Ethics

Business ethics can be defined as “written and unwritten codes of principles and values that govern decisions and actions within a company. ” (Love to Know, n. d. ) Behaving ethically is extremely important for businesses in order to cultivate an image of responsibility and grow a loyal customer base. Companies have a moral obligation to help the communities from which they profit to grow and prosper. Company Q, a small local grocery store chain, has recently closed two stores. These stores were located in a high-crime area and the company reported that they consistently lost money.

The area’s food bank requested that Company Q donate day-old merchandise, which management denied. The decision was made to throw away the unused food and the reasoning was that revenue might be lost due to stealing or fraud. Customers of Company Q began requesting more health-conscious and organic products years ago. The company decided to offer a limited amount of these high-margin items. Company Q is not acting in a socially responsible way by closing the stores in the high-crime areas. They had created a local brand and employed members of the community.

By closing these two stores, Company Q would only be furthering the the decay of the community by creating more empty store fronts. Once the stores close, its employees would be without work. This will also contribute to the decline of the community. The loss of the local stores would be a hardship to residents, because they would have to spend more time and money to travel further to get the essential items they need. This added hardship would most likely have an effect on the community since there would be fewer resources available to help improve the community

Company Q could help contribute to the revitalization of the local areas by increasing their presence in the community and expanding programs designed to engage and include community members. One way to help the company deal with the loss of money from these stores would be to create a more visible security presence. The visual deterrent of security guards, cameras and perhaps even increased police presence could help create a safer environment in which the residents could shop. The area food bank’s request for day-old product donations would be an xcellent way for Company Q to prove their commitment to the community. By helping the local food bank, Company Q would simultaneously help the community’s less fortunate citizens and it help improve their own corporate image. Community interaction and support should be intimately associated with the corporate well-being of the company, as good community stewardship is a very important factor in evaluating the value and social “worth” of the company. Throwing away food instead of donating it to needy food banks conveys the image that the company does not have a commitment to the community and its people.

Neighborhood residents see food being thrown away that could help improve their lives and the lives of those around them and have no real incentive to help make sure that Company Q’s stores prosper in their area. The decision by management to not donate food due to fears of employee theft and fraud shows that the company has no faith in the employees that they have hired. By partnering with their employees and leading by example, Company Q could increase employee loyalty and help show the community that the company does care about them.

Employees that are loyal to the company could go above and beyond in their pursuit to have their stores thrive. Offering a more robust organic foods and products selection would certainly benefit the community. Since these items are higher-margin items, the company would prosper even more. Acting in a more socially responsible and ethical manner could help Company Q keep the stores open that they are planning to close. It may also allow them to expand. References Love to Know Business (n. d) Retrieved from: http://business. lovetoknow. com/wiki/A_Definition_for_Business_Ethics, on December 8, 2011

This paper will look at the corporate social responsibility of Sun Microsystems Inc. Sun Microsystems is a leading supplier of industrial-strength hardware, software and services in more than 100 countries. The headquarters are based in Santa Clara, US. It provides the customers with goods that are energy-efficient and has come up with strategies to ensure that the society is not harmed from carbon emissions. The alternative energy-strategy reduces the environmental impact of its operations.

In order to make use of the modern ways of communication and grab the opportunity of internet resources, Sun Microsystems has created stakeholder engagement system where the members of the society can give their comments and receive answers to their questions directly through blogs. This takes it a long way in perking up its efforts in ensuring transparency to the society and give personalized services. On the other hand the company values its employees greatly and thus the employees are given training on communication and the management ensures that any change in the system is appropriately communicated (Schwartz 2009).

To its shareholders, Sun Microsystems issues CSRs (Corporate and Social Responsibility Reports) which focus on enhancing the stakeholder relations and credibility, augmenting the access to capital, protecting the brand image of the company and hence its market standing so that the wealth of the shareholders is safeguarded. The clients also get more loyal by the transparency that accompanies such reports.

