Would the outstanding claims of discrimination change the way you felt about the company? If I was to come across reports of one of my favorite companies accused of widespread discrimination against individuals from an ethnicity, culture, or belief system I was associated with, I would be extremely distraught. My beliefs for that company would change without a doubt. I would have a very hard time supporting a company that is accused of such things. Even if I was not part of that certain ethnicity, culture or belief system, I would have a hard time supporting them. I would have to look into the accusations further to ensure that they are true, but if true I would have to reevaluate who I can and cannot support.
Would it influence your decisions to support that company? The number one thing that would influence my decisions to support that company is what do they offer me. Are there products so rare and inimitable that I cannot find another company to support? If so, I really have no option but to continue to purchase their products. Another huge influence in this circumstance includes what exactly the accusations are. Was it just one situation in which an employee got carried away and ruined it for the entire company? Did they fire that employee? These are questions I would have to ask myself before making any decisions. At the end of the day, my decision to support this company would definitely change if the accusations are true.
Would it change whether or not you applied to work for that company in the future? Absolutely. I have always been extremely strong-willed, and refuse to work for a company that has unethical business practices. I cannot show up to work every day knowing that I work for a company that supports discrimination of any sort. If already an employee for a company that does this, I am bringing it up with management and getting to the bottom of it as soon as possible.
