Unit 4 Flashcards
What is corporate social responsibility
is the duty of a company to work in the best interest of the society through its policies.
Corprate social responsibility
- Making charitable donations
- Treating employees ethically
- Being environmentally conscious
- Ensuring safe working conditions
- Sponsoring local sports teams
- Creating and promoting diverse workplaces
Benefits of C.S.R.
- Used as a marketing tool
- Dissuades governments from implementing regulations that interfere with business
- Companies can attract and retain excellent employees.
Criticisms of C.S.R.
- Costs companies’ money which affects profits
- Companies spend a lot of time and employee energy on CSR
- Good practice could be used to distract customers from problems (Ex.Tobacco labels)
- Companies may use CSR to enhance their reputation with domestic consumers but act differently in other countries.
What is Stakeholder Analysis?
- Stakeholders: individuals or groups affected by the organization that have a stake in the success and profitability of the business
- Primary Stakeholders: Including customers, suppliers, competitors, and employees directly affects the company and its profitability.
- Secondary stakeholder: Include the media, political parties, trade association, special interest groups, etc.
What are Business Ethics?
- A set of rules or guidelines that management or individuals follow to make decisions for their company.
What are Ethical Dilemma?
- A situation in which an individual, government, or business must make a choice between two alternatives, either of which provides a completely satisfactory solution.
- Business examples:
Paying bribes
Using child labour
Corporate corruption
What is Test of Disclosure?
- Companies can use the “test of disclosure” method to solve an ethical dilemma.
- Companies can ask themselves, “How would we feel if everyone knew about the decision we made?”
- If they are concerned, they have likely made an ethical
- If there is a concern, they most likely made the wrong choice
- Example: Rogers firing Don Cherry
Global Ethical Reasoning
For companies with a global focus, ethical decision making is more complex and less clear
Two methods of global ethical issues:
1. Ethical Imperialism
2. Cultural Relativism
Ethical Imperialism
- Also known as ethical absolutism
- One set of values for all cultures
- Right and wrong are the same in all cultures
- Example:
- In Canada, it is law to study in school until the age of 16. Therefore, a Canadian company should not hire anyone full-time under the age of 16 in any of their global locations.
Cultural Relativism
- Values are dependent on the culture.
- Ethics of one culture are not seen as better than those of another.
- Right and wrong depend on local values.
- Example:
- If laws in a country permit the hiring of a 16 year old person on full time basis, them Canadian companies may decide to hire him/her
Five Ethical Issues
- Environmental issues
- Sweatshops
- Corporate corruption
- Dumping and subsidizing
- Poverty
Environmental Issues
- Sustainable development: the ability to meet human consumption while maintaining the environment
- Two main categories of environmental damage:
- Pollution
- The contamination of the environment caused by the manufacture or use of commodities
- Resource depletion
- Resource depletion is the consumption of scarce or non-renewable resources
Sweatshops
Sweatshops are factories in underdeveloped and developing countries where the employees work in unsafe environments, are treated unfairly, and have no chance to address these conditions.
Corporate corruption
Corporate corruption refers to involvement in illegal activities to further one’s business interests
Example include:
* Enron
* Brex
* FIFA
* Nortel
* Volkswagen
* Bernard L. Madoff
Dumping and subsidizing
Dumping is the selling of products in a foreign country below the cost of production or below the price in the home country.
A company will do this to get rid of excess stock without affecting the price in the local market
Predatory dumping
is when a foreign company sells a product to increase sales and force domestic competition out of business, then raise prices.
Subsidizing
occurs when the importing of a good is helped through assistance from the foreign government
Examples:
* Loans with preferential interest rates
* Grants
* Tax incentives
Poverty
- 800 million people live in poverty
- Less people live in poverty today than a decade ago as a result of the economic conditions in India, China and Indonesia