CH12 - Ethics and Responsibilities in the workplace and marketplace Flashcards
set of values which holds that work is important to members of society
- work influences the qualities or character of individuals
- work is a purposeful activity requiring the expenditure of energy with some sacrifice of leisure
- some gain is involved (money)
- through work, a person contributes to society and becomes a better individual
recent work ethic trends
- opting out of labour force (early retirement)
- collecting EI/welfare rather than accepting unattractive jobs
- changing careers
- refusing to work overtime
- felling alienation caused by pressure in the workplace
- questioning traditional authority
Gig economy def
persons whose participation in labour force is via short-term, temporary jobs, contracts, and self-employment
Contemporary
Implications on the
Work Ethic (+challenges)
- increase in workplace stress
- increasing use of part-time or temporary workers
- moonlighting increase (second job)
challenges:- strong work ethic
- feelings of insecurity and disappointment
- fringe benefits changing to retain employees (elder care, working from home, etc)
- benefits received from health care + pension plans declining (too costly for employers)
- compensation (greater emphasis on pay for performance - cash bonus)
- more concern with work/life balance
- job insecurity increase
- Canada has labour skills shortage
how to improve employee loyalty
- managers must communicate persuasive corp image
- employees should be rewarded for loyalty
- must be corp priority and start at the top with CEO
- persons of all levels involved
- token, one-shot efforts avoided
- must distinguish between loyalty to individuals and to corp
what is protecting employee privacy
federal government : Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other provincial legislation
what is challenging employee privacy
Emergence of electronic tech and social media
- surveillance or monitoring of email and internet usage
- use of cameras
discrimination def
preferential (or less preferential) treatment on bases not directly related to qualification of the job or job performance
(race, genre, nationality, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc)
legislations to address discrimination
- employment equity act
- Canadian human rights act
diversity management def
voluntary initiative beyond what is required by law to eliminate discrimination
sexual harassment and management
- management and board of directors must be proactive in addressing sexual harassment and issues involved:
-> implementing procedures for reporting
-> establishing independent helplines
-> increasing training programs and refreshing training material
-> revising codes of conduct
-> include more diverse voices in executive and board positions
feminist ethics def
diverse set of gender-focused approaches to ethical theory and practice
- objective to develop non-sexist ethical principles, policies, and practices in society
- places emphasis on three concepts that provide better approach to recognizing, evaluating and addressing ethical concerns: relationships, responsibility and experience
connection between CSR and employee management
emotional and intellectual commitment of an individual or group to an org that supports building and sustaining business performance
- employers effectively comunication CSR within corporation are more likely to attract and retain employees
- employees who give money or time to social causes are more committed to their employers
essential characteristics of consumer sovereignty
- consumers dictate the type, quality and quantity of g&s to be provided
- elements of democracy are present, including the idea of voting through purchase decisions
- consumers free to make their own choices and not unduly influenced by producers or govs
- economic system operates more efficiently when consumers determine production
conditions of consumer sovereignty are seldom fulfilled in the marketplace because buyers face…
- high information costs
- offensive and often misleading advertising
- shoddy and unsafe goods
consumerism def
social movement seeking to protect and augment the rights and powers of buyers in relation to sellers
consumer rights + the responsibilities
safety - follow instructions and take precautions
choose - make independent, informed consumption choices
be heard - make opinions known and to complain in a constructive manner
be informed - search out and use available info
consumer education - take advantage of education opportunities
redress - fight for quality and service expected
healthy environment - minimize environ. damage by careful choice and use of g&s
ethical consumerism
form of activism where consumers buy products, goods and services that are ethically produced and/or not harmful to the environment or society
3 factors that motivate consumers to make ethical or socially responsible purchases
- CSR information available
- must be a moral alignment of CSR practices with the consumer on moral values
- products must be considered affordable
examples of ethical products
-> food: organic, local, fair trade
-> housing: energy efficient
-> clothing: organic material, eco-friendly design, recycled
-> cosmetics: cruelty-free, natural ingredients
-> energy: clean source of energy, fluorescent lightbulbs
-> transportation: hybrid/electric vehicles, “terror-free gas”
what has increased unethical practices
increased competition:
- industrial spying, espionage, sabotage
- copying / counterfeiting products
concerns about the concentration of corporate power
- too much influence over the economy
- too much influence over the government
Competition Act def
def = establishes basic principles for the conduct of business in Canada so that competition is encouraged and maintained
-> governs business conduct regarding conspiracy, bid-rigging, predatory pricing, mergers, abuse of dominant position
factors determining competitive behaviour
- entrepreneurship
- deregulation and privatization
- technology
- decline of natural monopoly
- global trends in trade
- mergers / takeovers