ETHICAL ISSUES
Ethics application is indeed a very vital input in all businesses. Organizations are increasingly getting inclined to the aspect of ethics and its relevant application. The factors and issues regarding ethics and its consequent application are numerous. This paper will only take some of the issues into analysis. The modern business milieus by organizations present a competitive aspect on issues regarding ethics and its consequent application.
Ethics and its application are important in the current business environment because of various factors. To a large extent, the application of ethics in organizations has become relevant as a key determinant of success. The main reason regarding this perception involves the fact that all organizations are indulging in its application. In this case, almost all businesses are largely applying ethics in their respective undertakings. Considering that the clients are direct beneficiary and consequently determinants of whether ethics has been properly applied. This therefore implies that sales and consequently revenues are directly related to ethical application. This is the sole reason as to why ethical application has become a vital determinant of business success.
Ethics has found its way in the organizational context. This is one trend that is ideally in place regarding ethics and its consequent application. Executives are therefore taking the issue into serious consideration as reflected in the organizational character depicted (Paine, 2003, pp. 15). Basically ethics has found its way in the organizational agenda. This is depicted in the numerous ethics related programs, mission-oriented strategies, value initiative, high level ethic committees, use of ethics ombudspersons, and code of ethics.
Social responsibility as an input of ethics is one aspect that is largely getting referenced by modern organizations. The old way of simply concentrating on making profit is not in use today. The new business model has a place for social responsibility. The social welfare of respectful citizens especially connected with the business is taken care of by the organizations as an ethical responsibility (Bonbright, 1997, pp. 33). The example of Ashoka can be given in this case. Ashoka which was founded by Bill Drayton is a private organization that operates in 46 countries. The non-governmental organization has assisted over 1400 social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur interested in activities of improving human rights, protecting the environment, poverty, and education is assisted as an ethical application of the organization (Bornstein, 2004, pp. 23).
Safety as an ethical application is currently being taken into serious consideration by respectful organizations. Organizations are increasingly taking the safety of clients into serious consideration. This is an improvement of the issue of only taking into consideration employee safety. A number of pharmaceutical organizations, including GlaxoSmithKline can be used as good examples in this case. GlaxoSmithKline has in the recent times had to withdraw drugs from the market after the respectful drugs were deemed as unsafe for public consumption.
Competition is an issue that was widely used as an avenue of avoiding proper ethical application by respectful organizations. Considering that profit realization was the sole reason of operation, proper ethics application in competitive strategies endorsed by given firms was not the case (Michalos, 1995, pp. 44). However, the modern business entity is largely paying attention to rival companies and in their respectful competitive strategies. All actions taken regarding competition are thus in line with moral thresholds as a basic requirement. Use of libel and name defamation as a means of propelling sales and an old marketing strategy is not being followed by current firms
Racial discrimination as an ethical issue regarding organizations has seen an increased improvement in the positive side. Organizations are largely taking into consideration the vital aspect of being non-prejudicial in terms of race. This is an improvement from the older firms in the United States. The example of the Coca-Cola Company can be given in the old times. A corporate hierarchy was created by the issue of racial discrimination in the company. It was estimated that African American workers were in the bottom of the pay scale. The average of $ 26000 less the amount of similar ranking white employees was given to the African workers (Jackall, 1988, pp. 123). The consequences of this action were severe in terms of production and health of the black employees. It is widely believed that cases of illness such as depression among the African American workers were resultant from this action (Donaldson and Gini, 1996, pp. 37). This case is not however much experienced in the modern case. It is actually associated with barbarism and backwardness. No company would want to be associated with this action.
Employees are increasingly taking into account issues related to not only ethics, but also individual rights in the modern business setting (Peterson & Ferrell, 2005, pp. 66). Therefore, employees are increasingly taking action against cases and instances of ethic misappropriation in the workplace. This is one of the positive sides of taking ethics education by the respectful employees. The case of Mitsubishi can be given. Around five years ago, the female workers of the company challenged the conduct of the respectful management regarding their treatment. In this case, the female workers indicated that the management was treating them differently because of their sex. This case and its consequent action bring out the vitality of ethics education. It also serves to bring out the fact that employees are increasingly taking action on ethics misappropriation regardless of the fact that it might be sourced by their respectful employer.
Ethics has a broad meaning and can therefore be explained in different perspectives depending on different scenarios (Bornstein, 2004, pp. 12). However, it is basically evident that its application is very vital in the organizational setting. Further, it is evident that ethics application and relation in the organizational context has evolved over the years to different forms. The bottom line however lies in the fact that its vitality in full application cannot be overlooked by respectful organizations.
Bribery as a vice and an ethical misconduct is also a current issue in ethics applications in the modern business environment. Bribe is largely getting accepted by business executives and owners of projects and contracts. The case of Toyota Company can be given as an example. Toyota was involved in an alleged defamation and withholding of safety rules information. Dmitrios Biller was in the centre of the bribery case with the company. Following this issue, Biller has been in and out of court with the company. This is just one case of bribery as a current and arising ethical issue in the business environment.
Taking care of the environment as a primary ethical duty in the current business environment is taking place. Businesses are now having the vital issue of environmental consideration in their operations. This is seen as not only a way of giving back to the society but also as a moral obligation. For instance, the Olympic Games are endeavoring to green their respective acts. Caution is being taken by the officials to see to it that every Olympic game becomes greener. This is being achieved with the help of the Natural Defense Council (NRDC). Different sporting entities are engaging into the same acts of greening their activities. The NBA also signed as a member of this initiative in 2010. This is one example of a current ethical program and arising issue regarding sporting agencies as businesses.
Bibliography
Bonbright, D. (1997). Leading public entrepreneurs. Arlington: Ashoka.
Bornstein, D. (2004). How to change the world: Social entrepreneurs and the power of new ideas. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Donaldson, T. and Gini, A. (1996). Case studies in business ethics. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall
Jackall, R. (1988). Moral mazes: The world of corporate managers. New York: Oxford University Press.
Michalos, A. C. (1995). A pragmatic approach to business ethics. Thousand Oaks: Sage
Paine, L. S. (2003). Value shift: Why companies must merge social and financial imperatives to achieve superior performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Peterson, R. A. and Ferrell, O. C. (Eds.). (2005). Business Ethics: New challenges for business schools and corporate leaders. Aromonk: M.E Sharpe.