It views itself as socially responsible to provide the reports to investors and prospects so as to attract more capital and enhance alignment of its strategies. It has also come up with programs in China where it is helping in educating children as well as participating in charitable donations. This kind of step is aimed at eliminating the digital divide for example through bringing network infrastructure to schools in China.

Reference:

Schwartz J., President and CEO, (2009) “Corporate Responsibility” accessed on February 3, 2009 from URL: http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/environment/index.jsp

This paper seeks to analyze the case of ‘The Sole Remaining Supplier’ whereby this researcher is assumed to part of the board of directors who will have to make a decision for the company whether the company as sole supplier of transistor will continue or stop as such in supplying the same to a manufacturer of a heart pacemaker. Some of the questions to be resolved include those of knowing the ethical issue, knowing who the stakeholders are by knowing the latter’s motive and goals. The paper will attempt to identify the most important stakeholders to the company with justifications.

This paper will further identify and discuss the alternatives available and the decision that must be made to resolve the issue identified. 2. Questions and Answers 2. 1 What is the ethical issue? Whether the company is responsible for the use of the transistor that its produces is one that is bothering the present board of directors of which this researcher is assumed to be a part. The present board of directors needs therefore to make a decision whether it is ethically correct to continue producing and selling transistors to a maker of heart pacemaker considering that company is the remaining sole supplier.

The case facts provide that one of the uses of the transistor is for the production of the heart pacemaker which may have resulted to death of some of the patients along with other factors such as the fact that doctors are not skillful in installing pacemakers. The board was also informed of the story of person having to yawn deeply and thereby pulling the pacemakers in this chest and as caused his death a result. For fear that the company will be involved in a lawsuit together with the company who will use the transistor for the production of heart pacemakers, there appears to be cause to balance things in a proper perspective.

2. 2 Who are the shareholders? The stakeholders are those who have interests from the business and who stand to benefit or suffer some damages or risks from the continued business of selling transistors to the pacemaker manufacturer. They therefore include the customers, employees, the managers, the creditors, the community and the government. 2. 3 What are their motives? The motives of the stakeholders vary in terms of their interests or in their needs brought by the circumstances. For the customers, they want to make use of transistors produced by the company.

For the purpose of this case, the manufacturer uses the transistors to heart pacemakers. Hence patients with heart ailments and who will be advised by doctors to use heart pacemakers are part of extended customers for transistors. For the pacemaker manufacturer, it wants to sustain the provision of the need in the patients requiring such heart pacemakers thus as customer it complained that it the company will not sell to them transistors, none will sell anymore to it and same would mean cessation of service to those who will the need the heart pacemakers.

The employees including the managers of the company that sells transistors to heart-pacemaker manufacturer are motivated to benefit from the continued production and sale of transistors as the same would mean continued and sustained employment with the company. However the managers which may include the board of directors are affected by the liability that may cause the company due continued sale of transistors with the feared eventual effects on the patients using heart pacemakers. The motivation for profit may have to be balanced by the fear of consequences of the decision to continue selling transistors.

The creditors may not have been mentioned in the case but it could be assumed that purchase of some materials for the manufacture of the transistors may involve transaction with creditors where in certain cases, the company would have to avail some kind of credit or any other mode of financing for the acquisition of materials. These creditors may include banks and suppliers of materials and supplies. These stakeholders just like any group of business want to have continued business and they are motivated basically by profit but there could also be some ethical question if they know these matters affecting the company.

The government may be included as stakeholder in terms of ensuring that laws are faithfully obeyed particularly those pertaining to heath and tax laws. It would want that patients requiring pacemakers could acquire the same in the market at the most reasonable price and at the best value or quality. The continued business would also mean continued source of taxes for government to sustain its operations. The community is interested in promoting the people’s health in the community by particularly reducing death incidents caused by heart problems that could have been served or prevented by the use of heart pacemakers.

A continued business could also mean continued employment from people residing within the community thus this could be contributory to some social or economic objectives. 2. 4 What are their goals? The goals of the stakeholders are generally related to their motives and interest. Since these stakeholders would have to live with reality, it would be consistent with human nature if they targets only what could be realistically attained under the circumstances. Their goals therefore include the motives as tempered by realities. 2. 5 Which stakeholders are most important to the company?

