business ethics essay questions

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80 Outstanding Business Ethics Research Paper Topics

A business ethics research paper has to be engaging and a solution to a particular economic challenge. We have a compilation of the best business ethics topics to help you achieve this task. Read on.

Social Media Business Ethics Paper Topics

Writing a research paper for a high grade is not an easy task for every student. Check social media business ethics topics to get some inspiration.

Is monitoring employee’s online behavior by companies ethical?
Should a company fire an employee if they find their information on social media detrimental to its image?
What is the role of social media in achieving responsible business
The impact of CSR initiatives on Facebook and Twitter
How do new product introductions perform on social media?
How do enterprises manage negative responses on Facebook?
How to increase positive responses without eroding business ethics
Is the notion of ‘controversial fit’ on social media ethical?

Business Ethics Research Topics on Privacy

Installation of surveillance cameras to supervise employees
To what extent can bosses watch over the actions of their staff?
Is intercepting and reading E-mail messages in an office ethical?
What ethical problem does the merging of databases containing personal information pose?
The emergence of hackers and crackers and the threat to privacy
Software for decoding digital information
Who decides the personal or private information to gather?
Do businesses adhere to the confidentiality of information policy?

Health and Safety Business Ethics Paper Topics

How does organizational ethical climate affect personal safety ethics?
The conflict between personal safety ethics and professional safety ethics
Is the office ergonomics a pressing concern?
The role of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
Facility design consistent with health and safety regulations
Hazard identification and correction by companies
Who is responsible for shutting down dangerous activities
Provision of medical surveillance in workplaces

List of Business Ethics Topics on Environmental Damage

Are businesses using energy-efficient lighting?
Proper thermostat control of heating and cooling systems
Do companies have computer equipment operating efficiently?
Use of wind power and solar panels by industries
Reducing the business’s environmental impact and carbon footprint.
Replacing plastic packaging with biodegradable materials
Examining the effects of the business practices on other species
Dealing with activities that involve clearing land and destroying animals’ habitats

Ethical Research Paper Topics on Internal Relationships

Job satisfaction and dedication levels of employees
Impact of bullying and discrimination on workers
Productivity levels fall of employees when companies do not care about them
How to sustain a healthy atmosphere among employees
Unfair treatment due to race, religion or gender
How effective is the anti-discrimination law?
Bias among employees
Eliminating unethical behaviors within an organization

Ethics Research Paper Topics on Business Leadership

What is the mark of an ethical leader?
Objectivity and transparency as leadership traits
Leaders with strong, virtuous values those with weak values
Maintaining your temper as a leader
Dealing with anger in business as a leader
Can leadership prevail in the use of strength and violence?
How a leader’s moral stance determines his ethics
Are women better business leaders than men?

Interesting Business Ethics Topics on Social Responsibility

Making ethical decision making in big corporations.
Understanding the concept of corporate responsibility.
An inspiration for social responsibility in the workplace
Investing in corporate social responsibility
How CSR trends are evolving over time
Striking a balance between profit and social responsibility
Achieving competitive advantage and CSR
How learning can contribute to CSR

Business Ethics Paper Topic Idea in Sports

Encouraging character development through sports
How unethical behavior affects ones moral and ethical standards outside the pitch
Are sports competitions alienated from real life?
How games serve as a primary outlet of our ethics
Is faking a foul or injury ethical?
How athletes attempt to get a head start in a race
Using performance-enhancing drugs
Intimidating or taunting opponents

Advertising Ethical Issues Topics for Papers

Should children appear in adverts?
Is it right for half-naked ladies to appear in adverts?
Is exaggerating ads ethical?
Talking about the side effects of products in ads
Alcohol ads on TV
Cigarettes and tobacco
Fooling customers through practical things
Ethics of advertising a sanitary napkin

Bonus Ethics Paper Topics

The roots of business ethics in psychology.
The relationship between business success and personal integrity
The place of moral leadership in a company
How to make the right decisions every day at work
Implications of leadership malfunctions and ethical failures
How far can an ethical mishap take a company?
Who should be the moral police in a corporate organization?
What are the kinds of ethical dilemmas that people face at work every day?

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After going through the comprehensive list of topics concerning papers on business ethics, nothing can stop you now. All you need to do is to select one and get going. Nonetheless, if you still find it difficult, we have guru writing help on how to write business ethics research papers and much more! Give your assignment a professional feel by using our top-rated assistance now! The process is as easy as pie. Just c ontact us with a “ do my custom research paper now” request and get an A+. Why try to work on a paper and risk failing when an expert is only a click away!

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170+ fantastic business ethics research paper topics to try out.

Many students struggle to choose their business ethics research paper topics. That’s because this subject has controversial and fascinating issues. What’s more, this subject keeps widening because people engage in different businesses. And people can’t do business without ethics. Therefore, companies in various countries must adhere to an ethical code of conduct to ensure their credibility and reliability.

University professors and lecturers ask learners to write research papers to gauge their understanding of this subject. Students should select interesting and engaging topics for their essays to ensure that educators love their work and award them high grades. If struggling to decide what to write about, here’s a list of business ethics topics to consider.

Interesting Business Ethics Topics

These are interesting business ethics topics that learners can research and write about to earn superior grades. Nevertheless, students should prepare to research extensively and analyze information to develop quality papers.

Should a company be honest with its customers?
Should a corporation be responsible for environmental protection
Moral principles and decision making in business
Employee relationships as an ethical principle of an employer
Ethical issues that surround corporation governance
Social responsibility in business
How to think, act, and compete ethically in business
Business ethics and environmental policies
How to teach business ethics
Ethical conflicts- Ways to avoid arguments on cultural, religious, national, and political basis in business
Cross-cultural and ethical concerns in business
Business decision making- What are the ethical considerations?
Psychological perspectives in corporate ethics
Approaching business ethics from a psychological viewpoint
How to approach business ethics from a philosophical viewpoint
Business principles and ethical standards
How to adhere to ethical rules in business
Ethical codes for trade associations
Ethical ways to prevent sexual harassment in business
Ethical codes for multinational companies
Can an ethical mistake cause bankruptcy?
Ethical dilemmas facing business owners
Organizing the structures that control ethical issues in business
Ethical values that employers share with workers
Are personnel and manager ethics different?
Ethical values for industrial communities
Corporate responsibility as an ethical concept
How to balance pragmatics with ethics- Effective managerial methods
How criminal behaviors can limit large corporations
How necessary are ethical codes for a company?
Types of corporate and white-collar crimes
Who’s responsible for a company’s corporative ethics?
Approaching ethics from a pragmatic perspective
Ethical failures caused by leadership malfunctions
To work ethics can facilitate making the right decisions
Moral leadership role in business
Business success and personal integrity
Business ethics- What are their psychological roots?
How to avoid being a victim of unethical actions at the workplace
What causes unethical behavior in business?

Easy Business Ethics Paper Topics

Some college students need simple topics that they won’t struggle to research, write about, and impress their educators. Consequently, they prefer writing about simple but exciting business ethics topics. If that’s what you’re looking for, here are brilliant ideas to consider.

Most students can have a relatively easy time researching and writing about these business ethics paper topic ideas. Nevertheless, a learner should first examine any of these ideas to develop a paper that will earn them the top grade.

