CIEE business ethics midterm Flashcards
During the first world war, __ ___ did business with the two sides of the war
Juan March
Juan March was an important backer of the 1936 military rebellion against the ____ ____, which led to the Civil war in Spain
Spanish Republic
foundation of philanthropy and sciences, produces world-class exhibitions and concerts that are free, important foundation dedicated to the development of cultural and scientific enhancement in Spain
Juan March foundation
(perspective) some commercial activity is based on pure self-interest; purpose of any business is to serve the self-interest of the shareholders; deception and lying are permissible in business
Business ethics as an oxymoron
____ ___ is the study of business situations, activities, and decisions where issues of strategies/business rights and wrongs are addressed
business ethics
There is considerable overlap between ethics and the __
Business ethics begins where the __ ends
law
____ is about the norms, values, and beliefs embedded in social processes which define right/wrong for and individual/community
Morality
____ studies morality and applies reason to elucidate specific rules/principles that determine morally acceptable courses of action
ethics
Globalization: engaging developing countries in a so-called race to the ___
bottom
_____ ____ are accused of exploiting workers in developing countries, destroying the environment, pit developing countries against each other
multinational corporations
(case for CSR)
Sometimes it is profit-maximization ‘under the cloak of social responsibility’ ; when the main reason is profit, the criticism is that CSR legitimizes corporate activity and consolidate the power of large corporations
Business case for corporate social responsibility
Corporation defined
independent from those who work in them, manage them, invest in them, or receive products or services from them
_____ ____ have traditionally been the main obstacles to worldwide connections between people
territorial borders
(case for CSR)
Many regard corporations to have a moral responsibility to deal with the negative externalities they cause (pollution, resource depletion, community problems) ; corporations should use their power and resources responsibly in society; corporations rely on the contribution of a wide set of constituencies, they should also take the interests and goals of them into consideration
Moral case for corporate social responsibility
Corporations are ‘____ ___’ in the eyes of the law
artificial persons
______ _________ oblige corporations to do what is right, just, and fair even when they’re not compelled to do so by the legal framework. Required of all corporations
ethical responsibilities
In _____ ____, companies see responsible behavior as an opportunity to generate profits while also living up to society’s expectations
contemporary CSR
In ______ ____, it’s integral to core business and once the profit is generated, the company distributes some of the value created to projects and causes that are important to stakeholders
traditional CSR
____ ____ state the company’s values, beliefs, and goals with regard to its social environment
Social policies
Major firms include ____ objectives in their mission statements and other corporate policies
social
___ ____ can be traced by looking at concrete changes that the corporation has achieved through the programmes implemented
social programs
Sustainability defined
the long-term maintenance of systems according to environmental, economic, social considerations
8 international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000
Millennium development goals
Formulated in 2015 by the United Nations to create a future global development framework to succeed the MDGs, collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for the people and the planet now and into the future, many cross-cutting issues and synergies between the different goals
the Sustainable development goals
Consideration: one’s own interests; Is this really my, or my organization’s, best long-term interests? Would it be acceptable and expected for me to think only of the consequences to myself in this situation?
Egoism theory
Consideration: social consequences; If I consider all of the possible consequences of my actions, for everyone that is affect, will we be better or worse off overall? How likely are these consequences and how significant are they?
utilitarianism theory
Consideration: Duties to others; Who do I have obligations in this situation?
ethics of duty theory
Consideration: entitlements of others; Whose rights do I need to consider here? Am I respecting fundamental human rights and people’s need for dignity?
ethics of rights theory
Consideration: Fairness; Am I treating everyone fairly here? Are there disparities that could be avoided?
theories of justice
Consideration: character and integrity; What would a decent, honest person do in the same situation?
virtue ethics theory
Consideration: relationships and responsibility; How do/would the other affected parties feel in this situation? Can I avoid doing harm to others and ensure their agency and power? Which solution is most likely to preserve healthy and harmonious relationships among those involved?
ethics of care theory
Consideration: deliberative process; What norms can we work out together through open communication and discussion to provide a mutually acceptable solution to this problem?
discourse ethics theory
Consideration: empathy and moral impulse; Am I just going with the flow without questioning whether it really feels right to me? What do my emotions and gut feelings tell me once I’m out of the office?
postmodern ethics theory
Morality is context dependent and subjective; there’s no universal right or wrongs that can be rationally determined - it depends in the traditions or practices of those making the decision
Relative ethical theories
Morality is about abstract obligations -based on moral rules- applicable to all ethical problems; you should act according to that principle/rule when you can and it should become a universal law
Kantianism
Kant ___ __ allow for cases where a little rule-bending might be for the best
does not
they are general statements of corporate aims, beliefs, values; virtually all organizations have one
Mission or values statements
a voluntary statement that commits an organization, industry, or profession to specific beliefs, values, and actions that sets out appropriate ethical behavior for employees
codes of ethics
The main goals for ___ ____ include identifying situations where ethical decision making is involved, understanding the culture and values of the organization, evaluating the impact of the ethical decision on the organization
ethics education
3 elements of sustainability
environmental, economical, social effects
(type of CSR) describes corporate activities that assume responsibility for the interests of society; consists of voluntary corporate policies, programs, and strategies
explicit CSR
(type of CSR) describes corporations’ role within the wider formal and informal institutions for society’s interests and concerns; consists of values, norms, rules
implicit CSR
an individual or group that has an interest in a company and can either affect/ be affected by the business
stakeholder
provide the individual with the freedom to participate in society, such as the right to education, healthcare, various aspects of welfare
social rights
provide freedom from abuses and interference (by the government), such as the rights to own property, to engage in “free” markets, or to exercise freedom of speech
civil rights
enable individuals to participate in the process of governance beyond the sphere of their own property, such as the right to vote/hold office
political rights
The decision is likely to have significant effects on others; characterized by choice, alternative courses of action are open; perceived as ethically relevant by one or more parties
3 characteristics of an ethical decision
1) awareness 2) judgement 3) intent 4) behavior
4 stages in ethical decision-making
the process by which organizations understand the interests + expectations of their stakeholders and attempt to satisfy them in a way that aligns with the interests of the company
stakeholder management
the voluntary process concerned with assessing + communicating organizational activities + impacts on social, ethical, environmental issues relevant to stakeholders
social accounting
(type of ethics program) emphasis on preventing, detecting, punishing violations of the law; uses compliance (fear) as motivation to do the right thing
compliance orientation
(type of ethics program) based on defining organizational values + encouraging employee commitment to certain ethical aspirations; rooted in self-governance
values orientation
(type of ethics program) focuses on satisfying external stakeholders (customers, community, shareholders)
external orientation
(type of ethics program) primarily oriented towards protecting top management from blame for ethical problems or legal violations; employees and other stakeholders may see the introduction of ethics management as a cover for top managers
protection orientation
describes the role of senior managers in setting the ethical tone of the organization and fostering ethical behavior among employees
ethical leadership
entails focusing the organization’s attention on ethics and values and infusing the organization with principles that will guide the actions of employees
moral manager
