The topic I choose was “Does business have any social responsibility (over and above turning a profit) and if it does what should such a responsibility amount to?”. I feel as though profits are a huge part of what a business should focus on, it should not be the only thing. I learned in one of my business classes that a corporation acts as a fictitious person. It bears the responsibility of any all decisions, good and bad. The benefit of a corporation versus sole proprietorship is that the business takes on the debt, not the sole proprietor. When the corporation goes belly up, the stockholders aren’t going belly up as well. So therefore, the corporation should be socially responsible, just as a person should be.
Corporate responsibility has been a hot topic issue this year partially due to the election. It is among the favorite topics of politicians and public interest groups. Congress often offers tax breaks to companies that incorporate social responsibility into their mission. Almost all colleges teach a class of some form of social responsibility in a corporate world.
In 1992, a formation of 51 companies created Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) (Business for Social Responsibility, n.d.). One company that has been with BSR from the beginning is Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Ben Cohen was featured in the inaugural event. Everyone knows that Ben & Jerry’s has been a leader in the social responsible corporation arena for a long time. They promote GMO
Lawrence, Anne (2010). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy. 13th Edition. McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2010. VitalBook file. Bookshelf.
To sum up Corporate Social Responsibility is an important element in our everyday life. These are the social, moral , and ethical consequences when we talk about decision making. It is an obligation which we face not only as a business entity, but also as individuals. I think that the movie Remember the Titans can be a great example to explain how Corporate Social Responsibility works, yet it can teach us healthy ethical practices, standards, and the most important
John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods once said "Business social responsibility should not be coerced; it is a voluntary decision that the entrepreneurial leadership of every company must make on its own." (Mackey, 2005) In today’s society it is increasingly common for businesses to actively identify and become directly involved in the country and the global social issues and needs. It is now common
Many believe that business entities should have an ethical duty to be socially responsible, to work towards increasing its positive effects on society while decreasing its negative effects. Many organizations look for opportunities to be socially responsible while also creating shareholder wealth.
We will begin this paper discussing whether or not Company Q’s actions have been socially responsible. In the scenario Company Q has chosen to throw out day old food instead of allowing it to be donated. The reason for their decision was to deter theft from the employees who may take the food instead of actually donating it. This in my opinion is socially irresponsible of Company Q. Company Q’s store has indeed faced some challenges, seeing as it is in a high crime area. More often than not high crime areas are also low income areas, a combination that surely both directly and indirectly effects the profits of the store. Profits are important as any business needs to be profitable obviously, but it should never be at the expense of people. People are one of the most vital parts of any business as you need them as consumers, and of course aid in running the business as employees.
Petrenko. A. Corporate social responsibility [Power Point Slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: https://moodle.yorku.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=39261
Company Q is a small local grocery store chain who has made poor decisions when it comes to social responsibility. Company Q’s business is suffering because the owners’ do not know the heart of running a business, Social responsibility. When opening a business it is not all about the money. Sure it is nice to think about growth and reaping the benefits of a bigger bank account, but the first thing that is important in business is the consumers. Who is buying what you are selling? What will make consumers buy more, comeback, or tell friends? Businesses flourish around consumers. So if it is money you are after, then consumers are who you need and want. So in business in order for Company Q to get what they want and need, they will need to give the consumer what they want and need, social responsibility. Give back, it has always been said “It is better to give than to receive.” After careful review of Company Q's business actions, this company lacks social responsibility in many areas.
An article on Forbes has mentioned that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not going to solve the world’s problems, but is a way for companies to benefit themselves while also benefiting the society . My argument would align with Freeman because of the sole fact that in today’s world, no business can run in isolation. It needs support from the community it is in, as much as the community receives support from the company.
Corporate Social Responsibility are actions taken by a corporation that have positive and lasting impact for all stakeholders associated with the organization, seeking to strike a balance between profits and helping to establish lasting investment in the community (Carrol, 2015). In the 1980’s, then President Reagan challenged the business community to take on more responsibility to address social problems (Carrol, 2015). Socially responsible actions can benefit local communities as well as the greater societal good.
In recent years with the economy becoming more and more global, climate change issues, Corporate
Ben Cohen,one of the builders of Ben & Jerry’s , proposes that it is unsubstantial for Ben & Jerry’s to merely do a business just like other companies, and it should make philanthropic contribution to society as well. This mind comes to be practical and when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Ben & Jerry’s become prominent example (Dennis et al, 1998).
Is the deception of consumers worth making a profit? The Ford Pinto, popular car of the 1970s, made a profit off of a vehicle that endangered the lives of hundreds of people. In his essay “Pinto Madness” Mark Dowie, author and Pulitzer Prize nominee, exposed the unethical decisions made by Ford Motor Company. When it came to their customer’s safety and profit for the company, Ford made a decision that led to consequences their customers had to pay the price for. Should the business be held accountable for these actions? In his essay “The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profit” Milton Friedman, powerful economist, discusses what a business should prioritize in the economic system. Friedman declares what a business is responsible for and the guidelines they must follow. Due to Friedman’s view, he would not have condoned the actions and decisions that the executives at Ford Motor Company took.
Corporate social responsibility has been one the key business buzz words of the 21st century. Consumers' discontent with the corporation has forced it to try and rectify its negative image by associating its name with good deeds. Social responsibility has become one of the corporation's most pressing issues, each company striving to outdo the next with its philanthropic image. People feel that the corporation has done great harm to both the environment and to society and that with all of its wealth and power, it should be leading the fight to save the Earth, to combat poverty and illness and etc. "Corporations are now expected to deliver the good, not just the goods; to pursue
Explain with examples what is meant by Corporate Social Responsibility and discuss why it is important to modern business
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