Managerial Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

http://www.swlearning.com/web_resources/ethics.htm

---Publications and Associations Institute for Business and Professional Ethics at DePaul University Institute for Global Ethics Net Impact "a professional network of emerging business leaders committed to using the power of business to create a better world."

---Individual Ethics Halliburton Summary of Code of Business Conduct This online booklet for Halliburton employees provides detailed focus on avoiding conflicts of interest, fraud and bribery, maintaining confidentiality on proprietary information and other ethical issues.

---Articles about Ethics Thinking Ethically: A Framework for Moral Decision Making by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer. The authors provide a broad perspective for thinking through moral issues by covering five major approaches developed by philosophers: Utilitarianism, Rights, Fairness or Justice, Common-Good and Virtue. With an understanding of these five approaches as a foundation, the article concludes with five key questions to ask when ethical problem solving. A Framework For Universal Principles of Ethics, by Larry Colero, Crossroads Programs Inc. This article defines basic principles for making ethical decisions in both your personal and professional life. These principles are divided according to three basic categories: Personal (ex. "Trustworthiness & honesty"), Professional

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Managerial Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

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(ex. "Confidentiality") and Global (ex. "Society before self / social responsibility"). The article continues with a discussion on how to effectively apply the principles. ---Controlling Business Behavior ---Through Government Regulation Regulation of Competition Federal Trade Commission The major Federal regulatory and enforcement agency for overseeing competitive practices. Among its many rulings and enforcement actions: "FTC Cracks Down on Scholarship Search Service Con Artists" "Bogus scholarship search services obtain lists of high school and college students and mail postcards to millions of parents with claims of access to "billions of dollars" in scholarship funds provided by private companies. The firms typically guarantee specific amounts of "free" money in return for up-front fees, but few if any consumers receive any scholarships." Questions: Have you or anyone you know encountered this type of scam? What steps can families and students take to protect themselves when seeking scholarship funds? "FTC Judge Upholds Charges Against Toys "R" Us" "Law Judge Finds that Nation's Largest Retailer Induced Toy Makers to Cut Off Discount Warehouse Clubs" Questions: What laws were violated? What impact does the violation of these laws have on competitors? "FTC Reaches Settlement With Weight Watchers Over Weight Loss Claims" Questions: What were the reasons that the FTC believed that Weight Watchers' claims were misleading? After visiting the Weight Watchers Web site, do you think the company is adhering to its settlement with the FTC?

Consumer Protection Consumer Product Safety Commission "an independent Federal regulatory agency, helps keep American families safe by reducing the risk of injury or death from consumer products." The CPSC provides information on Product Recalls, What's Happening at CPSC, Consumer Publications and other resources.

---Corporate Responsibilities to Customers National Consumers League "The National Consumers League represents consumers on issues of concern such as child labor, fair labor standards, telemarketing fraud, health care, food and drug safety, financial services, energy,

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Managerial Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

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environment, and telecommunications." Better Business Bureau The BBB encourages its business members to provide good service to their customers. Consumers can call the BBB to find out if a business is a member and what complaints, if any, have been registered with the BBB about a business. The BBB also helps to resolve disputes between consumers and member businesses.

The Right to Be Informed The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the Federal agencies responsible for ensuring that consumers are adequately and truthfully informed about the products they buy. Here are a few examples of their efforts to protect consumers: "FDA Warns Against Drug Promotion of Herbal Fen-Phen" This product has been promoted as a "natural" herbal alternative to the prescription drug combination commonly known as "fen-phen" for weight loss. "FDA Allows Whole Oat Foods to Make Health Claim on Reducing the Risk of Heart Disease" "FDA Warns Against Consuming the Arise & Shine Product Chomper" The "Chomper" product has been promoted as an "herbal laxative" and "cleansing" agent to be used as part of a regimen of dietary products distributed by this company. Customer Service policies are yet another way companies can inform customers. For example, review the "buying" section on the Gap hassle-free online shopping page for detailed information about price, promotions, sales tax, order limits and the use of customer information. Question: What are the advantages to both the seller and the customer when the seller includes written warranties and customer service policies?

---Company Profiles See how companies are acting responsibly and ethically to their employees and customers, helping to protect the environment, and contributing to worthy causes. Feature Stories on Responsible Companies Corporate Philanthropy Protecting the Environment Company Codes of Ethics and Credos Producing a Safe Product

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Managerial Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

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---Exercises Business Ethics with a Managerial Emphasis Select from a variety of case studies covering ethical dilemmas where you are the manager or executive who must make a decision. Among the topics covered: Do you pay a bribe or lose business in a foreign market? How many hours would you ask your salaried employees to --work beyond a 40-hour workweek? What do you do when employees state that their religious --commitments conflict with some work commitments? Do you continue to manufacture a product that can potentially --save lives, but also leaves your company vulnerable to --large lawsuits if the product doesn't work? Business Ethics with a Non-Managerial Emphasis Take an ethics "quiz" about different situations you might face on the job. Work through a case study where you decide what to do if your boss alters his performance numbers to look good. Choose your course of action in a scenario where you cannot afford a drug that may save your spouse's life. Government Regulation of Cyberspace After reading some background material about the issues surrounding government regulation of materials posted on Web sites, state your own position about what the government should or should not do.

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