Most consumers are very ethically$-$aware and will quickly stop purchasing the products of any company that engages in shad behaviorUUnethical behavior can be very costly in terms of fines and penalties, legal and investigative costs, customer defections, highe employee turnover, and increased difficulty in attracting talented employeesAn unethical strategy and$/$or unethical conduct on the part of company personnel can badly damage a company's reputation and also damage the reputations and job security of the personnel involved.Pursuing an unethical strategy is generally not in the best long$-$term interest of shareholdersBoth an unethical strategy and unethical conduct are morally wrong and reflect badly on the character of the company personnel involved