BMGT496: Business Ethics

Outcome 1: Identify ethical issues that arise in domestic and global business environments using an understanding of ethical concepts and legal and business principles

Ethics has become a global issue in the contemporary business world. No business can operate in the current world without business ethics in place. For instance, ethical issues must always be considered while conducting managerial duties. A similar case is evident in multinational management. The case is also attributed to variance in the roles and duties required of the employees. Thus, requiring the adoption of the right leadership and ethical conducts. Even though leaders and managers have tried to manage various moral aspects such as ethical dilemmas and other conflicting issues, the multinational organizations are still faced with a dynamic challenge that further requires review on the business principles.

The role played by business ethics goes a long way to impact the local business environment within which the industry operates, and extends the same to the international business market. However, the goals of the business do not change whether within the domestic environment or the global environment the business operates. Thus, it is true that some of the ethical issues that the business may face would reflect a similar situation from the business at the international market level. This is to say, the most fundamental thing for the business is to explicitly understand the ethical concepts that apply within the industry the business exists whether domestically or internationally. The crucial aspects that any company needs to understand include the legal and business principles since these are the highly expected principles within which the business should operate at whichever level if business ethics is something the business wants to be achieved.

It is within the legal expectation that the company responds to tax payment domestically or even when the company operates internationally. Tax payment is an expected of any profit making company in what is seen as the primary corporate responsibility towards supporting the government agenda. Thus, management has the responsibility of ensuring that all the dues that belong to the government whether at the state or federal level is cleared. The sama applies to companies with the global extension especially those that source fro raw material from other countries. They accorded the payment of customs duty to the countries that operate from as well as pay the required tax rate back in their home countries. I remember in March 2016 in my capacity as the associate director of Verizon Wireless, I attended a professional conference in New York, a meeting that brought together all levels of professions. One speaker after the other insisted on the corporate responsibility of the business towards paying tax to the government not as a burden the business has to bear, but as a responsibility to allow infrastructural development.

Having legal documentation including the permit and licenses depending on the level of operations of the business count on business ethics. This is true especially when companies want to enter into the international market. They first have to clear with the local authorities then the foreign authorities to familiarize its operations. It is the expectation of the administration at all government levels that the business done by the company should always clean, and this defines business ethics. Many experts have defined the reputation of the business as one of the essential ethical issue that the company needs to work towards. In my view, business reputation encompasses all other business ethical responsibility. For instance, a company that involves in inorganic production may be susceptible to the environment. Such companies normally involve in high production of harmful gases and other waste products. Ethically, the business may have a role to play towards ensuring that the environment is kept clean. In a way, such a company may involve in the recycling of the waste product or practice appropriate waste-disposal measures in a move to build a reputation in environmental conservation.

Building reputation has everything to do with how the company wants to be seen within the domestic and international business environment. Apple Inc. has been able to achieve a good reputation based on the employment practices in a way that it has the happiest employees that would enjoy staying around working for the company for as long as they could. From the process of recruitment to the treatment of employees through award-giving, allowing them to go for leaves, and working shifts in what can be seen as giving them an opportunity to work at the appropriate time. Favorable employment practices apply to all employees in other countries where the company operates. Thus, companies should have desirable practices that will go along way enhancing their reputation in the market both locally and internationally. Serving as a Customer Services Associate Director at Verizon Wireless gave me an opportunity to oversee the management of Customer Service processes and providing full customer service support a role that allowed me to understand about the needs of the customers. Later, the idea of how we attended to our customers went viral allowing as many customers to be aware of our services thus improving the reputation of the company. Understanding the needs of the customers is one of the ethical business practices that companies need to consider if they have to make an impact domestically and globally.

 

 

 

Outcome 2: Develop and evaluate alternatives to, and recommend solutions for, ethical dilemmas, taking into account ethical and legal requirements and the essential mission of the business enterprise

Ethical dilemmas are the most common subjects that have received different views across both global and local firms (Bolisani & Bratianu, 2017). Besides, the instances where ethical concerns are required are on the rise. The challenge is attributed to different aspect such as globalizing economies and markets as well as increasing independencies among the businesses. Therefore, the markets under which organizations operate and conduct businesses are prone to different legal and environmental regulation. Such terms require a keen interest in adopting compliance terms and observing the law, especially when conducting global expansion. My experience in Verizon helped me to have new ideas regarding many issues that determined the success of the business. I was in a position to understand why bureaucracy is essential in the management of the organization. Also, my attitude about others was changed in a way that I was able to develop real relationships with them. As a result, I was in a position of acquiring more information which would help me to understand the operation of the business.

Business management experts have had varied theories to define the notion of ethical dilemmas based on whether is self-driven or depends on the circumstances surrounding a process in the business. Depending on where one stands, ethical dilemma in most cases occurs when stakeholders are at the crossroad of whether to act to keep the ethical practice of the company or go whichever way that would give the best results. A business under recession may want to resume its best performance and may make a decision that does not reflect business ethical responsibility. For instance, when Ford was under the financial crisis, the management decided to lay off some employees to reduce the cost. Thus, ethically, the company’s actions exposed some employees to termination of their employment, but the company was an ethical dilemma where it had to make any decision that could prove employees to suffering but gain its financial stability.

Ethical dilemmas are circumstantial and depends on some factors that expose to the business to the risk of tarnishing the ethical position of the company. Thus, various reasons or factors may lead to ethical dilemmas both locally and internationally. Some organizational culture may pose a situation where management pressure is acting on the way the production is done. The management may focus so much on the profit hence all workers are expected to work towards the expected profit regardless of whether it will lead to ethical breaches. An ethical dilemma will arise from this point when management pressure is in action. Alternatively, in this case, where the pressure is coming from management to attain high profit, the company should increase the level of resources required for production. Another way out to avoid ethical dilemma is by having the laid down procedure on how to go about production to avoid immoral activities.

Sometimes, management can avoid being too ambitious in its course towards the goals since ambition is one of the major causes of the ethical dilemma. Having modest ambitions will go along way lowering the pressure employees and management have that is likely to lead to them being unethical. Businesses can also only consider entering into negotiations with ethically upright companies to avoid risks of falling for deals for the sake of profit at the expense of ethics. It is very reasonable that any profit-making business would not leave a chance to enter an agreement or contract that assures better income even though the ethical perspective of such a company is in doubt. Thus, the best way to stay away from ethical dilemmas is to reduce the negotiation tacts since these are potential traps. Sometimes back in 2016, Verizon Wireless had a dream to go international to access the Canadian market through a Canadian-based company. As an associate director of Verizon, I was right in the middle of the agreement and were just on final touches when I finally discovered that the partner company was under criminal investigation for forgery claims. Though under ethical dilemma, we immediately called off the negotiation deals to find a solution to the looming ethical dilemma.

Outcome 3: Effectively communicate to internal and external business stakeholders the complexities of ethical issues, suggesting and analyzing various solutions to ensure appropriate business practices and accountability.

 

Effective communication is one of the most excellent tools in business. Without proper communication, it is hard to operate effectively. Thus, communication is crucial right from the senior managers to middle-level managers. It ensures that the organizational activities are conducted in an integrative way to achieve the limits desired by the company (Bolisani & Bratianu, 2017). Concurrently, teamwork provides a platform for working collectively. It offers a room to collaboratively work and enhance common values and norms desired in the development of the organization. It is the role of a leader to allow the teams to operate effectively. Therefore, incorporating communication as a part of leadership in teamwork also provides an opportunity for the leaders to enhance social aspect and promote emotional intelligence among the employees. The process is also facilitated through different methods such as training talent recognition motivation and reward of the hard working employees. Managing future challenges relies on the ability of the companies to adopt the best communication methods and adopting the right way of addressing conflicts. Discussion, negations, and arbitration facilitate conflict resolution processes (Androniceanu, 2017). Also, making the necessary, changes should further consider different factors such as those outlined through organizational policies and regulations. On the other hand, organizational commitment facilitates the integration of the right methods in developing risks mitigation strategies aimed at reducing threats faced by the company.

Due to the complexities surrounding business ethical issues, effective communication is the best tool that business leaders can use to reach internal and external stakeholders. It is often the situation that upholding business ethics aims at improving the reputation of the business in the environment which has various stakeholders including shareholders, employees, and customers. For instance, a decision by the company to ensure fair treatment of employees in terms of compensation may go along way affecting its profitability. At the same time, investors in the company may be expecting high dividends though, the company’s profitability may be low following its decision to ensure employees are treated best. It is only through effective communication that companies can avoid the conflict with the shareholders over the level of profit that any particular company makes. Thus, business ethics have the potential complexities that the business observing such ethical practices may incur, but the most fundamental thing is to adopt an effective way to have the right information reach the relevant people.

Ethical complexities occur even in situations where the company is under the obligation to observe legal requirement. It is a requirement that any business operating locally or internationally must be licensed before carrying out the business and some further rules expect that such licenses must be renewed yearly. As a law-abiding individual, the corporation may do the renew annually to observe ethics. However, at one time, due to the financial constraints, the business may find it a challenge to renew the license on time. This is a common complexity of ethical issues that companies face. One way to have a way out that will ensure the reputation of the company in the eyes of the government is communicating on time on the challenges the business faces. The similar situation applies to other companies that are involved in environmental sustainability as ethical practices. Employees need to be aware in cases where maintaining a favorable environment may be a challenge. It, therefore, correct that effective communication offers the solution to most of the complexities of the ethical issues the business may face. The most important thing is for the organization to be viewed as a corporate society which lists to the stakeholders and maintain a good relationship with them.

 

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