Ethical and Socially Responsive Business Essay

Panera, a “fast casual” restaurant is built on the premise of creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for employees and customers alike. Employees abide by a code of conduct that spells out ethical rights and responsibilities on individual and corporate levels and encourages employees to ask questions in person or by way of a dedicated Ethics Hotline. They also have an anti-retaliation policy to protect anyone who reports a potential violation from mistreatment (Panera Bread

Once the policy has been executed and training has started, communicating aspects about the code of conduct can have a significant impact on the ethical culture. Many of these communications come through the human resources department, but the voice of the executive management team is critical in these communications.

We as business owners, management and or in a role of authority must set, address and comply with a solid foundation of ethics. “A code of conduct is the single most important element of your ethics and compliance program. It sets the tone and direction for the entire function. Often, the code is a standalone document, ideally only a few pages in length. It introduces the concept of ethics and compliance and provides an overview of what you mean when you talk about ethical business conduct.”

could offer a volunteer to pick up the day old product from the store and the store in turn could create an accountability system between the store and food bank. numerous. The opportunities with the partnership are

The ethical issues presented in this case are the different views that each individual has on how the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This dispute is between Mr. Milton Friedman, John Mackey, and T.J. Rodgers; all of which has a different outlook on CSR. The definition of CSR refers to the responsibilities that business has to the society in which it operates and to those actions that a business can be held accountable. Most philosophers have come up with three different types of responsibilities that corporations can be held accountable for. The first and most important of the three is a corporation’s duty to not cause harm. If a corporation can

Ethics and moral obligations are issues we all encounter at one time or another. In the professional setting, all people should act in a manner that would uphold the good of society. To be ethical, one has to determine their obligations, moral ideas, and moral philosophy (Boatright, p. 19, 2009). The case analysis involving Jacob Franklin was a perfect example of how an individual can face the dilemma of doing what is right or wrong. Businesses have their own code of ethics, and the employees within the business have to determine whether or not they will follow the company’s code of conduct. I will discuss several ethical issues in the case analysis including; failure to report information, remaining silent regarding faulty equipment,

Communication is the most important aspects to running a successful business. Inefficient communication can negatively impact the company in various ways. If there is harassment or our equal opportunity obligations are not being maintained, it can lead to hostility, distrust and loss of respect between staff members and it could potentially lead to emotionally distraught staff members, poor customer service and even a lawsuit. Also, The Cheesecake Factory requires all staff members to cooperate with investigations of possible violations. The Cheesecake Factory has developed an employee staff relations hotline to help prevent these potential outcomes and resolve any situations that do not coincide with The Cheesecake Factory’s code of ethics. The last key element to The Cheesecake Factory’s code of ethics is the supervisor’s roles and responsibilities. Supervisors are the personnel for ensuring the cooperation and enforcement of the Cheesecake Factories code of ethics. Supervisors are responsible for knowing the company’s policies and conducting themselves in a professional matter. Managers and supervisors are responsible for disciplining staff members in a private setting upon the breach of the policies and the code of ethics.

Chipotle, on the other hand, “seems to have created a sustainable branding strategy that leverages its good food, humorous ads, distinctive interior design, and in-store world music” (Wikinvest.com, 2010). The company is positioned to capitalize on their organic and farm raised food, and high quality ingredients. “According to the organic Trade Association (OTA), organic food sales are growing at a 20% clip annually in the US, although such food only accounts for 3% of all food and beverage sales” (Wikinvest.com, 2010). Chipotle is also positioned to tap multiple markets: baby boomers who can afford to dine out, Hispanics, two income families who do not have time to cook, and the socially conscious consumer.

A code of conduct and a statement of formal statements describe and explain what an organization expects from its employees and a code of ethics generally consists of statements that serve as principles and basis for rules of conduct. Leaders and managers must be role models for organizational success. If employees see leaders and management demonstrating the organizational values then it adds to the commitment and credibility of leadership and reinforces the importance of the organization’s values which leads to employees who are more engaged and committed to the organization. Also turnover among employees tends to be lower and productivity tends to be high. On the other hand, if leadership demonstrates behavior that is inconsistent with the code of conduct then a negative message is sent to the employees. Therefore, employees may disengage and compromise company standards as seen in the

Over the next 60 days, every person is expected to receive and complete training on the code of conduct, and components of the compliance and ethics program. Additional specialized training will be available for those with special functions. An ethics hotline is also available at 1-877-ETHICAL to anonymously report illegal activities or unethical conduct inconsistent with the standards of this program. A non-retaliation policy is being strictly enforced to allow anyone to share anonymous and confidential reporting. You are the backbone of the company and I am proud that we all will carry out ethical work practices that will further strengthen our commitment to these standards and enhance our rich

The Starbucks’ code of conduct clearly illustrate its missions and conduct. They use rhetoric in clear words choice to attract people’s attention. Starbucks especially emphasize its social responsibility to be good neighbors in the community. They have been participating in a lot of community involvement. Also, Starbucks focuses on the workplace environment, such as diversity. Starbucks has been doing very well on social responsibility in the workplace environment as they are committed to on the code of conduct; however, they have not been doing very well on environment protection and fair competition.

For the most part the topics discussed in their code of conduct are fairly standard of the codes of conduct I have seen in the past and the section titles do a fairly good job of summarizing their content on their own. In short, their code of conduct instructs there employees to follow the laws/rules, avoid conflict of interest, do not commit insider trading, do not use company assets or information for you own personal benefit, don’t compete with the company, do not except bribes or inappropriate gifts, perform your work in a fair and honest fashion, don’t discriminate or harass, work safe and report accidents/hazards, don’t use or be under the influence of drugs at work, keep accurate records, don’t violate confidentiality, don’t steal company property, be careful to no damage company property, report violations, a guideline for making ethical decisions, and technical details concerning waivers and guidelines specifically for the CEO and senior financial officers.

After all this is Chiquita has to move forward. Its current CEO Fernando Aguirre should acknowledge its wrongs but also reinforce its already established ethical code of conduct. This code should be one that top management upholds themselves. The top management set the example for all of its employees. It should uphold

As a 7-Eleven representative, it is your responsibility to read, understand, agree to and follow the 7-Eleven code of conduct in its entirety. If you are in doubt about any information contained in this code of conduct, it is also your responsibility to ask a senior staff member or a Human Resources Manager,

Codes of conduct are policies including rules such as maintaining honesty, attitude, and respect (Traveler, 2009) for co-workers, the organization and customers. Only by separation of personal ethical choices in the work place, will an organization succeed and flourish. It is never appropriate for any employee, management or otherwise, to conduct business for personal gain. The people who become harmed lose trust, confidence, and the expectation of themselves and of the people who chose to put their personal ethical choice before the needs of the customer and business.