BUSINESS ETHICS AND THE

ROLE OF CORPORATIONS
Barnal, Cuyson, Valderrama
What are Business Ethics?
Moral principles that guide the way a
business behaves. The same principles that
determine an individuals actions also apply
to business.

Many global businesses, including most of
the major brands that the public use, can be
seen not to think too highly of good business
ethics. Many major brands have been fined
millions for breaking ethical business laws.
Money is the major deciding factor.


Corporate Responsibility
Refers to fulfilling the responsibilities or
obligations that a company has toward its
stakeholders.
Can help distinguish between a
stakeholder expectation and a corporate
obligation, i.e., is the company obligated
to provide absolute environmental
protection at all costs or is it obligated to
maximize profits for its investors at the
cost of damaging the environment?

Corporate Social Responsibility
It is a form of corporate attention to social and
environmental issues internal or external to the
business organization

Businesses have ethical responsibilities to
their employees, customers and society as a
whole.

A company also has wider responsibilities. It
should minimize any harm to the
environment and work in ways that do not
damage the communities in which it
operates.

THE ETHICS OF
RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility
A duty or obligation to satisfactorily
perform or complete a task (assigned by
someone, or created by one's
own promise or circumstances) that one
must fulfill, and which has a
consequent penalty for failure.
BusinessDictionary.com


One of Judaisms most distinctive and
challenging ideas: the ethics of responsibility,
the idea that God invites us to become, in
the rabbinic phrase, His partners in the work
of creation.
The God who created the world in love calls
on us to create in love. The God who gave
us the gift of freedom asks us to use it to
honor and enhance the freedom of others.
Life is Gods call to responsibility.
List of Ethical Issues in Business
Fundamental Issues (integrity and trust)
Diversity Issues
Decision-Making Issues
Compliance and Governance (Laws and
regulations)
Fundamental Issues
Conducting your business affairs with
honesty and a commitment to treating
every customer fairly.
A relationship of trust between you and
your customers may be a key determinate
to your company's success.
Diversity Issues
According to the HSBC Group, "the world
is a rich and diverse place full of
interesting cultures and people, who
should be treated with respect and from
whom there is a great deal to learn."
Decision-Making
Ethical decision-making processes should
center on protecting employee and
customer rights, making sure all business
operations are fair and just, protecting the
common good and making sure individual
values and beliefs of workers are
protected.
Compliance and Governance
Issues
Businesses are expected to fully comply
with environmental laws, federal and state
safety regulations, fiscal and monetary
reporting statutes and all applicable civil
rights laws.
Bibliography
http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/anglo-
american/business-ethics-and-corporate-
social-responsibility/what-are-business-
ethics.html#ixzz398s9wdDn
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/ite
m/the_ethics_of_responsibility
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/list-ethical-
issues-business-55223.html
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/sub
mitted/hurst/comparitive_study.pdf
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definiti
on/responsibility.html#ixzz39J91An2j