Why? The issue of determining the most important stakeholders to the company is a matter of value since every stakeholder is important to the company. For the purpose of this paper, the most important stakeholders are the patients who will need the heart pacemakers and who are part of the extended customers. The value of producing the transistor is in its capacity to satisfy the human need for longer and better life due to benefits from the products produced. The customers start the business thus there is basis to consider the same as the most important stakeholder (Cassidy 2005).

As stated however that every other stakeholders is as important to the company, there is need to make some explanation about the matter. While it can argued that if there are owners or stockholders who will take the risk is using some capital to put the business of producing and selling transistors to pacemaker manufacturer, it can also be argued that if there are no buyers of its product, there could be no market to satisfy. While it can argued that without customers there is no need to satisfy, the employees as well are needed in order to deliver the products to the manufacturer.

If there are no employees to make and deliver the transistors to the pacemaker, no pacemaker will also be produced and the needs of patients will not be satisfied. The community is also important because it suppliers the needed source of employment for the company and will it will make sure that the social and economic needs are met partly because of what the company can provide. The government is also important in ensuring peace and compliance with other laws for the efficient and effective operation of the company. Creditors too must be paid for them to stay in business and be part of the need satisfiers.

2. 7 What are the alternatives facing the company? The alternatives include stop selling transistor to the company making pacers, continue selling without any restriction or condition and continue selling with certain restrictions or conditions. To stop selling is an option that could be justified only of the business is illegal and the business will not produce profits. The case facts appear not to sustain this option. To continue selling without any restriction or condition given the fear that company would be liable to patients is not only ethically wrong because patients could die but also impractical.

The other option therefore is just to continue selling to the pacesetter manufacturer and announcing or making known to the latter about the limitations of the transistors what it is producing and imposing the conditions that the manufacturer should put up standard that would ensure product quality for its pacemakers in accordance with internationally accepted standards and one that would comply with existing laws, rules and regulations. 2. 8 What is the decision? The decision is still to continue selling those transistors but with some conditions and restriction for its use by the manufacturer of pacemaker.

Between selling and not selling, it is more ethical to continue selling. While there may have been causes which are worrisome for the come company like the fact that deaths have resulted, the case facts do not provide a clear indication that primarily cause was the transistor which is just a part of the pacemaker. What was indicated in the facts was the lack of skill of doctors and installing the pacemaker. This cause should not be blamed on the manufacturer of the transistor.

The fact that doctors determine the need to have pacemaker is not illegal and product use is called for by medical science hence the satisfaction of that need cannot be ethically wrong. What is ethically wrong is the failure to maintain the required standard in the manufacture of the product. Since it is the feeling of this board that the specs used by the manufacturer to test transistors are not strong, the same could be corrected by imposing certain conditions and restriction before continued sale to them that would correct the deficiency of the present use of the pacemaker.

By practicing due professional care in insuring safety and quality of the product it sells, the company could put the company to have a good defense in case it will be sued for any liability about the use of its products. The fact that the company could be sued is not justification to stop selling if the company can do some preventive measures to stop the possible cause of the liability. 2. 9 What strategies must be employed for various stakeholders?

The strategies to be employed for various stakeholders should include one that will provide a balance to all the interests of these shareholders as each shareholder’s take is very important and one stakeholder is complementary to the others. One interest cannot operate apart from the other. The stakeholders all live in a community where needs and wants are to be satisfied. If these stakeholders realize this, it is easier for each one to share in building a community of people where everyone is willing to become part to solutions than to problems.

Customers must have their needs satisfied by ensuring quality goods and service. Shareholders or owners need to earn above cost of capital for them to stay in business. Employees need to have a living wage which is a basic human right so as to maintain their self-worth and for their economic well-being. Government must continue to function by paying correct taxes so that it could make and implement laws effectively. Creditors need to be paid the credits to continue if providing financial and other resources.

