies that operate with integrity are honest, transparent, and accountable in their business practices. They build trust with their customers, shareholders, employees, and stakeholders, which leads to long-term relationships and increased profitability. On the other hand, companies that lack integrity often face legal and reputational risks, which can harm their financial performance, market position, and the customers they serve.

Social Responsibility – This is another core value essential in a capitalist economy. Companies that prioritize social responsibility consider the impact of their actions on the environment, society, their customers, and the economy. They seek to create value not only for their shareholders but also for their employees, customers, and communities. This can be achieved through sustainable sourcing, fair labor practices, and community engagement.

Innovation – This value is vital to a capitalist economy’s success. Innovation drives economic growth and competitiveness by creating new products, services, access channels, and technologies that meet the changing needs of consumers. Companies that prioritize innovation invest in research and development, embrace new ideas and technologies, and foster a culture of creativity and experimentation.

Collaboration – This is also another core value necessary in a capitalist economy. Collaboration enables companies to work together to achieve common goals, such as improving supply chain efficiency, operational efficiency, or developing new products. It also fosters a culture of partnership and trust, leading to increased innovation, economies of scale, and profitability. All too often, competition and cooperation seem to be in continuous conflict, but they don’t need to be. Having a core value of collaboration can lead to innovations that use cooperative principles to improve many companies’ success, sustainability, and profitability, not just one company.

Core values are essential in a capitalist economy because they provide a framework for responsible and sustainable business practices while helping companies from accidentally or purposely causing harm to the consumer, the economy, the stakeholders, and the economic principles of capitalism. Companies prioritizing integrity, social responsibility, innovation, and collaboration will succeed in the long run and create value for their shareholders, employees, customers, and communities. As such, businesses must anchor their decisions and strategies on solid core values and instill, hire, and promote them as they navigate a capitalist economy’s competitive landscape. Without core values, capitalism will serve only the powerful and privileged in society.