What measures should a business organization implement to prevent sexual harassment?
Can business ethics help in evaluating the capital amount that a company should spend on health benefits?
Is being absolutely transparent with a target market ethical for a company?
Is discouraging pregnancies among employees ethical for a company?
How to evaluate illegal practices like bribery, corruption, and nepotism during the tendering process
How illegal and unethical behavior affect a company and society
Ethical evaluation of favoritism in a family-owned business
How to examine ethics in business contracts
Exploring privacy violation and social media as an infringement of business ethics
Is authenticity a type of business ethics?
How the management can stop the perception of women as sex symbols at the workplace
A case study of business ethics- A brief review of privacy infringements and surveillance by Facebook
How child labor amounts to business ethics’ violation
Should a company that profits from others’ peril continue operating?- Investigating unhealthy products from alcohol and cigarette companies
Privacy violation by social media as a business ethics’ breach
Misinformation to shareholders and the board- Investigating negligence as an unethical practice in business.
Ethics behind hazardous working conditions
Subway business model and ethics
How to promote a company’s ethical practices
Should businesses be held accountable for claims and promises they make regarding their service or product purposes?
Ethics behind the sale of a product before through testing and approval
How to address the ethical problem of a country that leads in production and manufacturing by has poor working conditions, low wages, and remuneration schemes
Ethical ways to achieve corporate social responsibility
Ethics governing different marketing techniques
Why do companies misinform their target customers about services and goods?
Is marking fast foods as healthy yet they increase the risk of diseases like diabetes ethical?
Examining the code of ethics in different economic sectors
Is refusing a female football coach in a male team ethical?
Is having an unsafe working environment unethical?
Is it ethical for a company to monitor the online behavior of its employees?

Business Ethics Research Paper Topics about Social Media

It’s almost impossible for a company to ignore social media and succeed in the current digital era. Consequently, ethical conduct by businesses on different social media platforms is a prominent research area. Here are some of the best topics in this category.

These are brilliant topics for an essay or research paper. Learners should research any of these ideas extensively and take time to write top-notch pieces.

Should a corporate organization fire a worker with social media details that could hurt its image?
How corporate social responsibility initiatives on social media affect a business
How enterprises manage negative social media responses
Is controversial fit notion on social media ethical?
The performance of product introductions on social media
How social media can help in the achievement of responsible business
Can social media cause a confidentiality breach in a company?
Improper business activities and practices in social media
How blogs have toned down most business ethics
Ethical ways employees can use social media for non-company and personal purposes
Ethical ways a business can use social media to answer customer questions
Health company policies for guiding employees’ conduct on social media
How a business can ethically post on social media
Practical tips for using social media for corporate social responsibility
How companies can manage brands and trust in social media
Should a business turn off social media comments?
Proper ethical conduct on social media
How to apply Kantian Ethics when using social media for business purposes
How employees can use social media ethically to achieve a company’s objectives
How to enhance ethics when using social media for business

Business Ethics Essay Topics for College Students

Perhaps, you want to write an essay on an ethics topic in business. In that case, consider these ideas for your paper.

How fair play can improve a company’s bottom line
Corporate responsibility- What are the ethical underpinnings?
Is ethics a required course in business?
Ethical practices for modern businesses
What causes unethical behavior by companies
Is personal integrity a moral and a function for corporate success?
Ethical decision-making rules in a corporate environment
What are the qualities of an ethical business leader?
Transparency and objectivity as business leadership traits
How ethical leaders maintain their temper
How ethical business leaders deal with anger
Is using violence and strength a trait of ethical leaders?
What is the role of corporate culture in business ethics?
Methods of incorporating ethics in a company’s corporate culture
How the management affects an organizational culture
Factors determining people’s behavior in a corporate environment
How to conduct a cultural audit in a company
Lessons from organizational crises and corporate scandals
Business ethics in mergers’ management
How organizational culture can enhance a company’s performance
How encoding business values can prevent destructive technologies
Building a robust foundation for a company’s data to improve security
Stakeholder privacy in information dissemination
How to cultivate trust when dealing with dangerous technologies
How to demonstrate transparency when using business technology
How ethical is data surveillance?
How to deploy technology’s power of all
How to advise employees about the ethical use of technology
How unethical use of technology can affect a business
How to train technologists about ethical ways of eliminating product bias

This category also has hot topics in business ethics that educators and the audience will find interesting to read. Nevertheless, extensive research is necessary to come up with a brilliant essay on any of these ideas.

Dissertation Topics in Business Ethics

Perhaps, you’re pursuing an MBA or Ph.D., and you need a topic for your dissertation. In that case, this section has some of the best business ethics topics for presentation to your dissertation committee. Consider the following ideas for your paper.

These are ethics topics in business that most experts will find interesting. Yet, hese ideas still require extensive research to develop comprehensive papers.

Business ethics in the publishing industry- Authorship collaboration and sponsorship
How higher education institutions can teach business ethics- Comparing developing and developed countries
How to define the aesthetics concept in business ethics
Challenges facing ethical practices in the tourism sector
Ethics in practice and theory- What is the difference?
Business research ethics- An evaluation of incentives and more profound objectives in business
Analyzing ethical decision-making when doing business online
Historical countdown of ethical decision-making in business
Exploration of ethic code in a company via the management perspective
How to use the code of ethics to win trust among the employees
Business ethics within the share market
Motivations for business decisions by citizens- An ethical perspective
Corporate egoism, bribery, and exploitation- What are the links?
Business ethics practice and perceptions by students doing business while pursuing higher education
Business contracts and corruption among the international society
Investigating gift-giving, pharmaceutical representatives, and business ethics
Analyzing the relationship between business organizations and civil society via an ethical perspective
How corporate ethic code influences the employees’ sales behavior
How to integrate business ethics in corporate social responsibility
A critical analysis of a company’s management ethics

Business Ethics Debate Topics

Debates around business ethics aim to argue a position’s merit, differences between right and wrong, and common ethical boundaries. Here are controversial business ethics topics to consider for your project.

Should companies ban workplace relationships?
A comparison of genetically modified seeds versus pesticide use on seeds
Should clearance pricing have controls?
Is monopolizing all industry aspects ethical for a company?
How antibacterial soap affects people
Should countries that have legalized marijuana allow businesses to advertise it?
How ethical and relevant is performance review in a company?
Should companies compensate customers for delayed deliveries?
How over criminalizing a company affects society
The effectiveness of shareholder model in public company’s management
Is native advertising ethical and appropriate?
How large companies use their monopoly to influence consumers
Are white-collar criminals corporate psychopaths?
Should pharmaceutical companies sell their drugs at high prices?
Is tracking customers’ phones an ethical practice for banks to reduce fraud?
Is seeking opportunities that conflict with a government job ethical misconduct?
Using predictive analytics in siphoning worker’s email for risk- Is it ethical?
Why is reducing tax payment through inversion unethical?
Is colonizing another planet ethical from a business perspective?
Companies should give women more time to nurse their newborn babies
Should companies buy products from a business that doesn’t practice business ethics?
Should public institutions like schools hire the services of private companies?
Should amusement parks have unique safety regulations, depending on their locations?
Should business leaders and CEOs earn higher salaries than the other employees?
Should a small business have similar recall rules with global corporations?
Should US companies depend on the federal government’s bailout during financial trouble?
Should businesses use healthcare programs to pay for employees’ yoga studios, health clubs, and fitness needs?
Should companies share cancer research data with the general public?
Should firms that manufacture dangerous or addictive products contribute resources to the research for their use?
Why using workplace surveillance systems on employees is unethical
Why internet censorship is unethical and ridiculous
Businesses should ethically pay employees the minimum wage that the federal government mandates them
Companies should pay equal wages to all employees regardless of their gender or sex identity
Companies should prevent sexual harassment
Businesses should be responsible for preventing workplace discrimination
Companies should educate employees about ethical issues regarding their social media usage
Every company should be responsible for the safety and health of employees at the workplace
Every business should be held accountable for ethical issues surrounding its environmental responsibility

These are exciting topics about business ethics that learners can work on when writing academic papers and essays. However, learners can use a professional research paper writing service if unable to write academic papers . Several online companies offer custom writing help to learners at different study levels. Nevertheless, choose a company with ENL expert writers to get fast, cheap, and reliable assistance. That way, you’ll end up with a paper that will impress the professor to award you the top grade in your class.

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What Are Business Ethics & Why Are They Important?

Business professional pressing a graphic that reads "Business Ethics" and is surrounded by icons

27 Jul 2023

From artificial intelligence to facial recognition technology, organizations face an increasing number of ethical dilemmas. While innovation can aid business growth, it can also create opportunities for potential abuse.

“The long-term impacts of a new technology—both positive and negative—may not become apparent until years after it’s introduced,” says Harvard Business School Professor Nien-hê Hsieh in the online course Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “For example, the impact of social media on children and teenagers didn’t become evident until we watched it play out over time.”

If you’re a current or prospective leader concerned about navigating difficult situations, here's an overview of business ethics, why they're important, and how to ensure ethical behavior in your organization.

Access your free e-book today.

What Are Business Ethics?

Business ethics are principles that guide decision-making . As a leader, you’ll face many challenges in the workplace because of different interpretations of what's ethical. Situations often require navigating the “gray area,” where it’s unclear what’s right and wrong.

When making decisions, your experiences, opinions, and perspectives can influence what you believe to be ethical, making it vital to:

Be transparent.
Invite feedback.
Consider impacts on employees, stakeholders, and society.
Reflect on past experiences to learn what you could have done better.

“The way to think about ethics, in my view, is: What are the externalities that your business creates, both positive and negative?” says Harvard Business School Professor Vikram Gandhi in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “And, therefore, how do you actually increase the positive element of externalities? And how do you decrease the negative?”

Related: Why Managers Should Involve Their Team in the Decision-Making Process

Ethical Responsibilities to Society

Promoting ethical conduct can benefit both your company and society long term.

“I'm a strong believer that a long-term focus is what creates long-term value,” Gandhi says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “So you should get shareholders in your company that have that same perspective.”

Prioritizing the triple bottom line is an effective way for your business to fulfill its environmental responsibilities and create long-term value. It focuses on three factors:

Profit: The financial return your company generates for shareholders
People: How your company affects customers, employees, and stakeholders
Planet: Your company’s impact on the planet and environment

Check out the video below to learn more about the triple bottom line, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!

Ethical and corporate social responsibility (CSR) considerations can go a long way toward creating value, especially since an increasing number of customers, employees, and investors expect organizations to prioritize CSR. According to the Conscious Consumer Spending Index , 67 percent of customers prefer buying from socially responsible companies.

To prevent costly employee turnover and satisfy customers, strive to fulfill your ethical responsibilities to society.

Ethical Responsibilities to Customers

As a leader, you must ensure you don’t mislead your customers. Doing so can backfire, negatively impacting your organization’s credibility and profits.

Actions to avoid include:

Greenwashing : Taking advantage of customers’ CSR preferences by claiming your business practices are sustainable when they aren't.
False advertising : Making unverified or untrue claims in advertisements or promotional material.
Making false promises : Lying to make a sale.

These unethical practices can result in multi-million dollar lawsuits, as well as highly dissatisfied customers.

Ethical Responsibilities to Employees

You also have ethical responsibilities to your employees—from the beginning to the end of their employment.

One area of business ethics that receives a lot of attention is employee termination. According to Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability , letting an employee go requires an individualized approach that ensures fairness.

Not only can wrongful termination cost your company upwards of $100,000 in legal expenses , it can also negatively impact other employees’ morale and how they perceive your leadership.

Ethical business practices have additional benefits, such as attracting and retaining talented employees willing to take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company. Approximately 40 percent of millennials say they would switch jobs to work for a company that emphasizes sustainability.

Ultimately, it's critical to do your best to treat employees fairly.

“Fairness is not only an ethical response to power asymmetries in the work environment,” Hsieh says in the course. “Fairness—and having a successful organizational culture–can benefit the organization economically and legally.”

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability | Develop a toolkit for making tough leadership decisions| Learn More

Why Are Business Ethics Important?

Failure to understand and apply business ethics can result in moral disengagement .

“Moral disengagement refers to ways in which we convince ourselves that what we’re doing is not wrong,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “It can upset the balance of judgment—causing us to prioritize our personal commitments over shared beliefs, rules, and principles—or it can skew our logic to make unethical behaviors appear less harmful or not wrong.”

Moral disengagement can also lead to questionable decisions, such as insider trading .

“In the U.S., insider trading is defined in common, federal, and state laws regulating the opportunity for insiders to benefit from material, non-public information, or MNPI,” Hsieh explains.

This type of unethical behavior can carry severe legal consequences and negatively impact your company's bottom line.

“If you create a certain amount of harm to a society, your customers, or employees over a period of time, that’s going to have a negative impact on your economic value,” Gandhi says in the course.

This is reflected in over half of the top 10 largest bankruptcies between 1980 and 2013 that resulted from unethical behavior. As a business leader, strive to make ethical decisions and fulfill your responsibilities to stakeholders.

How to Implement Business Ethics

To become a more ethical leader, it's crucial to have a balanced, long-term focus.

“It's very important to balance the fact that, even if you're focused on the long term, you have to perform in the short term as well and have a very clear, articulated strategy around that,” Gandhi says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability .

Making ethical decisions requires reflective leadership.

“Reflecting on complex, gray-area decisions is a key part of what it means to be human, as well as an effective leader,” Hsieh says. “You have agency. You must choose how to act. And with that agency comes responsibility.”

Related: Why Are Ethics Important in Engineering?

Hsieh advises asking the following questions:

Are you using the “greater good” to justify unethical behavior?
Are you downplaying your actions to feel better?

“Asking these and similar questions at regular intervals can help you notice when you or others may be approaching the line between making a tough but ethical call and justifying problematic actions,” Hsieh says.

How to Become a More Effective Leader | Access Your Free E-Book | Download Now

Become a More Ethical Leader

Learning from past successes and mistakes can enable you to improve your ethical decision-making.

“As a leader, when trying to determine what to do, it can be helpful to start by simply asking in any given situation, ‘What can we do?’ and ‘What would be wrong to do?’” Hsieh says.

Many times, the answers come from experience.

