Page 31 - DINQ MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020 EDITION

ከበደ ኃይሌ ዓምድ
KEBEDE HAILE PAGE
T weekends gathering was notice-
his final part will touch
upon the followings:
generalize the summary
of this article, the meaning of
the title of this article and my
personal comments. In any
event, these ambitious Ethiopian they came to talk on selective
store owners are on the role to
achieve the American dream
through hidden promotional
techniques.
To tie together what has been
discussed in previous 1-8 series,
I addressed the legacy of the
Ethiopian-owned stores from
my perspective that defines who
they are and hope to be. I listed
few roles they played to facilitate
ties amongst communities of
origin and Diaspora who seek to
maintain their cultural identities.
It is true that they installed the
Ethiopian cultural traditions and
look for ways to reproduce and
reinvent culture in non-
Ethiopian communities.
When I said this, it doesn’t mean
that they purposely diminishing
their unlimited roles to work as
cultural frontline. Before
COVID -19, Holidays and
DINQ MEGAZINE October 2020
products they carry. The national
able on some stores. Their con-
customer affairs annual reports
versations sometimes get heated spell out “the importance of busi-
with friendly atmosphere. Their ness ethics in customer relations
discussion sometimes felt like indicates that 80% customers are
more loyal to companies with
topics rather than they came to good ethics.”
grocery stores to purchase.
Since good ethics is good busi-
But right now weekend number ness, companies are responding to
of customers has dramatically re- their customer’s demands in varie-
duced to comply with the ty ways. For instance focus on
COVID-19 pandemic rule-social product price, responsibility to
distancing to avoid legal conse- social impact is integrated into the
quences. Now everyone gives culture. When I asked a store
each other a wide social- owner what he is going to do to
distancing which is the first time change the way he operates his
that the Ethiopian Diasporas ever business, “He said my action de-
have been obedient in local gath- pends on customers’ responses. “
ering places. Unfortunately, the Because he doesn’t see how this
COVID-19 has proved it impacts really connects with the stuff he
by diminishing their economic can do every day.
dreams as it did to others.
The Ethiopian business owners
In reality, having business Ethics don’t consider the reality how it
are important in business indus- can shift its culture to a position
try. Increasingly business has of responsibility and accountabil-
been focusing on their daily oper- ity in its store management prac-
ations, social responsibilities as tices. Basically, culture means a lot
well as their products as custom- of things. If we see things from
ers demand both goods and
business perspective process and
Continued on page 41
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