External unit (Business Ethics)

Question 1

What are business ethics?

Answer 1

Business ethics are a set of values and principles that influence how organisations behave.

Question 2

What does behaving ethically involve?

Answer 2

Behaving ethically involves undertaking morally right, sustainable actions that are not primarily for profit maximisation.

Question 3

What is B-Corp status?

Answer 3

B-Corp status is a certification awarded to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Question 4

What is required for a company to achieve B-Corp certification?

Answer 4

Companies must achieve a score of at least 80 on B Lab’s Impact Assessment and pass its risk review.

Question 5

Can you name an example of a B-Corp certified organisation?

Answer 5

Examples include Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s.

Question 6

What is green-washing?

Answer 6

Green-washing is when organisations give a false impression about how environmentally friendly their products are.

Question 7

What is rainbow-washing?

Answer 7

Rainbow-washing refers to superficial support for the LGBTQ+ community without substantial actions to assist them.

Question 8

What are some benefits of ethical business practices for consumers?

Answer 8

Ethically minded consumers feel good about their purchases when they know an organisation operates ethically.

Question 9

How do ethical practices benefit employees?

Answer 9

Employees are more likely to be committed and motivated, leading to higher job satisfaction.

Question 10

What are the costs of ethical practices for consumers?

Answer 10

Consumers may face higher prices for ethically sourced products.

Question 11

What impact can unethical business practices have on employee morale?

Answer 11

Employees may lose respect for their bosses, leading to low morale.

Question 12

What environmental challenges do organisations face?

Answer 12

Organisations face challenges such as climate change, environmental pollution, and the need for sustainability.

Question 13

What is the impact of using green energy in production?

Answer 13

Using green energy reduces pollution and reliance on fossil fuels.

Question 14

What is the effect of using recycled paper?

Answer 14

Using recycled paper reduces the need to cut down trees and decreases landfill waste.

Question 15

What is the significance of ESG criteria?

Answer 15

ESG criteria evaluate a company’s performance beyond financial figures, considering environmental and social impacts.

Question 16

What is corporate citizenship?

Answer 16

Corporate citizenship emphasizes a company’s role as a responsible member of society beyond just business operations.

Question 17

What is sustainability in business?

Answer 17

Sustainability involves meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Question 18

What is the role of charities in ethical business practices?

Answer 18

Charities may benefit from corporate giving, allowing them to help more people and raise awareness about important causes.

Question 19

What is the impact of unethical practices on an organisation’s credibility?

Answer 19

Unethical practices can lead to a loss of credibility, resulting in customer boycotts and reduced sales.

Question 20

What is the relationship between ethical practices and employee turnover?

Answer 20

Unethical practices may lead to increased employee turnover, raising recruitment and selection costs.

Question 21

What is the significance of the Surfers Against Sewage audit?

Answer 21

The audit identifies companies responsible for significant pollution, urging them to take responsibility for their products’ life cycles.

Question 22

How can using local suppliers benefit the environment?

Answer 22

Using local suppliers reduces pollution from transportation and supports local economies.

Question 23

What is Sky Academy?

Answer 23

Sky Academy offers scholarships for further education and paid graduate programmes to work at Sky. It includes a team of over 90 world-class athlete mentors and saw 105,000 young people participate in 2014.

Question 24

What percentage of subtitling and audio description has Sky achieved?

Answer 24

Sky has achieved 82% subtitling and 22% audio description across 24 Sky channels.

Question 25

What is the purpose of Sky Rainforest Rescue?

Answer 25

Sky Rainforest Rescue helps to protect one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest and raised over £4 million in 2014, matched by Sky for a total of £8 million.

Question 26

What initiatives has Sky taken to promote greener travel?

Answer 26

Sky has increased the use of video-conferencing suites and promotes a cycle to work scheme to minimize transport emissions.

Question 27

What percentage of Sky staff donated to charity in 2014?

Answer 27

On average, 5% of staff agreed to give donations directly from their salary to charity.

Question 28

How has Sky reduced its emissions since 2008?

Answer 28

Since 2008, Sky has reduced its emissions by 40% and featured in the Carbon Performance Leadership Index.

Question 29

What improvements did Sky make to its Scotland offices in 2014?

Answer 29

Sky added 2 biomass boilers, leading to a reduction in electricity usage by almost a third and a 70% decrease in gas usage.

Question 30

What rewards does Sky offer customers for returning devices?

Answer 30

Sky offers customers rewards, such as vouchers redeemable in over 130 UK high street stores, for returning Sky devices that are no longer in use.

Question 31

What is the definition of ethics/CSR?

Answer 31

Ethics/CSR refers to the principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business.