Gain insights from others’ ethical decisions, too. One way to do so is by taking an online course, such as Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability , which includes case studies that immerse you in real-world business situations, as well as a reflective leadership model to inform your decision-making.

Ready to become a better leader? Enroll in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability —one of our online leadership and management courses —and download our free e-book on how to be a more effective leader.

About the Author

Business Ethics Journal Review

Edited by alexei marcoux & chris macdonald — issn 2326-7526.

About BEJR — Now 10 years in!
Books Received
Instructions for Authors
Past Issues
The Editors

Student’s Guide to Writing Critical Essays in Business Ethics (and beyond)

Here is some advice for writing critical essays, in business ethics but also in other fields. There is of course much more to say on the topic, but this is a start.

Writing your own critical essay:

What kinds of criticisms should you offer in your essay? There are a nearly infinite number of errors or problems that you might spot in an essay or book that you want to critique. Here are a few common ones to look for, to get you started:

Point out one or more logical fallacies. Did the author present a false dilemma , for example? Or an argument from ignorance ? Has the author presented a false analogy or a hasty generalization ?
Critique the scope of the author’s claim. For example, does the author claim that his or her conclusion applies to all cases, rather than just to the small number of cases he or she has actually argued for?
Point out unjustified assumptions. Has the author made questionable assumptions about some matter of fact, without providing evidence? Alternatively, has the author assumed that readers share some questionable ethical starting point, perhaps a belief in a particular debatable principle?
Point out internal contradictions. Does the author say two things that, perhaps subtly, contradict each other?
Point out undesirable implications / consequences. Does the author’s position imply, perhaps accidentally, some further conclusion that the author (or audience) is unlikely to want to accept, upon reflection?

In general, a good critical essay should:

Describe and explain in neutral terms the article or book being critiqued. Before you start offering criticism, you should demonstrate that you understand the point of view you are critiquing.
Be modest. Your goal should be to offer some insight, rather than to win a debate. Rather than to “show that Smith is wrong” or “prove that Sen’s view is incorrect,” you should set your aims on some more reasonable goal, such as “casting doubt” on the view you are critiquing, or “suggesting reason why so-and-so should modify her view.”
Be fair. Sometimes this is referred to as the “principle of charity.” It has nothing to do with donating money. Rather, it is about giving the other side what you owe them, namely a fair reading. Your goal is not to make the author whose work you are criticizing sound dumb. Rather, the goal is to make her sound smart, but then to make yourself sound smart, too, but showing how her view could be improved.
Be well structured . Professors love structure. Remember: a critical essay is not just a bunch of ideas; it is an orderly attempt to convince someone (in most cases, your professor) of a particular point of view. Your ideas will only have real punch if you put them in a suitable structure. That’s not all that hard. For example, make sure your opening paragraph acts as a roadmap for what follows — telling the reader where you’re going and how you propose to get there. Make sure each paragraph in the body of your essay has a main point (a point connected to the goal of your essay!) and that its point is clearly explained.
Stick to two or maybe three main arguments . “The three main problems with Jones’s argument are x, y, and z.”
Be clear. That means not just that your essay should be clearly structured, but also that each sentence should be clear. Proof-reading is important: get someone with good writing skills to proof-read your essay for you. If you can’t do that before your deadline, you can proof-read your essay yourself by reading it out loud. We’re serious. It is much easier to spot errors in your own writing if you read out loud.

A few more tips:

Cite your sources carefully. Use whichever citation method your professor says to use. If in doubt, use one of the established methods (such as APA or Chicago ). But whatever you do, make sure to give credit to the people whose ideas you use, if you want to avoid being charged with plagiarism.
Use what you’ve learned in class. Your professor would love nothing more than to know that you’ve been paying attention. So try to make use of some of the concepts discussed in class, or in your course textbook.
Don’t try to sound like an author. Just say what you want to say. Trying to sound like an author just leads people to use big words they don’t understand and to write complex sentences that overshoot their grammatical skills. Just write it more or less the way you would say it out loud, in short, clear sentences.
Follow instructions. Failing to follow instructions is easily the most common way students screw up when writing critical essays. Read the assignment instructions through carefully — twice! — and then if anything is unclear, ask your professor for clarification.

Looking for essay topics? Check out Business Ethics Highlights .

See also: The Concise Encyclopedia of Business Ethics

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A Level Philosophy & Religious Studies

Business Ethics

Introduction.

This topic is about the relationship between capitalism and ethics. It is about whether businesses should be required to follow ethical principles in their dealings, or whether ethics even has or should have any relevance to business at all.

The idea that good ethics is good business is the view that good business decisions are good ethical decisions.

Proponents of CSR argue that good ethics is good business, because it’s profitable to have a good public image and avoid government regulation.

Utilitarians and Kantians believe there should be some restrictions on business. Not all good business decisions which maximise profit will be ethically good. Not if they go against the general happiness or violate duty.

Libertarians economists like Milton Friedman think business and ethics have nothing to do with each other. Businesses only responsibility is to maximise profit which is ethically good because it is the result of freedom and enables economic growth.

This topic includes three sub-issues:

Corporate social responsibility: the idea that a business has responsibility to the environment and its community.
Globalisation: the issue that businesses are now global entities, giving them tremendous power.
Whistleblowing: the ethics around going public to reveal secret unethical business practices.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

CSR is the theory that a business has ethical responsibilities to towards the environment and the communities it is part of or affects. There are two main types of CSR.

Environmental CSR. The responsibility a business has towards the environment.

Reducing negative impact on the environment such as pollution and non-recycled products.
Increasing the reliance on ‘green’ renewable and sustainable energy and products.
Offsetting negative impact done to the environment for example by donating to pro-environment groups that will make conservation efforts. E.g. a business aiming to be ‘carbon neutral’ might release some carbon dioxide through industry but donate for trees to be planted that might absorb the same amount of carbon their industry released.

Community CSR. The responsibility a business has to its social community, respecting human rights and avoid exploitation.

Respecting human rights and avoiding exploitation.
Avoiding being supplied by any business which involves exploitation, sweatshops or child labour.
Responsible treatment of employees e.g. minimum wage, health and safety provisions.
Philanthropy. Donating money to charitable causes.

A more contemporary version of CSR is ESG, Environmental, social and governance. The ‘governance’ term adds the requirement of avoiding political corruption such as bribery.

CSR and ESG is often promoted as a way of linking good business and good ethics. If a business is discovered to have illegal environmental harm human rights violations in its supply chain then that can cause governments to step in and regulate it. That can be very bad for profit. Committing to CSR/ESG can allow a business to maximise its profits by minimising those risks and thus do well by doing good.

It is also an opportunity for improved public relations (PR). The company appears better in the eyes of the public for the good that it does. It can essentially be used as a selling point for advertising, which can also increase profits.

Utilitarianism on CSR

Free market capitalism is the idea that the only responsibility of a business is to maximise profit for its shareholders. Bentham and Mill think that the free market is generally the best way to maximise happiness. They would likely accept environmental CSR because of how damaging climate change can be to happiness. However, regarding community CSR, they would probably reject philanthropy as a responsibility of business. Bentham did favour some regulations for employees like minimum wage. Ultimately, Mill and Bentham think the free market generally works for producing human flourishing and happiness. They would generally be against restrictions and responsibilities laid on business which would interfere with that.

