Ethical questions range from narrowly defined issues to broader philosophical, social questions.

journal article

Do Businesses Have Moral Obligations beyond What the Law Requires?

Journal of Business Ethics

Vol. 15, No. 4 (Apr., 1996)

, pp. 457-468 (12 pages)

Published By: Springer

//www.jstor.org/stable/25072768

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Journal Information

The Journal of Business Ethics publishes original articles from a wide variety of methodological and disciplinary perspectives concerning ethical issues related to business. Since its initiation in 1980, the editors have encouraged the broadest possible scope. The term 'business' is understood in a wide sense to include all systems involved in the exchange of goods and services, while 'ethics' is circumscribed as all human action aimed at securing a good life. Systems of production, consumption, marketing, advertising, social and economic accounting, labour relations, public relations and organisational behaviour are analysed from a moral viewpoint. The style and level of dialogue involve all who are interested in business ethics – the business community, universities, government agencies and consumer groups. Speculative philosophy as well as reports of empirical research are welcomed. In order to promote a dialogue between the various interested groups as much as possible, papers are presented in a style relatively free of specialist jargon.

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Springer is one of the leading international scientific publishing companies, publishing over 1,200 journals and more than 3,000 new books annually, covering a wide range of subjects including biomedicine and the life sciences, clinical medicine, physics, engineering, mathematics, computer sciences, and economics.

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MKT 3305 – Chapter 3 Notes

Summary:

Ethics refers to the moral principles or values that generally govern the conduct of an individual or a group. Ethics also can

be viewed as the standard of behavior by which conduct is judged. Standards that are legal may not always be ethical, and vice versa.

Laws are the values and standards enforceable by the courts. Ethics, then, consists of personal moral principles. For example, there is

no legal statute that makes it a crime for someone to cut in line. Yet, if someone doesn’t want to wait in line and cuts to the front, it

often makes others very angry.

If you have ever resented a line-Cutter, then you understand ethics and have applied ethical standards in life. Waiting your turn in line

is a social expectation that exists because lines in short order and allocate the space and time needed to complete transactions.

Waiting your turn isn’t expected but unwritten behavior that plays a critical role in an orderly society.

So it is with ethics. Ethics consists of those unwritten rules we have developed for our interactions with one another. These unwritten

rules govern us when we are sharing resources were honoring contracts. Waiting your turn is a higher standard than the laws that

are passed to maintain order. Those laws apply when physical force or threat are used to push to the front of the line. Assault,

battery, and threats are forms of criminal conduct for which the offender to be prosecuted. But the law does not apply to the stealthy

line-cutter who simply sneaks to the front, perhaps using a friend and a conversation as a decoy. No laws are broken, but the notions

of fairness and justice are offended by one individual putting himself or herself above others and taking advantage of others’ time

and position.

Ethical questions range from practical, narrowly defined issues, such as businessperson’s obligation to be honest with customers, two

broader social and philosophical questions, such as whether a company is responsible for preserving the environment and protecting

employee rights. Many ethical conflicts develop from conflicts between the differing interests of company owners and their workers,

customers, and surrounding community. Managers must balance the ideal against the practical—that is, they need to produce a

reasonable profit for the company’s shareholders against honesty in business practices and concern for environmental and social

issues.

Chapter Outline

1)The concept of ethical behavior

2)Ethical behavior in business

a.Morality and business ethics

b.Ethical decision-making

c.Ethical guidelines

d.Ethics in other countries

3)Corporate social responsibility

a.Sustainability

b.Growth of social responsibility

c.Green marketing

4)Cause-related marketing

Points of Interest

1)There is a difference between legal and unethical.

2)Ethical applies not only to individuals, but to organizations as well.

3)Ethical decisions can be difficult and people will find ways to justify unethical behavior.

4) Creating a Code of Ethics is a good idea.

Which of the following factors will influence ethical decision making and judgments group of answer choices?

The potential magnitude of the consequences is one of several factors that tend to influence ethical decision making and judgment. Other factors include extent of ethical problems within the organization, potential magnitude of the consequences, and the length of time between the decision and the onset of consequences.

Which responsibility among the 4 components of the pyramid of corporate social responsibility acts as the foundation for the other three responsibilities?

6. The pyramid of corporate social responsibility portrays philanthropic performance as the foundation for the other responsibilities.

Are moral principles or values that generally govern the conduct of an individual group?

Ethics refers to the moral principles or values that generally govern the conduct of an individual or a group.

Which level of the pyramid of corporate social responsibility is the foundation on which all other responsibilities rest?

The foundation of the pyramid is economic responsibilities. This is where all others that is philanthropic , ethical and legal responsibilities rest upon.

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