We have debates back and forth in both real life and cyber life about how much cost is a factor in purchasing decisions.
As I've said before, it's not the only factor, but it's a big one. Frankly, depending upon the savvy and the critical thinking of the other company executives, cost can be easily overshadow all the other factors. After all, we have concepts named "cost savings" and "cost avoidance" for a reason.
When does obtaining the lower or lowest cost cross an ethical line?
I can think of one simple example that I thought of when writing my previous post about doing business with people you don't trust.
I've had a vendor rep who would ask before providing a quote what price the other bidders quoted. The rep went so far as to state he/she (I'm stating the gender that way to protect the rep's anonymity) would make his/her quote lower to ensure that his/her company got the business and that I could claim the most savings. "A win for everyone," he/she said.
I would not agree to that. Why? I don't think it's a win for me if I have to engage in dirty business practices. It would be like winning a game through cheating - a meaningless victory.
How many people, though, do you think would happily go along with that scheme?
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