Kantian ethics on CSR

The second formulation would require that market interactions do not involve the treatment of people as mere means. Labour should not be treated merely as a commodity. A basic level of respect must be given to employees and all stakeholders.

Avoiding exploitation (community CSR). This includes paying workers enough, perhaps a minimum or even living wage.
Providing a safe work environment (community CSR).
Avoiding fraud or deceptive advertising (community CSR).
Avoiding polluting the environment or having a net negative impact on the environment (environmental CSR).

Examples of CSR and critique of CSR as hypocritical window-dressing

Innocent smoothie advertises on every bottle that they give 10% of all their profits to charity. Pret-a-manger gave away their left over food away to charities at the end of the day. On the label of each sandwich they sell, they advertised this fact and stated ‘it’s the right thing to do’.

CSR is typically a centrist or centre-left position. Those further left often regard CSR as hypocritical window dressing, meaning making something appear good while overall it is bad. A business which engages in CSR for public relations purposes might be doing so to distract from their unethical practices.

This can apply to capitalism in general, because by encouraging a slightly healthier version of capitalism, people might feel less motivation to address the problems of capitalism or they might even be deceived that capitalism is not the cause of the problems to begin with.

Anand Giridharadas summed up this self-serving hypocrisy well in this article title: “Jeff Bezos wants to start a school for kids whose families are underpaid by people like Jeff Bezos.” The subtitle was “A free crash course in why generosity is no substitute for justice”.

Anand’s point is that businesses like Amazon, who don’t pay taxes and bust unions, are the actual cause of the problem that they then give a tiny amount of their profits to ‘address’. Corporate social responsibility is a sham. It’s not businesses giving away their profits for the good of society, it is a cold calculation that it would be more profitable for them to give away a fraction of their profits in order to give a good impression of themselves to the public, purely in order to avoid the greater loss to their profits if the public became more focused on their inequality, tax avoidance and union busting. That ‘class consciousness’ might cause the public to vote for more left-wing political parties which would institute policies that would cause businesses to give far more than they do for corporate social responsibility.

“We don’t need you to do more good. We need you to do less harm.”

It’s not simply gaining PR, it is an attempt to disguise the fact that businesses are part of the cause of economic problems like inequality, by giving the impression that businesses can be part of the solution. The amount ‘given back’ through CSR is nothing compared to the profits gained through avoiding taxes and busting unions.

This hypocritical window-dressing can also simply done for public relations (PR) purposes, to make the business look good, regardless of whether the overall impact of the business is negative.

For example, Tim Cook the CEO of Apple made a speech where he talked about how his platform would be against white supremacy, yet Apple continues to exploit people in third world countries.

This brings into question whether CSR even has a good ethical outcome. However even in cases where it does, some would be sceptical and suggest these businesses only do this so they can advertise themselves attractively to customers. The question is whether those intentions matter ethically.

Globalisation

Globalisation is the phenomenon where businesses are now global entities spanning multiple countries and continents and its impact on stakeholders. Globally, economies, industries, markets, cultures and policymaking are integrated (connected).

The problem with globalisation is that it can cause the violation of corporate social responsibilities and even undermine the free market itself.

Becoming global entities has given businesses an unprecedented level of money, and money is power. A business will do whatever it can to increase profit. If its new levels of power allow it to pressure peoples, cultures and governments, then it will do that. Businesses may be less likely to violate CSR in western countries, but globalisation certainly allows them to violate CSR in developing countries instead.

Offshore outsourcing – where businesses build products in factories in third world countries. This moves jobs from western countries to those countries which has made many industry workers unemployed.

The issue of monopolies. If a business gains enough power over a market, they can essentially fix or rig the system, altering the way the market functions, to reduce or eliminate competition and ultimately benefit themselves. This is called a monopoly, when a business has such dominance or power over a market that the market ceases to have competition. Without competition, a market no longer creates innovation and economic progress.

Even Freidman accepted that “It’s always been true that a business is not a friend of a free market”.

Corporations, power, globalisation and monopolies. Since money = power, and some businesses can be so large thanks to globalisation, perhaps they are becoming more powerful than governments, which could be problematic since they aren’t accountable to anyone as they aren’t democratically elected. This gives corporations the power to affect laws by financing the election campaigns of politicians. They can also make offers or threats to a government or state to change regulations and laws in ways that would favour their business. Example of amazon and new York.

This allows businesses to manipulate a market for its own benefit, turning it into a monopoly. Adam Smith may have been right that free market competition is generally good for the progress and prosperity of society. However, a particular corporation would rather not have to compete and if it can use its massive profits to simply buy other companies or affect laws that would give it an unfair advantage, then it will do so. E.g. Facebook acquiring Instagram. Amazon copying products that do well. Uber temporarily lowering its prices, running at a loss in cities it wants to expand into, in order to put other cab companies out of business at which point it can increase its prices and not face competition.

Utilitarianism on globalisation

Utilitarianism would be against the aspects of globalisation which undermine free markets, such as the power it has given business over policy making.

However, Utilitarianins might accept off-shore outsourcing so long as happiness is maximised.

Kant on globalisation

Globalisation seems problematic for Kant in that it can cause all of the corporate social responsibilities to be violated.

Whistleblowing

Whistleblowing is when someone, usually an employee, leaks information about the wrongdoings of a company. This could be bad business practices regarding employees, customers, society or the environment.

Facebook case study. Frances Haugen worked for Facebook (which owns Instagram) and leaked internal documents which came to be known as ‘The Facebook Files’. One quote from the files in the leak acknowledged that “we make body issues worse for one in three teenage girls”. The leak also shows that the Facebook algorithm promoted posts that caused anger or outrage.

The upside to whistleblowing is that the negative business practice is brought to light which gives it a better chance of being brought to an end.

The downside is that the company might suffer financial losses or even go bankrupt, causing some of or all of its staff to lose their job. In cases where the company was doing good, that could also be stopped.

Utilitarianism on Whistleblowing

Act utilitarianism holds that whistleblowing is morally right depending on the situation. If whistleblowing causes more happiness than not whistleblowing, then it is morally good; if it causes less happiness then it is morally wrong. For example, if the business is causing a lot of happiness, then whistleblowing about some suffering it is causing, e.g. through exploitation, might be wrong.

Kant on Whistleblowing

Kant thinks lying cannot be universalised and is therefore always wrong. So, he would certainly also be against lying to cover up negative business practises, even if that truth being brought to light resulted in the failure of the businesses and employees who may have done nothing wrong nonetheless losing their jobs. It is your duty never to lie.

Kant would also regard the treatment of people as mere means to be wrong due to the second formulation of the categorical imperative. Most if not all cases of whistleblowing seem to involve exploitative or deceptive business practices that treat people as a mere means. This would be another reason that Kant would be in favour of whistleblowing.

Sweatshops are an issue which is relevant to CSR, globalisation and whistleblowing.

A sweatshop is a shop or factory which employs workers, sometimes children, for very low pay, long hours in unsafe conditions. They are seen as a classic case of exploitation . This is because they exploit the lack of choice and opportunity many people have, giving them little choice but to accept terrible working conditions.

Sweatshops & CSR. It is typically considered the responsibility of a business to ensure that none of the products or services in its supply chain are sourced from or make use of sweatshops (community CSR).

Sweatshops & whistleblowing. If a company is discovered to source products from sweatshops without that being public information, it might be thought to be a valid reason to whistle blow.

Sweatshops & globalisation. Sweatshops are often a result of offshore outsourcing which is a consequence of globalisation.

The Utilitarian defence of sweatshops as having good consequences. William MacAskill argues that although sweatshops are ‘horrific’, thinking that boycotting western companies which sell products produced in sweatshops will help the workers there assumes that they have a better opportunity to make a living elsewhere, but “sadly that’s just not the case”. If you boycott sweatshop produced goods “all you are doing is taking away the best working opportunity that these people in very poor countries have”.

The argument is that many people in third world countries are in danger of starvation. If a sweatshop opens then they will at least earn some money. Even though the working conditions are terrible and dangerous, it is still better than nothing. It is a step up on the economic ladder.

If we demanded that businesses sacrifice profit to treat their sweatshop employees non-exploitatively, then businesses will lose their profit incentive to open a sweatshop and will simply stop opening them in third world countries. Then, people in the third world will lose a potential step up the economic ladder. The only reason a business opens a sweatshop in a third world country is because it is cheaper than opening a properly regulated factory in a developed country. In many cases a Utilitarian would therefore be in favour of globalisation, against CSR and against whistleblowing.

Primark case study. Primark were found to be supplied by exploitative factories in the third world that used child labour and paying people very little for extremely long hours. In response to this, Primark cut ties with those suppliers.

In some cases, sweatshops provided a better quality of life to its workers than they previously had and made those in developed countries happy at having products for a lower price. In those cases , a Utilitarian would therefore be in favour of this effect of globalisation, against CSR and against whistleblowing.

Critical comparison of Utilitarianism with Kant: Utilitarianism justifies bad actions (e.g. exploitation). Utilitarianism is incompatible with the basis for human rights which are deontological. This is because a ‘right’ is something which must be respected regardless of the consequences.

The idea of human rights was strongly influenced by Kant’s formula of humanity. Kantian ethics would be against sweatshops regardless of their positive consequences, because they treat workers as a mere means.

Mill’s harm principle seems to solve this problem because it suggests that society will be happiest if the rule of not harming others is followed. The question then is whether exploitation counts as harm. So long as the workers are free to leave any time, technically they accept the risk of harm in the sweatshop because their risk of harm from starvation without the sweatshop is greater. Arguably sweatshops, except in particular circumstances, do not count as harm, therefore. So, sweatshops are permissible

Perhaps it’s not permissible for children to work in them though. The Bangladesh factory case study might be something Mill would prohibit too, since it threatened to withhold pay if people didn’t work, which is borderline forced-labour.

A factory in Bangladesh evacuated because of health and safety concerns, however it then said it would not pay its employees for a month if they didn’t return the next day. So the employees returned, and the next day the factory collapsed on them killing over a thousand of them.

This seems like a better approach than Kant, who famously said he would not value consequences even when life was at stake – claiming that lying even to save a life is wrong. Similarly, Kant would not allow exploitation even if it is generally life-saving when compared to not allowing the exploitation (since without sweatshops there would be more starvation than there would be work-related deaths with sweatshops).

The issue of calculation: Util vs Kant

Utilitarianism faces the issue of calculation, but Kant does not.

Utilitarianism seems to require:

That we know can the future consequences of all the possible actions we could take
That we can make incredibly complex calculations about the range of possible actions, sometimes under time-constraints.
That these calculations include the objective measuring of subjective mental states like pleasure and pain.

All three of these conditions are plagued with difficulty, and yet each seems absolutely necessary if we are act on the principle of utility.

Application of this issue to Business ethics:

CSR: The effects of CSR are difficult to predict, both in terms of how much they might negatively cost a business and how much it might positively affect society or the environment.

Globalisation: the effects of globalisation are very difficult to predict. It’s hard to say how much poverty it might prevent through off-shore outsourcing, or conversely how much it might corrupt markets due to creating monopolies and buying off politicians.

Whistleblowing: It’s possible that whistleblowing might cause a company to go bankrupt, causing unhappiness for its employees, or the business might not. It’s very hard to predict that, but then it’s very hard to know whether whistleblowing would maximise happiness.

Critical comparison with Kant: Kant does not have this issue. In fact, Kant makes this criticism himself when defending himself against the murderer at the door scenario, claiming that we cannot predict or control consequences and therefore cannot be responsible for them. All we are morally responsible for is doing our duty, therefore.

Arguably Kant’s blanket ban on all actions which treat people as a mere means is the better approach than Utilitarianism’s seemingly futile suggestion that we try and calculate which cases will have good or bad consequences.

Bentham’s response to issues with calculation. Bentham claims that an action is right regarding “the tendency which it appears to have” to maximise happiness. So, we actually only need to have a reasonable expectation of what the consequences will be based on how similar actions have tended to turn out in the past.

Mill’s response to issues with calculation. Mill’s version of Utilitarianism seems to avoid these issues regarding calculation. We do not need to know the future, nor make incredibly complex calculations, nor measure subjective feelings. We only need to know the secondary principles that our civilisation has, through its collective efforts and experience, judged to be those best conducive to happiness. We then need to simply follow those principles as best we can. For Mill, the moral rightness of an action depends on maximise happiness, but because of the immense complexity of that, our only moral obligation is to just do our best to follow the principles geared towards producing happiness of our society, which are themselves only the best current principle that our current stage of civilisation and culture has managed to develop.

In cases of a conflict of rules, Mill adopts the same approach as Bentham and says we must judge the individual action by the principle of utility, though Mill adds that we should consider the quality not only quantity of the pleasure it could produce. He agrees with Bentham’s point that when judging individual actions, we can base our calculations on what we know of the ‘tendencies’ actions have. We do not need to exactly predict their consequences.

The issue of the value of consequences: Util vs Kant

Kant and the issue of failing to appreciate the value of consequences. Kant faces this issue, but Utilitarianism does not. Sometimes actions have very good or bad consequences and Kant seems wrong for not thinking that morally relevant.

The murderer at the door example attempts to show the downside of Kant’s rejection of consequences having moral significance.

Whistleblowing – some cases of whistleblowing have very bad consequences – at least resulting in misery but sometimes even resulting in death (if the workers lose their job and starve). Just like with lying, Kant would say we must always tell the truth, even if it ends up killing people.

Imagine that a business employed a genius but sadistic scientist who was likely to cure some terrible disease that affected millions. However, they were treating their workforce in some horrible way, but there was no way to gain the valuable research without allowing the exploitation. A Utilitarian might reason that we should allow the exploitation because the happiness gained would far outweigh the suffering, just like lying to the murderer at the door is justified for its good consequences.

Globalisation & CSR can each have very good consequences, even when allowing exploitation. First world countries get very cheap products and third world countries get jobs.

Kant’s response: we cannot predict/control consequences.

However: we can to some degree and therefore to that degree we are morally responsible for consequences and they do matter ethically to the rightness or wrongness of an action.

The issue of intentions: Util vs Kant

Utilitarianism faces the issue of intentions and character, but Kant does not.

