Environmental pollution.

Developed nations have complex, effective and substantial regulations concerning emission of pollutants, dumping of toxic materials, use of toxic materials in the workplace.
Key challenges:

o Climate change;

o Environmental pollution;

o Rainforest destruction;

o Biodiversity;

o Endangered species;

Unethical behaviour.

Personal ethics: generally accepted principles of right and wrong governing the conduct of individuals. (Hill, 2011, p.131)
Personal ethics come from various sources:

o Parents;

o Schools;

o Religion;

o Media;

o Community;

o Friends, etc;

Personal ethics affect our business conduct.
Challenge 1: how will personal ethics coexist with ethics of company?
Challenge 2: how will a manager working in a foreign country behave?
Will:

o His personal ethics be stronger/better than the local?

o His personal ethics be weaker than the local?

o Local pressure lead to moral pollution?

Challenge 3: what if an “ethical company” at home expect unethical behaviour abroad?

Decision-making processes also affect ethics, as manager focus on straightforward business decisions (solving problems) and ignore the ethical consequences of their actions.
Key dimensions:

o Shareholder approach;

o Stakeholder approach;

Organisational culture: values and norms that employees of an organisation share (Hill, 2011, p.134)

Unrealistic performance expectations: pressure by parent company to meet unrealistic performance goals that can be attained only by cutting corners or acting unethically. (Hill, 2011, p.134)

Leadership: helps establish the culture of an organisation and sets example for people to follow. (Hill, 2011, p.134)
Employees follow leader’s culture, and if he/she is unethical or rewards unethical behaviour, employees will pick up on this and change their behaviour to gain recognition, rewards, advancement.

Community

The company does not exist in an isolated vacuum, rather it is a part of a coherent social system and as such it:
- Is affected by development in society;
- Affects society through its own actions;
- Is a mini-society itself, with its own internal rules, culture, etc;

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1019