The community need to accomplish of providing meaningful lives for everybody in making sure that needs and justifiable wants are satisfied legally, morally, efficiently and effectively. 3. Conclusion Every stakeholder exists for a reason which is basically to benefit from cause while it has obligation to other stakeholders. As man is created with a need with humans to satisfy them, nothing could be more ethical than seeing these needs satisfied. In this particular case, the need for patients for better functioning of their hearts is a fact assessed by the medical profession.

Since doctors are not there as manufacturers of products that could assist or help in satisfying that need, somebody like the company as supplier of transistor has to do its part. There may be risks and ethical issues in providing transistors but knowing how to balance the interest of stakeholders as suggested in this case could be a way to being part of the solution rather than the problem. References: Case Study – The Case of the Sole Remaining Supplier Cassidy, A. (2005), Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning, CRC Press

Boeing has its headquarters in Chicago and its workforces are considered as very diverse. The company employs more than 160,000 people in the United States and in 7 other countries. The company has customers in more than 90 countries all over the world and it is also considered as one of the bigger exporters in the United States in terms of sales. The Boeing Company is considered as the world’s principal aerospace company aside from being the largest producer of commercial jetliners and military craft.

The company concentrates not only on the aircraft but it also designs and manufactures different technological device such as defense systems, satellites launch vehicles and state-of-the-art information and communication systems. In relation to having manufactured the devices needed aerospace, Boeing had become the chief service provider to NASA. As a matter of fact, Boeing operates the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. Support services are also given by the company to the military and commercial airline support services. (boeing.

com, 2008) Despite its prestigious profile, there are several scandals and ethical problems that the company had to face. The scandals and ethical problems of the company had become a big issue globally and in the business world. There had been allegations that women had been discriminated in its factories and office around the Puget Sound area. To resolve its allegations, Boeing had agreed to pay $72. 5 million. This shows that Boeing had accepted its social responsibility to its employees. The Boeing company cares much for its employees.

In the year 2005, a scandal had broke out about the current president of the company, Harry Stonecipher, and a female underling. According to Richman (2005), Mr. Stonecipher had been rehired by the company in order to straighten its current status in the industry. He was hired in the year 2003 and during his term, he had asked the employees to sign a code of conduct (SmartPros Editorial Staff, 2005). As such, the president had approved this code of conduct to show that the company had some ethical considerations at work. When the affair was discovered, the board had acted accordingly.

In response to this issue, it is only right for the board to act immediately. As stated from the article from SmartPro (2005), there was no mention of intraoffice affairs in the Boeing’s Code of Conduct. However, looking at the morality angle and reputation of the company, it is not good to see that the leader of the company is not morally fit to guide its subordinates. The scandal had shown the world that there is nobody who is immune when it comes to ethics deliberation and it also shows that Boeing is not a corrupt company.

Boeing had experienced losses because of Ethics. Leslie Wayne of the Herald Tribune had reported that Boeing has experienced $160 million losses in the second quarter of 2006. This had been brought upon by the company because of the $615 million settlement with the US government over ethical charges. The company had advised the government that the ethical settlement would not be considered as a tax deduction. The settlement had not only been the money paid for by the company. An additional of $496 million was paid for the delays in the military surveillance.

The company had further agreed in May to pay another $615 million to end in an investigation for three years. This is so that the company could avoid criminal charges over claims that the company had acquired the documents from Lockheed Martin and had recruited illegally a senior US Air Force weapons purchaser who had been handling Boeing contracts. This time the president of the company is W. James Mcnermey Jr. The current president had been brave and honest enough to face the Senate Armed Forces Committee to answer questions on the ethical standing of the company.

Mcnermey values the reputation of the Boeing company. Mcnermey has definitely made moves to show the global community that Boeing company is considered as one of the company that is non-corrupt, honest and values social responsibility. As a conclusion, Boeing is a big and a dominant company globally. As such, some of the people in the business world would think that the company and the big bosses can do anything it wants since they are all powerful. However, Boeing had proven itself to be a very ethical and socially responsible company.

