Nicole Diaz (Snap Inc.) - How to Build an Ethical Company
Jun 2, 2021
auto_awesome
Nicole Diaz, Global Head of Integrity & Compliance Legal for Snap Inc., discusses the importance of ethics in high-tech companies and explores different frameworks for ethical decision making. She emphasizes the need to embed ethics into business culture, addresses the connection between diversity and ethics, and explores the ethical considerations in developing augmented reality technology. The chapter also explores the impact of big tech on entrepreneurship and technology, emphasizing the importance of responsible innovation and diversity in business.
Aligning self-interest with ethical behavior can lead to long-term success and help avoid ethical gray areas and negative social impact.
Recognizing the interconnections between business and stakeholders, embracing empathy, and focusing on long-term, inclusive strategies can lead to healthier and more impactful businesses.
Deep dives
Building an Ethical Company
Building an ethical company involves understanding and choosing the moral principles that guide decision-making and considering the societal impact. Different frameworks exist, such as profit maximization, which views ethics as a constraint on profitability. However, aligning self-interest with ethical behavior can lead to long-term success. Aligning ethics and profit helps avoid ethical gray areas, negative social impact, and creates a culture focused on stakeholders rather than just economic transactions.
Ethics in the Tech Industry
The tech industry has come under scrutiny for its aggressive and profit-driven approach. However, there is a growing recognition that kindness and empathy can coexist with business success. Recognizing the interconnections between business and stakeholders, embracing empathy, and focusing on long-term, inclusive strategies can lead to healthier and more impactful businesses. Conscious capitalism and initiatives like the Made For Me camera from SNAP exemplify this approach.
Outsourcing Ethical Requirements to Legislatures
While legislatures can enforce ethical laws, relying solely on them may not keep pace with ethical issues. Waiting for legislation can result in unaddressed negative social impacts. Businesses have the opportunity to adopt a model of enlightened self-interest, aligning ethics with long-term self-interest. Businesses can integrate ethics into their strategy, consider impact on stakeholders, and create cultures that foster ethical awareness and remove blind spots.
Personal Ethics and Emotional Intelligence
Raising ethical concerns and navigating tough conversations requires emotional intelligence. Honest conversations about impact, both positive and negative, can enhance team dynamics and decision-making. Skillful emotional intelligence can create an atmosphere of trust and empathy, empowering individuals to address ethical dilemmas and create positive change.
Nicole Diaz is the Global Head of Integrity & Compliance Legal for Snap Inc., where her responsibilities include promoting ethical business standards and adherence to the Code of Conduct, managing risk in key areas such as anti-bribery and trade law, and leading internal investigations. In this conversation with Stanford professor Tom Byers, Diaz insists that ethics is a strategic imperative for 21st century businesses, and explores how the concept of “enlightened self-interest” can create a framework for better decision-making without requiring a commitment to pure (and unrealistic) altruism.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode