The companies boycotting Russia are demonstrating six key values

More than 400 companies have withdrawn from Russia since it invaded Ukraine. But what are they hoping to achieve? An end to the war? Clean hands? A brand boost? The companies’ statements aren’t always clear—McDonald’s, for example, said it has always been committed to the principle of “Do the right thing.” That raises as many questions as it answers.

I asked Nien-hê Hsieh, acting director of the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard and a professor at Harvard Business School, to explain the moral philosophy behind companies’ decision-making. We talked about how he teaches ethics to his students, and how corporate boycotts of Russia could end.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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