In the past scandals and ethical issues that the company had faced, Boeing had proven that they value reputation more than money and that the rules that had been set-up inside the company are not just for show. The rules made are considered as the law of the company and it must be followed to the letter by the lowest ranked person to the highest position inside the company. Boeing believes in preserving its reputation and show ethical considerations to all the things that it is involved in.

Being able to give the president who had been not considered the ethics of having an affair with a female underling the proper punishment, giving benefits to the women who had suffered from discrimination and suffering losses but maintaining the company’s reputation are all evidences that show how the company had become a very good model of ethics in the business community. REFERENCES Boeing. (2008). About Us. Retrieved last April 21, 2008 from Boeing Website: http://www. boeing. com/companyoffices/aboutus/ Wayne, L.

(27 July 2006). Ethics stance leads to a Boeing Loss. Website: http://www. iht. com/articles/2006/07/27/business/boeing. php Richman, D. (2005). Analysis: Boeing conduct Code Worked Properly, experts say. Retrieved last April 21, 2008 from Seattle Post Intelligencer. Website: http://seattlepi. nwsource. com/business/214916_ethics08. html SmartPros Editorial Staff. (14 March 2005) Ethics Expert Says Boeing Did the Right Thing. Retrieved last April 21, 2008 from Smart Pros Ltd. Website: http://accounting. smartpros. com/x47388. xml

The company produced specialty pies and sells them in local supermarkets and select family restaurants. In each of the first six months, Shelley and three part-time employees sold 2,000 pies for $4. 50 each, netting $1. 50 profit per pie. The pies were quite successful and Shelley could not keep up with demand. The company’s success results from a quality product and productive employees who are motivated by incentives and who enjoy being part of a successful new business.

To meet demand, Shelley expanded operations, borrowing money and increasing staff to four full-time employees. Production and sales increased to 8,000 pies per month, and profits soared to $12,000 per month. However, demand for Mrs. Acres Homemade Pies continues to accelerate beyond what Shelley can supply. She has several options.

• maintain current production levels and raise prices;
• expand the facility and staff while maintaining the current price;
• contract the production of the pies to a national restaurant chain, giving Shelley a percentage of refits with minimal involvement.

Discussion questions:  Denned supply, mean, Ana equilibrium price, explain Ana demonstrate ten relationship between supply and demand for Mrs. Acres Homemade Pies.  What challenges does Shelley face as she considers the three options?  What would you do in Shelley position?

Other majors have options to write about ethics in business in general. The write up reports should be between 2-3 page-report (approximately two double-spaced pages). The objective of your assignment is to explore your thoughts and understanding about ethics, identify and analyze ethical issues in business, as described in Chapter 2. In addition to chapter 2 other resources may be helpful in getting you started (academic Journals, University of Share electronic library).

A utilitarian would say to do it because having that money would bring them more leisure, but a ethnologist would say that they must not commit fraud in order to get the money because that would be lying and according to the categorical imperative we should never lie. The second categorical imperative comes into play as well because it would be using a human as a means to an end rather than an end in itself (although with Ned being dead, one could have an argument that that doesn’t come into play).

Jackie makes the decision to lie because he has a dream and he believes that Ned has come to him and wants him to have the money. Cackle and Annie, as well as Jackie and Michaels friendship both fall under Aristotle category of friendship based on goodness. In both friendships, each person wants what Is best for the other person, and all things are shared with each other. Both Jackie and Nannies marriage and Jackie and Michaels friendship include benefiting from the other and pleasure from the other’s company, but they have that important thing where each wants to help the other reach their tells.

This is shown in the case of Jackie and Annie when Annie finds out Jackie and Michaels plan to get he money. She is upset because she doesn’t want Jackie or Michael to go to Jail for fraud. She doesn’t think that will be what is best for either of them. The amount of winnings matters to Annie because when she finds out how much money it actually is she realizes how much It can help themselves, and the whole town.

I think that the moral significance of the act does change when Cackle Includes the whole town, because rather than being selfish and keeping It all, he Is helping the whole town and I do believe that is what Ned would have wanted. He Is attached to he town and would have been more than happy with what Jackie and Michael ended up doing with it. Although, if a ethnologist were to look at the situation, there’s no way they would change their position, because lying is lying, and that is wrong.

This fits perfectly into the situation where Kant says you should tell the truth even when you want to lie, and only then are you truly free. The mean old women is a character that always seems to be looking for ways to get what she wants at the expense of others. She tries to get two loaves of bread for Alfa price, she tries to get her toaster back without paying for it, and finally she threatens Jackie, Michael, and Annie by saying that she will call the office of the lottery If she doesn’t get more money.

I think that the priest Is right to be worried of what will happen to the town with all that money because these people have lived simple lives for so long, that who knows what will happen when they come into money like this. It ends up looking like noticed that was an immediate change after they were sure of getting the money is when Fin promises Maggie to quit pig farming even though he claims to like it. If everyone stops their farming, what is going to happen to the village?

Ultimately, yes, I think that Maggie does make the right decision when she chooses not to collect all the money for her son. When living in a tight knit community like that, everyone seems like family anyways. And like Jackie tells her, having a father is worth more than any amount of money, and if she were to claim the money for her son, Fin would have to continue pig farming and her son would still not have a father. As far a Aristotelian ethics goes, I think she climbed a bit on the and became a better person.

Business Ethics within Today’s Business See Yang University of Phoenix Business Ethics within Today’s Business Ethics are very important to all business people. Yet, many neglect ethics as an important part that plays a major impact upon a person’s success as a leader or advisor. Ethical dilemmas are faced everyday in the society. Which in today’s business world ethical issues like harassment, conflict of interest, and customer confidence issues does affects the community and organization. Business ethics is not something that naturally occurs within an organization.

It’s a culture that upper management and employees need to build from the ground up, which helps the company to tackle moral issues confronting the business. Therefore, business ethics examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problem that arise in a business environment, which applies to all aspect of business conduct and are relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations all together (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). However, business ethics creates professional attitudes and behaviors throughout the organization and the surrounding environment.

In today’s business world, harassment is not taken lightly. Harassment or sexual harassment is sexual behavior toward another person with unwanted contact with the other person. Harassment is not when two people come together and kiss but when someone is making rude comments or trying to have sexual contact with another person without permission. Because harassment is a form of discrimination harassment is an ethical issue that stops workers from performing their duties due to miss treatment and unfairness (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Another ethical issue is conflicts of interest.

Conflict of interest includes issues as bribes, influence and privileged information. For example, if an individual was working for a retail company and was also employed by another retail company at the same time would be consider a conflict of interest. Due to valuable information the individual holds about the company, therefore the company would expect the individual to quit or look for another job. Conflict of interest can also occur by holding a personal relationship with another co-worker and distributing irregular discounts to other vendors when the discount is meant just for the worker.

As a company, avoiding conflict of interest is the best way to go. Conflicts could cause loss of employment and corporation or law and federal charges. Customer confidence issues are another ethical issue. It includes topics such as confidentiality and truth in advertising. Confidentiality is basically the privacy of the customer. The privacy protects the customer’s personal information on sales and finance. As an employee, truth in advertising plays a huge role in customer service.

If an employee is promoting something and is not promoting the proper information, the company could lose a substantial amount of money depending on the situation. As well as losing customers and business. Customer confidence has a saying, “the customer is always right” (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Most businesses use the saying to prevent tension between the corporation and the customer and provide customer satisfaction. Harassment, conflict of interest, and customer confidence issues are some of the business ethical issues, which are common in everyday business.

An individual can make a single decision that can have a negative or positive effect around his or her surroundings. Businesses make the choices through being honest or lying. However, it will determine what fate the business would fall in. A business who values work ethics would be a business valued by the customers. Reference Trevino, L. K. , & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing businessethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved January 3, 2010,from ecampus. phoenix. edu