Utilitarianism only views the consequences of actions as good, not the intention or character (integrity) of the person who performs them. This goes against the intuition that a person can be a good person and can have good/bad intentions. Consequentialist theories seem unable to accept that because for them, it is only consequences which are good or bad, not intentions/character.

It is part of Kant’s theory that your moral intention is relevant to the goodness of your action, so he does not face this issue.

Application of this issue to business ethics:

CSR: Applying this to business ethics, it looks like Utilitarianism would not care about a business merely engaging in CSR for PR out of greed for profit or even for deception to distract from their other unethical practices. So long as the business and its CSR activities overall have good consequences, Utilitarian reasoning seems to be committed to it being morally good.

Globalisation: Globalisation could

Whistleblowing: A person whistleblowing might only do it in order to bring down a rival company

Kantian ethics would not have this issue because for Kant good intention is essential. We must act out of duty (“ duty for duty’s sake” ) in order for our action to be morally good.

Mill responds firstly that a person’s character does matter because it will determine their future actions. The stabber should be condemned for his motive because that will prevent them stabbing others in future. The priest should be forgiven because he’s not likely to do anything bad in the future as his character is good. Secondly, Mill argues that having a good character helps you become happy. Motives and character therefore do matter ethically, though not intrinsically but only insofar as they result in good consequences, in line with consequentialism.

So, Mill might argue that if the intention behind CSR involved greed or deception then that might have bad consequences overall or in the future and therefore can be thought of as morally wrong.

Kant would not be satisfied by this response, however, as he would maintain that it was the greed and deceptiveness itself that should be regarded as morally deficient.

Leads to the critique of Kant – that it is impractical to think humans can act without emotion. Utilitarianism does not have this issue – in fact it accepts that avoiding negative feelings and achieving positive feelings is our ultimate desire/end.

Adam Smith, the ‘father’ of capitalism

Adam Smith was an economist and philosopher sometimes called the father of capitalism. Smith’s argument is that when people follow their rational self-interest competing in a free market, the result is economic prosperity which benefits society and general happiness. In a free market, people gain money by providing a product or service that others are willing to pay for. Competition encourages productivity and innovation resulting in economic growth. Free market capitalism harnesses self-interest for societal gain, as if guided by an ‘invisible hand’. This is the origin of the view that good business decisions have positive social results and is thus linked to good ethics.

Utilitarianism on capitalism & business ethics

Bentham was influenced by Adam Smith. Bentham and Mill mostly agreed with Smith’s reasoning, accepting that in general happiness is maximised by leaving markets free. However, they both thought that restrictions needed to be placed on the market in some cases to direct it towards maximising happiness where it failed to. Bentham thought the government should guarantee employment and impose a minimum wage. Mill thought that the government should step in to aid in cases of market failure by providing their own products or service, such as education, to encourage competition if the market failed to. Mill even thought that worker-owned co-ops were long-term the best model for ownership structure.

The Utilitarian view then is that CSR is generally good and if globalisation detracts from CSR then it is generally bad.

Kant on capitalism & business ethics

Kant was influenced by Adam Smith and agreed that the division of labour was important for progress. Capitalism is based on autonomous market interactions and contracts between employers and employees. It involves individuals pursuing their rational self-interest. Kant’s ethics accords with this as it depicts the rational individual as the centre of moral responsibility. When contractual arrangements and market interactions involve the treatment of people by each other as ends, they are good.

However, when either business practices or the macro effects of capitalism result in people being treated as mere means or otherwise violate duty, it seems that Kant would think that immoral, even if it was good for the profit of the business.

The Kantian view then is that CSR is our duty and globalisation which undermines CSR is wrong.

M. Friedman vs Kant & Utilitarianism on CSR and globalisation. Milton Friedman (libertarian) claims that the only responsibility of a business is to “make as much money for their stockholders as possible”.

Friedman therefore rejects the approach of both Kant and Utilitarianism. He would not accept that restricting markets or businesses is acceptable, whether to maximise the general happiness or to ensure the treatment of stakeholders as ends.

Free market capitalism is the result of freedom, voluntary co-operation. Any attempt to control markets, even with the best of intentions, requires force and power. Friedman argues that no one is angel-like enough to wield that power without becoming corrupted.

The only escape from extreme poverty is capitalism and largely free trade. Societies which depart from that are worse off. Evidence which supports Freidman’s case is that the percentage of the world in extreme poverty dropped from 70% in 1960 to 17% in 2012.

Freidman further argues that free market capitalism is best for economic growth. Reducing profits only reduces the incentive to innovate.

Evidence for Friedman’s point is that northern Europe might be more equal than the USA, but it is less innovative. There’s a reason silicon valley is in America.

The problem for Freidman is that he thinks freedom is good, yet freedom leads to monopolies, especially under globalisation. Monopolies actually end up undermining innovation and freedom. The only way to ensure that the market remains free is government intervention and control. Friedman accepted this, but in that case, he has to accept giving the government power.

A free market is an inherently unstable thing. Money is power. Successful corporations will use their money to rig the market in their favour. The only way to prevent governments from being corrupted is by preventing businesses from having the power to corrupt governments.

Adam Smith’s arguments made much more sense in his time when capitalism was just starting out. The macro-effects of globalised capitalism are disastrous for the environment and for the free market itself.

So, it looks like Kant and Utilitarianism are right that some restrictions should be placed on markets.

Possible exam questions for Business ethics

Easy How useful is utilitarianism in dealing with issues in business ethics? Assess whether Kantian ethics applies successfully to business ethics What does it take for business to be ethical?

Medium Does the principle of utility lead to ethical business? ‘the categorical imperative leads to ethical business’ – Discuss. Is Corporate social responsibility just ‘hypocritical window-dressing covering the greedy profit motive of business. Can human beings flourish in the context of capitalism and consumerism? Assess whether corporate social responsibility makes business ethical To what extent is whistle-blowing ethical? How successful is Kantian ethics at dealing with the issue of (CSR/Whistleblowing/Globalisation)? How helpful is Utilitarianism at dealing with the issue of (CSR/Whistleblowing/Globalisation)?

Hard Assess whether globalisation encourages or discourages the pursuit of good ethics as the foundation of good business. Is good ethics good business? Should whistle-blowing be considered good ethical business practice?

Quick links

Year 12 ethics topics: Natural Law. Situation ethics. Kantian ethics. Utilitarianism. Euthanasia. Business ethics.

Year 13 ethics topics: Meta-ethics. Conscience. Sexual ethics.

OCR Philosophy OCR Christianity OCR essay structure OCR list of possible exam questions

Business Ethics - Essay Samples And Topic Ideas For Free

Business ethics discussion at walmart inc.

