In past years, organizations believed business ethics was only a way of managing compliance of legal principles and adherence to internal regulations and policies. Today the situation is different. Attention to business ethics is on the rise and many companies realize that in order to succeed, they must earn the respect and trust of their employees and clients. Presently organizations are being pushed to better their business performance to stress legal, ethical and socially responsible behaviors. Organizations are held responsible for their actions as demand grows for higher standards of social responsible behavior. With that being said, what are some of the ethical responsibilities companies have with their employees, and why are they so important in our ever changing business world? Muhtar Kent, the Chairman and CEO of The Coca Cola Company describes it correctly on their company handbook of business conduct “acting with integrity is about more than our Company’s image and reputation, or avoiding legal issues. It’s about sustaining a place where we all are proud to work. Ultimately, it’s about each of us knowing that we have done the right thing. This means acting honestly and treating each other and our customers, partners, suppliers and consumers fairly, and with dignity.” Human Resources can accomplish and maintain ethical policies and socially responsible behaviors by managing their employees and conducting their business by example. Many ways of setting the
The Cheesecake Factory has been one of the more successful chain restaurants in recent years because they have provided great food and outstanding customer service in a fun atmosphere. The cheesecake factory employs a high standard of general conduct and moral aptitude. As a chief executive officer in today’s society, it is my responsibility to ensure The Cheesecake Factory abides by the laws and ethical duties that are mandated by today’s society. There is a copious amount of benefits to being a chief executive officer, however there is an equal amount of risk as chief executive officers are held liable for almost any action or infraction that their company has induced.
Human Resources professionals are in a unique position to help corporations build the integrity of the company and develop positive organizational cultures. They can use their influences on many levels within an organization promote ethics by developing programs and policies that encourage employees to make the right choices. This may be in form of a written code of ethics or ethical training for managers and employees that make them fully aware of the company’s expectations in areas such as discrimination, sexual harassment, and the treatment of employees. The HR department can also be a resource and kept close at hand when ethical situations arise they are not clearly addressed in the policies or as a mediator for conflict resolution. Since the HR department is involved in the hiring of new employees, they can be proactive in identifying desirable character traits that align with the company’s philosophies as well as on-boarding programs that reinforce the values of the company.
Business ethics refers to the consideration of moral decisions and responsibilities in the process of operating a business. Business ethics, practiced throughout the deepest layers of a company, become the heart and soul of the company 's culture and can mean the difference between success and failure. Values drive behavior and therefore need to be consciously stated, but they also need to be affirmed by actions. Ethical business environments are created with foundations of integrity, accountability and commitment.
Behind every successful company there is a strong foundation of ethics. Their vision, mission, behavior as a company, beliefs, and convictions all stem from their ethics. Not all companies have this foundation. To some, it is not believed to be essential for success. Ethics is important in business because our day-to-day life involves these businesses. The places we go to buy clothes, food, cars, computers, and services are all different kinds of businesses that we support financially. How many of the businesses around us have a strong foundation of ethics? How do we know that these companies don’t have workers working excruciating hours behind the scenes to produce the things that are seen on the shelves? How do we know that they are treating their workers with kindness and respect, as well as customers? Business ethics are important for not only the workers of those companies, but for their consumers. There is a domino effect that is caused when a consumer from a company with good business ethics recognizes it. As a result, the consumer returns, bringing with them more consumers, resulting in more profit for the business and a healthy work environment for its workers.
CONCEPTS applied by the organization CAT (based on 3 units-communication skills, ethics and behaviour, goal settings)
Business ethics can be defined as the set of moral values and codes or standards of conduct in an organization. According to Wikipedia – “Business ethics (also corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations.”
