Evan Schuman's StorefrontBacktalk

National retailing during a recession is nothing if not pushing limits. And with today's new IT-fueled marketing options such as mobile, social networks, video sites, SMS and geolocation, those limits look almost limitless. At Best Buy, though, the $50 billion 1,023-store chain wants to throw up a few roadblocks for the hungry manager who may be prone to being a tad bit overzealous. In the rush for marketshare and profits, is it realistic to get already scared managers to worry about—dare we say the word—ethics?

Kathleen Edmond, the chain's Chief Ethics Officer and an attorney, thinks it's not only realistic, it's indeed about survival and profit-retention. A common theme among Edmond's examples is that even a moment that seemingly serves the interests of both the buyer and the seller may be unethical and ill advised. "If you're going to use someone's lack of sophistication in a way to benefit you and they've not objected, that doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do," she said. "There were throngs of people signing up for mortgages that were not good for them." Was it ethical for banks to approve loans to consumers if the banks knew that it was unwise in those cases?

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