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This review will study the impact of ethical leadership, of employees, performance in an organization. The progress of an organization's achievements is based on the employees. The employees are considered an important resource to achieve competitive advantages. An ethical leader who shares its authority with employees will improve their performance. So, if leaders set the precedence for upholding high ethical values then the employee will follow suit. On the other hand, if leaders do not have an ethical value and […]

Ethics and the Business Professional

Evaluate your own performance as a morally responsible group member. Which behaviors do you demonstrate? Which do you need to develop? What specific steps might you take to improve? The concept of moral responsibility implies that a person can be evaluated with praise or blame for actions based on a moral code. Moral responsibility suggests that the person is in control of her actions and no other element in the decision-making process interferes with the person's control of the situation. […]

Report of a Current Ethical And/or Sustainability Issue in Business

Introduction Business organizations need to be ethical so as to achieve the sustainability of the businesses in the industry. For a business to be ethical it must do what is right and avoid what is wrong towards its stakeholders. When a business organization is ethical to its stakeholders it enhances the organization to have a competitive advantage and customer satisfaction which leads to more sales hence growth and sustainability of the organization. Business can be ethical to its stakeholders. Some […]

Employer Brand and Ethical Behavior

Contents (a) Briefly discuss why the employee's overly narrow approach to applying to your company reveals current weaknesses in your Employer Branding. (b) Suggest preparations for establishing best practices that promote ethical behavior. (c) Discuss why the employee's overly narrow approach to applying to your company reveals current weaknesses in your Employer Branding. I am a Human Resource Manager working at Sky World Finance Co., Ltd. My company is of a middle-level size, focusing on Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) […]

Milton Friedman on Social Responsibility

Milton Friedman on Social ResponsibilityNameInstitutionProfessorCourseDateIntroduction There are many forms of handling the issue of business ethics and for instance, business men often frequently argue on several bases and based on different views and opinions in which they view these circumstances that affect business set ups. Many times you would normally hear business men talking of business ideas that ideally affect their performance in the business industry. They would eloquently talk of ideas that are made to improve their sales and […]

Business Ethic Analysis

No, I would not steal the $10,000. Stealing from the firm raises costs, which reduces supply, raises price, and cuts demand. Stealing affects the business and consumers. In a company, owners and managers are responsible for imposing and enforcing checks and balances within the environments to protect patients, staff, and assets from theft and manipulation. When you steal, it’s important to also consider the motives or intentions. For example if I stole the $10,000 to help my son’s failed ambulance […]

Industrial Revolution – the New Factory System

"During the Industrial Revolution the new factory system and mining created a need for more workers. These new types of jobs were unsafe because no safety measures existed. Also, children were put to work because they were cheaper to hire and the jobs didn’t require skills. Unions fought to change these unsafe conditions and that eventually led to action by the government. Women were the leading force in ending child labor. Eventually these problems ended, creating the conditions that exist […]

The Relevancy of Ethics for Business D’ecisions

Business ethics (also known as company ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines moral principles and ethical or moral issues that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the behaviour of both individuals and entire organisations. Business ethics has both normative and descriptive dimensions. As a corporate practice and a career specialization, the field is primarily normative. Academics attempting to understand business behaviour use descriptive […]

Child Labor – Kids at the Ages of 6-14

"Kids at the ages of 6-14 and there getting very little pay and they do very hard work.There are millions of kids around the world being sold for child labor.Should kids under the age of 18 be working over time. There are very difficult working conditions. Children who work often experience very hard working conditions that last over 18 hours and causes them pain all over there body.Children get injured from machinery's they work with and and get health problems […]

Attracting Attention through Social Networks

Introduction to Shoptiques and their Services Founded in 2012, Shoptiques has changed the way boutiques conduct their business and created a new way for people to shop the world’s most unique pieces from the comfort of their own home. Shoptiques serves two markets: online shoppers and small boutiques from around the world. Shoptiques grants boutiques both the opportunity to enter e-commerce and the tools crucial to their success online. Shoptiques' boutique partners have access to a plethora of tools such […]

Facebook is One of the Largest Corporations in the World

Making about $40 billion in profit with 2.23 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the biggest corporations today. Value of the company has a market capitalization of about 447.09B and a current stock price of around 154.78. Facebook has various ways of operating and making money. Facebook makes money through mobile advertisements, video ads, and target ads. Furthermore, Facebook also utilizes Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Oculus Rift as additional revenue streams. Lastly, Facebook partners with game makers like […]

Wal-Mart and the Protection Chance for Interpersonal Communication

In a profoundly questionable move, your favorite social network has recently agreed to allow Wal-Mart access to the posts, messages, and photos of its users. Wal-Mart will also access user names and email addresses, violating the network's security policy. Wal-Mart plans to mine this data to learn more about what its customers want and to create targeted direct mailings and emails promoting those items. You are vehemently opposed to this change in the privacy policy, compelling you to send a […]

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Business Ethics Essay Examples

Ethics at work: emphasizing their significance in the workplace.

In today’s complex dynamic global business environment of the 21st century, the deep understanding of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR is crucial to Young Entrepreneurs, who are aiming high to be at the top in their respective businesses. This is importance of work...

Ethics and Governance: an Introduction to Moral Principles

This is ethics Introduction essay where this topic will be considered. To start with, ethics is the philosophy of being a good person, doing what is right, living well with other being and desiring only that is right in life. Solomon also discussed that ethics...

Ethics of Behavior of Pharmaceutical Companies in the Market

This report aims to answer questions of whether pharmaceutical firms are acting ethically and responsibly through analyzing the stakeholders involved and qualifying the ethical considerations raised of each issue: Deceptive Marketing, Pricing and Improper payments and gifts. As immediate users of the products by Big...

Kellogg’s Misleading Special K Advertisement

The increasing globalisation and competition have left companies across all industries with fewer choices but exploit various brand awareness strategies through marketing. Advertisement message is one of the growing methods of creating brand awareness among competitors to their consumers. Ads help introduce a business, build...

Research of Ethical Shortcomings in Enron Case

Enron Corporation – one of the largest energy-based companies in America, eventually fell into the abyss of bankruptcy in the year 2001. The dramatic rise to power by Enron to later facing a dizzying fall shook the Wallstreet and affected thousands of people. This failure...

Kellogg`s Company: Analytics of Ethical Behavior in the Market

The sector in which I’ll be discussing about in this report is the food sector. The company in which I’ll be discussing about is Kellogg’s. They were opened in 1906 by the founder Will Keith Kellogg. Kellogg’s originally entered the market as a cereal-based product...

The Benefits of Outsourcing for Businesses

Businesses often recruit services from a source outside of its internal operations and engaging in this procedure is referred to as outsourcing. Outsourcing jobs is becoming more accepted with businesses in today's global economy. Organizations are realizing the benefits that come with outsourcing jobs. Companies...

Wal-marts Corporate Ethics and Social Responsibilities Efforts

Wal-Mart is a multi-billion corporation that opened its doors back in 1962, on July 2nd of that year the first Wal-Mart store was opened in Rogers, Arkansas under the supervision and influence of Sam Walton. Walton is the man responsible for engraving the goals, values,...

Corporate Psychopaths and the Implications They Can Bring on the Organization

The chosen topic of this review and synthesis is to look at one of the members of the ‘dark triad’ – psychopaths and how they find their way into the organizations or corporations therefore becoming a “corporate psychopath’’ or an ‘’organizational psychopath’’. It is important...

The Principles of Ethical Human Resource Management

“Human Resource Management is the set of organizational activities directed at attracting, developing and maintaining an effective workforce.”- Ricky W. Griffin The overall objective of human resources is to ensure that the organisation is able to attain success by people. HR practitioners manage the human...

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