Chapter 5 - Ethics and corporate responsibility. After studying Chapter 5, you will be able to: Describe how different ethical perspectives guide decision making, explain how companies influence their ethics environment, outline a process for making ethical decisions, summarize the important issues surrounding corporate social responsibility,. | Ethics and Corporate Responsibility Chapter Five McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Objectives LO1 Describe how different ethical perspectives guide decision making. LO2 Explain how companies influence their ethics environment. LO3 Outline a process for making ethical decisions. LO4 Summarize the important issues surrounding corporate social responsibility. LO5 Discuss reasons for businesses’ growing interest in the natural environment. LO6 Identify actions managers can take to manage with the environment in mind. 5- Ethics Ethics The system of rules that governs the ordering of values 5- Ethics Ethical issue Situation, problem, or opportunity in which an individual must choose among several actions that must be evaluated as morally right or wrong Business ethics The moral principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business. 5- Ethical Systems Moral philosophy Principles, rules, and values people use in deciding what is right or wrong Universalism The ethical system stating that all people should uphold certain values that society needs to function. 5- Ethical Systems Egoism An ethical system defining acceptable behavior as that which maximizes consequences for the individual Utilitarianism An ethical system stating that the greatest good for the greatest number should be the overriding concern of decision makers. 5- Ethical Systems Relativism Philosophy that bases ethical behavior on the opinions and behaviors of relevant other people Virtue ethics Classification of people based on their level of moral judgment. 5- The Ethics Environment Sarbanes-Oxley Act An act passed into law by Congress in 2002 to establish strict accounting and reporting rules in order to make senior managers more accountable and to improve and maintain investor confidence 5- Danger Signs Excessive emphasis on short-term revenues over longer-term considerations. Failure to establish a written code of ethics. A desire for simple, “quick fix” solutions to ethical problems. An unwillingness to take an ethical stand that may impose financial costs. 5- Danger Signs (cont.) Consideration of ethics solely as a legal issue or a public relations tool Lack of clear procedures for handling ethical problems. Responding to the demands of shareholders at the expense of other constituencies 5- A Process for Ethical Decision Making 5- Figure Ethical Decision Making Making ethical decisions takes: Moral awareness realizing the issue has ethical implications Moral judgment knowing what actions are morally defensible Moral character the strength and persistence to act in accordance with your ethics despite the challenges 5- The Business Costs of Ethical Failure 5- Figure Corporate Social Responsibility Philanthropic responsibilities Additional behaviors and activities that society finds desirable and that the values of the business support. 5- Pyramid of Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Performance 5- Figure
