Topic 20 - Ethical and Environmental Issues Flashcards
Ethical
Showing moral consideration for others.
Advantages:
- Awards can be granted, can be used as a promotional tool
- Can attract customers
- Can attract high-quality staff
- Can gain a good reputation
Disadvantages:
- Audits are needed to ensure standards are maintained, may be time consuming
- Decision-making could more complex and time consuming as many possible solutions may not be appropriate as they are not ethical
Ethical Methods
- Paying the minimum wage to employees
- Offering better working conditions
- Enabling flexible and home working
- Sponsoring local community events
- Donating to charity and fundraising
- Using fairtrade products
- Not using animal testing
- Using synthetic materials in production
Fairtrade
Advantages:
- Improves image
- Higher prices can be charged
- Fairtrade mark can be used as a marketing tool
- Attracts customers who have positive attitudes towards ethically produced products
- Attracts staff who wish to work for an ethical company
Disadvantages:
- Products are more expensive which may out customers off buying
- Limits the choice of suppliers
- Losing a fairtrade mark will gain bad publicity
- May increase carbon footprint through air or sea transportation
Environmental
Advantages:
- Business can gain a positive reputation
- Awards can be granted which can be used for promotional purposes
-Renewable energies save costs in the long run
- Business plays a part in looking after the environment that will sustain their activities in the future
Disadvantages:
- Expensive
- Procedures may have to be adapted to be more environmentally friendly
- Most environmentally friendly procedures rely on the natural environment, which may not be sufficient
Environmental Methods
- Using energy and water efficiently
- Reducing waste
- Reusing and recycling materials
- Using ethical suppliers
- Using renewable energy
- Using public transport
- Using organic raw materials in production
- Minimise noise pollution created by manufacturing
