Social Flashcards
(125 cards)
What are the different elements of the social factor?
- Customs
- Values
- Attitudes
- Demographic characteristics
Why is it important to think about the social factors of a business?
When business got very competitive, businesses and the individuals that worked within them became so competitive that they forgot about “being nice” to their customers, to other firms, and to their shareholders
What is the significance of the social factor? Give some examples
It affects customer preferences. Eg. people are willing to pay more for products from ethically sourced suppliers.
It affects worker attitudes and behaviour: it varies between companies and between countries. It affects how businesses attract employees, what kind of incentives they give, and how they motivate their employees
It affects standards of business conduct, and corporate social responsibility
Explain the significance of the customs element of the social factor and give an example
It affects what customers buy, when they buy it, when holidays are, and what kind of time off employees expect. Eg. Celebrating Thanksgiving in October in Canada vs. November in the States
Explain the significance of the values element of the social factor, and give an example
It affects what customers and employees prioritize, what they care about, what they appreciate/condemn. In Canada, we value family, prestige, accomplishment, healthy living, and leisure
Explain the significance of the attitudes element of the social factor, and give an example
It affects how customers and employees think about things, what they expect from employers, and their attitudes about work. Eg. In North America, people are very individualistic minded, while in Japan they are very team-oriented
Explain the significance of the demographic characteristics of the social factor
It affects the size of the population, how many of each age there are, what people do on their own time, and how people spend their time
What is ethics?
“Knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what you should do” - Potter Stewart (Eg. you can speed but you shouldn’t)
Explain individual ethics
Your individual standards about doing the right thing
Explain business or managerial ethics
How you execute your business’s decisions and what the effects are
Do individual ethics and business/managerial ethics always have to line up?
No. However, if you are not comfortable with them not lining up, it could make you start to have inner conflicts. You have two options:
- Do what the manager believes because it’s what the organization wants
- Leave
Explain corporate social responsibility and its effects
The ethical behaviour and ethical standard of the corporation: what the organization does to and for its stakeholders. The organization affects the stakeholders and the stakeholders affect the organization
How do the three forms of ethics affect each other?
They feed into each other: individual ethics affect managerial ethics, which affect corporate social responsibility
How do businesses balance conflicting stakeholder interests?
Businesses can either focus on profits (and therefore their investors), or they can actively consider other stakeholders
Who are stakeholders?
Anyone who is affected by or affects an organization: customers, suppliers, investors, employees
Why do businesses consider their stakeholders in their business decisions?
They make it possible for businesses to operate: they provide something of value to the business and they expect something in return
What is the importance of stakeholders? When do businesses listen to them?
It depends on the situation and the issue. Businesses will listen to different stakeholders depending on the type of decision that they are making
What is the challenged of stakeholders?
They may have conflicting or varying demands/expectation between the business and the stakeholder or between stakeholders
What are the four levels of corporate social responsibility?
- Proactive
- Accommodative
- Defensive
- Obstructionist
Describe the proactive level of corporate social responsibility and give an example of a company
Where businesses are constantly looking for opportunities to go further in helping out their community. Eg. Ben and Jerry’s looks for ways to source their materials from good companies, being fair to their workers, and looking for ways to help their community
Describe the accommodative level of corporate responsibility and give an example of a company
When companies will do something good, but only if they’re asked. If charities come ask for money or if they are asked to send volunteers somewhere, they will, but only when asked. They do not actively look for ways to go further. Eg. Kellogg’s was asked by the government to reduce their energy use. They did, but they didn’t go out of their way to come up with the idea themselves
Describe the defensive level of corporate responsibility and give an example of a company
When companies do the least that they can while still following the law. Eg. Cigarette companies put the legal label on all their products, but they don’t try to make cigarettes better for you or try to convince you not to smoke
Describe the obstructionist level of corporate responsibility and give an example of a company
When companies do as little as possible, and even go behind the law when they deem it necessary. Eg. Pinto cars and Mustangs were designed to catch fire when they were rear-ended. They chose not to recall the cars even though they knew it could result it death, because it would cost more to redesign the car then to pay the lawsuits. Eg. BP oil spill: anything they were not legally obligated to do they didn’t do, and they also tried to sneak around the law and avoid having to pay for it
Why do businesses need to focus on their corporate social responsibility? Give an example
The environment is unpredictable and challenging. By being compliant with regulations, businesses can:
- Avoid adverse actions (such as major lawsuits and protests)
- Increase their support from their stakeholders.
- Promote favourable legislation: complying with regulations may promote the government to help you create a distinct competitive advantage around your product. Eg. The government required that cars sold in Greece had to pass a certain pollution emission requirement. It can also help you to be ahead of the game when laws change to help the environment or improve worker conditions