Discrimination related to the employment in the businesses is one of the major ethical issues nowadays. It creates many problems in the workplace and can reduce the motivation level, loyalty and commitment with the firms. Discrimination on workplace can be defined as the imbalanced or unequal treatment with employees based on biases. This biasness may be based on age, sex, race, ethnicity, nation, language, religion and disability of employees etc. It is the right of the people to be treated equally and provision of equal opportunities without any discrimination in any sense. The discrimination has many forms in the firms like unequal pay compensations,
Sexual orientation discrimination includes being treated differently or harassed because of your real or apparent sexual orientation -- whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual. This type of discrimination may be illegal in your workplace, depending on where you work. This is not a personal problem that should be handled among themselves. As an Equal Employment Opportunity company, the company should ensure that guidelines are given and followed to prevent this type of sexual harassment and discrimination. If the company permits the posting of these types of pictures then the problem will never be solved. Robinson should not have to argue with her peers because she feels she has
Corporate social responsibility is no more characterized by the amount of cash an organization adds to charities, yet by its general inclusion in exercises that enhance the nature of individuals ' lives. Corporate Responsibility has come up as a huge topic in the worldwide business group and is continuously turning into a standard movement. There is mounting response of the earth shattering impact the exercises of the private segment have on the workforce, demographic, the general public, nature,
Business ethics are moral and social responsibility that a business is supposed to have towards the community in general. Many companies are concerned about their social responsibility, particularly to the environment and their employees. Our values and morals are our personal guidelines that help us make decisions about what is right and what is wrong. Most companies have policies and procedures it is important for managers and employees to have guidelines to follow in the workplace. I think we all have encountered one of these bureaucracies throughout our lives such as factories, department stores, banks, hospitals, libraries and churches they have rules, regulations and standardized procedures to follow. The reason because there are
The main aim of a business ethics is usually to determine the fundamental purposes of an organization. A company whose goal is to maximize shareholder returns would be violating fiduciary responsibility if it sacrificed profits to other concerns. Business ethics refers to the set of contemporary standards that govern the behavior of persons in a business organization. It has both normative and descriptive dimensions. The field is primarily normative when considered as a corporate practice. The range of concern on business ethical issues focuses on the interaction of profit-maximizing behavior with non-economic concerns. Ethics are vital when it comes to regulating and details in business that are beyond government control. Organizations
Business ethics play an essential role in the business world today. Since their development they have become a major influence on anything business related. The importance of ethics was chosen to give more of an in-depth look at not only basic benefits that business ethics bring about, but some less known benefits as well. Business ethics add great morale to the corporation and its culture, allowing the organization to use this as a tool for a multitude of organizational affairs. While there are some that oppose the use of business ethics in today’s business world, the benefits outweigh the opposition’s points. Comparing and contrasting the benefits and the opposition’s invalid arguments, it can be plainly seen why business ethics should be implemented and are a core aspect of any business that is looking to be successful in the modern world.
ITC Ltd has worked exremly hard to start several procedures that have led to compliance of the standards of social responsibility. ITC’s dealings within the tobacco industry have contributed to the increase in company revenues and the company has worked towards following the triple bottom line and giving back to society. Most, businesses pay little attention to their social responsibilities and make it part of their overall strategy, instead they concentrate more on financial benefits from the sales of products. Consequently, managing business in a socially responsive manner contributes to the best combination of business success and societal acceptance, trust and loyalty. Giving back to the community in ways that benefits only society such as planting trees to curb pollution and help the environment or using biodegradable materials in packaging can reap financial benefits to a company by building loyalty among the community. The notion of business ethics and corporate social responsibility is becoming a defining concept in all industries worldwide. ITC believes in the Triple Bottom Line philosophy where the performance and perception of a corporation should not be judged only on the basis of its financial statements or revenues, but its environmental and social performance as well. ITC is one of the only companies in the world to be carbon positive, water positive, and conduct solid waste recycling. ITC provides water to areas where water is very
Employees are a company’s most valuable asset. Organizational goals and standards of operation are set by an executive team. However, it is the employee body who put forth the effort to see these accomplishments realized. As organizations join the growing number of corporations adopting a code of ethics, the obligation of its members assumes a more critical role. Ethical agent is added to their list of responsibilities. It is in this role assumed to inspire and influence positive change, as well as enhance their corporate culture by ethical means.
Many authors in business industry have provided different definitions for business ethics. Moreover, definition varies for different people and different organizations. In general, Business ethics:--