Businesses Are Concerned With Ethics Case Study

Improved Essays
“Ask three people you know, preferably of varying ages, whether they think businesses are concerned with ethics? Why or why not? Report your findings for the initial discussion post”. On Tuesday August the 18th I went out and solicited three responses to the question “do you believe businesses are concerned with ethics”? The responses to that very simple question were very diverse in content, but very similar in their tone. Below I have listed some of the general responses based on age of those I interviewed. Most interviews lasted just a few minutes since all of those interviewed were at work, and spoke with me on the condition it wouldn 't take too long, and that I wouldn 't release their response to their employers.

The first person
…show more content…
He is a white male, and he is 51 years of age. When asked “do you believe businesses are concerned with ethics”, he said “most businesses do have ethics”! As with the store manager I had interviewed earlier, Arnold also believes that most businesses do have ethics as a core value of their business, but it is individuals within those businesses that can taint a company’s reputation. Arnold did make a statement that I would like to quote here today on individuals who make conscious decisions to take the unethical road to achieving success. Those companies or individuals who disregard ethics when conducting business “view capitalism as an excuse for getting what they want at the expense of others” …show more content…
Stephanie (since she works for me, she was very free to express her feelings on this matter) is a white female, 31 years of age. I asked Stephanie the same question as everyone else I interviewed; “do you believe businesses are concerned with ethics”? Stephanie gave me an answer I thought was a very good! Stephanie said “yes, I believe that most businesses initially display some sort of ethics in order to initially draw you in to buy their product”. I then asked Stephanie what happens after they draw you in to buy their product? Her response was that they take ethical shortcuts to close the deal! They either lie about something related to the product, or both parties lie to close the deal (Stephanie went on to explain how both parties can lie in order to close a deal. One lies to sell the product, and the other party lies to get the product at the lowest price

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    main aim of a business is to make profit. Finance is the lifeblood of a business and therefore, for a business to survive, it must generate profit. In order to make profit, a business must sell more and more, in other words, bigger sales. For bigger sales to be realized, a business must properly market its products to both existing and prospective customers. In its bid to market its products, a business is faced with one big challenge: to remain ethical at all times.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    MGM365-1604A-02 Instructor: Jennifer Hacker Unit 1- The Legal Environment Amanda Kranning October 5, 2016 Ethics can take on many meanings depending on whom you speak with. However, when it comes to business ethics most would agree on a few standpoints. Such principles would consist of promoting values such as trust, good behavior, fairness, and/or kindness.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Footlocker Code Of Ethics

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The company that I have decided to discuss is footlocker. Footlocker is an established company known for their wide variety of trainers. The company was introduced in 1974 and it was founded in 1988 as a separate business, known as the Woolworth Company. The company is a global business owned by Ken C.Hicks. Footlocker is a public limited company so the business information and trading is free to others.…

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Areas of concern like accounting and auditing matters, ethics and compliance issues, suspected violations of American Red Cross would be the main focus. American Red Cross has seen its fair share of unethical issues in the past so the main goal is to keep from having more unethical issues going forward. Reference: Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2015).Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases (10th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage.…

    • 93 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The three primary ethical issues of the Breakaway project are gambling, violence and sex. The game lured the user in by offering credits to advance in the game. This behavior is very similar to the compulsive gambler. The company was plotting to entice the user to buy more credits to get further in the game just as casinos do luring the gambler in by showing winners receiving millions of dollars. The positive in the game is providing entertainment to the non-compulsive users.…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bernie Madoff was a well-respected, intelligent, and charitable individual. Having served on a government regulatory board and as Chairman of the NASDAQ from 1990-93, further entrusted individuals to Madoff (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013). Holding increased titles within the community, Bernie Madoff was respected not only for his business savy, but for his philanthropy. The investment firm operated in an “invitation only” approach that added to the air of a high-class, elitist firm, yet being wealthy did not guarantee membership (Gregoriou & Lhabitant, 2009). When only a few can be part of the club, many strive to obtain a membership.…

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Code of Conduct Sprint Corporation, Inc. Since the beginning of trade, ethics has played into business. Although codes of conduct have been documented for many years, there still continues to be scandals in corporations concerning ethics. “The very exercise of developing a code is in itself worthwhile; it forces a large number of people...to think through in a fresh way their mission and the important obligations they as a group and as individuals have with respect to society as a whole." A Corporate code of conduct should have these four actions documented clearly: • statement of unacceptable behavior • how the policy will be enforced • how and whom to make an incident report to • training and reference materials for organizers, staff,…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Fieser, J. & Moseley, A. (2012). Introduction to business ethics. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. file:///C:/Users/Davis%20Bussiness/Downloads/TwinCities_CHNA_2012.pdf García, J. P. (2014). Walmart. Salem Press Encyclopedia, Huang, Q., Nijs, V. R., Hansen, K., & Anderson, E. T. (2012).…

    • 1628 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    There is no deny that ethical practices have many advantages, but it is more significant when the desire is for ethics itself, not its effects. Businesses should always encourage and offer ethical guidance for managers and employees, simply because it is the right thing to do. Overtime when this becomes a habit for businesses, maybe the market place will not be as corrupted. In the end, doing good because it is good is essential for any human beings, regardless of their jobs, characters, or where they are from. Two authors Scott Rae and Kenman Wong also quoted from their interviewees in their text “Beyond Integrity” on their opinions about what if honesty does not pay, and one answer reflects the importance of ethics over profits : “Is that important?…

    • 1291 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Apples’ Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Mouad Nouidei Strayer University Corporate Responsibility Some of the main levels in business for consumers are corporate social responsibilities and business ethics. A lot of businesses now a days come across different questions from patrons and stockholders regarding the company’s ethical and social responsibility (Munson, 2014). Business ethics can include anything from the way the company hires or how a company can make their claims in advertising (Munson, 2014). Businesses depend on their employees who represent the business in public and on their customers, to represent a trustworthy image that is joined together with the goals and objectives in the company (Munson, 2014).…

    • 1616 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    History/Background Walmart began as the vision of Samuel Moore Walton during the 1950’s in Bentonville, Arkansas. Walton founded his company on the concept of the five-and-dime store blended with customer service, large stores located in small towns, valued products, low prices, and employee profit-sharing to create the largest retail empire in the world in terms of earnings and employees. By marketing to consumers who fit his business profile, Walton was successful in creating a niche that transformed how people acquired the products and services they needed. Walton’s business model appealed to consumers who desired to live better and to save money.…

    • 968 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    When employees in organizations make decisions to act unethically, they affect not only the company itself, but also its shareholders, employees and customers. Employees make a countless number of choices every day in businesses, if they act unethical, they can damage a company's productivity, profits and…

    • 1804 Words
    • 8 Pages
    • 6 Works Cited
    Brilliant Essays
  • Great Essays

    Recall to the first few years you’ve just graduated from the business school. Now, recall the first time you had to face an ethical issue right in the heart of your job in the actual setting of the business world. As you walk through the memories of how you dealt this ethical situation, can you recall any teachings that the business school has taught you? According to research, there is apparent reason to believe that current business schools have failed students in full preparation of addressing ethical issues in the setting of the business world. For instance, managers within the business world believe that the “ethics curriculum at business schools can best be described as an unsuccessful work-in progress,” (Can You Train Business Students to Be Ethical?).…

    • 1576 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In a business environment, there are many moral and ethical principles that surround business practice (Robbins et al, 2013). Firms are motivated by growth, expansion and profit, and as these rules bind business practices, many can be disregarded or avoided by individuals or entire firms, to cut corners in the pursuit of wealth. Competition drives efficiency, innovation, growth and raises incomes, however it also makes firms look to cut costs, their prices and indirectly destroy entrepreneurial opportunity. Businesses have to have the willingness to be ethical, as there will always be cheaper, easier, unethical ways to save money and time, but competition, as opposed to greed, promotes ethical behaviour in the long run (Shleifer, 2004). As competitive pressures lead firms to unethical behaviour, it also raises incomes and consumer’s…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To be an ethical business will bring you more benefits in the long term time frame. This is the only way that builds the good image of the brand so that the company gain more trust and favor from not just only internal stakeholder, but also external…

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays