Understand the meaning and importance of ethics in the business world | Unit 37

Learner Name:

Assessor Name:

BTEC Programme Title:

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business

Unit or Component Number and Title:

Unit -37 Understanding Business Ethics

Assignment Title:

Assignment 1: Business Ethics -A study of selected Company, Social implications, and Ethical Concerns in the Community of selected Company

Date Assignment Submitted:

Assignment task reference

Evidence submitted

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Task 4

Learner declaration

I certify that the work submitted for this assignment is my own. I have clearly referenced any sources used in the work. I understand that false declaration is a form of malpractice.

Learner signature:                                                             Date:

Qualification

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business

Unit or Component number and title

Unit -37 Understanding Business Ethics

Learning aim(s) (For NQF/RQF only)

1. Understand the meaning and importance of ethics in the business world
2. Understand the implications of businesses operating ethically
3. Know the social implications of business ethics
4. Understand ethical concerns facing different communities

Assignment title

Assignment 1: Business Ethics -A study of selected Company, Social implications and Ethical Concerns in the Community of selected Company

Assessor

Hand out date

Hand in deadline  

 Unit -37 Understanding Business Ethics

Vocational Scenario or Context

You have been working for a well-known construction company, which is known for providing good, constructed buildings with modernised look that are environmentally and socially responsible to many businesses. In addition, you provide advice to clients on which project they should build to benefit with their stakeholders. Recently you have been informed that the company has received new construction project proposal from a new client. Your client has three business ideas he wants to build (University/College, Hospital/Clinic, and hypermarket/Supermarket). After the discussion with the client you have agreed before any decision is made, you should carry out an important task of doing research and gathering background information on one business idea mentioned above and provide information via a report on the points indicated.

Your client also wants you to research about the company seriousness on matters like taking strong CSR stance, being environmentally friendly, sustainability and other social implication of business ethics. In addition, the client has asked you to research and include full awareness about ethical concerns faced by communities in the local, regional area and globally where that business operates.

Task 1

In your report you are required to cover the following points:

As a part of your job you are required to collect the data on as follows,

Define what is meant by each of the following: -

• Business ethics,
• Ethical activities,
• Values of businesses,
• Professional ethics,
• Individual ethical behaviour.

Examine a selected business and explain its activities from an ethical viewpoint.

Business mission statement and corporate aims and objectives (or values and goals).

How and why the chosen business is ethical (use examples from the selected business). And describe how that business is attempting to show its stakeholders that it is aware of the ethical concerns that apply.

Identify and explain the ethical issues relevant to the company including all the following (if applicable): -

corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, environment, sustainability, human rights, corruption, trading fairly, legal and regulatory compliance, Business practices, working conditions, individual ethical responsibilities.

Checklist of evidence required

Report

Research Data

Unit -37 Understanding Business Ethics

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria reference

To achieve the criteria, you must show that you are able to:

P1

Explain the ethical issues a business needs to consider in its operational activities.

Task 2

Using the same business as in P1, choose different stakeholders that have an interest in your chosen business and explain the following;

• The impact on the business and its stakeholders of the way the business operates
• Any conflict of interest the stakeholder has with any other stakeholder (Explain the reason for this)
• What are the benefits to the business in being ethical.
• What are the costs to the business in being ethical. Ensure to give reasons and support with examples and explain in detail!
• Explain the implications of ethical practices on your organisation.

Checklist of evidence required

Report Unit -37 Understanding Business Ethics

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria reference

To achieve the criteria, you must show that you are able to:

P2

Explain the implications for the business and stakeholders of a business operating ethically.

Task 3

In your report you are required to cover the following points:

1. Describe the social implications facing that business (the business you have selected in p1)Social implication include: satisfied customer, better local environment, local employment and /or motivated workforce, growing market for trade products, on-genetically modified foods, sustainable production.

You should consider at least four of the ethical issues indicated below and describe what these issues are and why they are of concern to business.

•Ethics in finance e.g. bribery, executive pay, insider trading, lobbying.

•Ethics in human resource management e.g. discrimination, worker surveillance.

•Ethics in production e.g. animal testing, genetically modified food, planned obsolescence.

•Ethics in sales and marketing e.g. spamming, shills, product placement, green washing.

•Ethics in intellectual property e.g. software piracy, counterfeiting, peer-to peer, file sharing.

Checklist of evidence required

Report

Research Data

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria reference

To achieve the criteria, you must show that you are able to:

P3

Describe the social implications of business ethics facing a selected business in its different areas of activity.

Task 4

3. In order to write a report with images on the issues, you should describe the ethical concerns facing communities in which the business operates. This should include:
4. List and describe the communities which are impacted by your chosen business, that includes: local; regional; global.
5. What are the concerns that the local communities have about the business operating there and why? Consider factors such as pollution; environmental concerns; employment; taking business away from local businesses
6. State overseeing bodies and pressure group and what role does any pressure group have in raising concerns within the communities and explain who they are and what they do.
7. Identify how they impact and influence the above ethical issues you have stated.
8. What role does government have (if any) with ethical concerns in the communities?
9. Examine at least six of the ethical concerns of the communities in which your organization operates. Issues should include:

• corporate social responsibility,
• globalization,
• cultural imperialism,
• ecology,
• environment,
• fair trade,
• corruption,
• child labor,
• outsourcing,
• personal attitudes,
• whistleblowing.

Checklist of evidence required

Report

Images

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria reference

To achieve the criteria, you must show that you are able to:

P4

Examine the ethical concerns of the communities in which the selected business operates.

Sources of information to support you with this Assignment

Sources of information

Textbooks

Chryssides GD and Kaler J H - An introduction to business ethics (Thomson Learning,1993)

Fisher C and Lovell A – Business Ethics and values: individual, corporate and international perspectives.

Journals

Business Review Magazine (Philip Allan Updates)

Economic Review Magazine (Philip Allan Updates)

Websites:

www.bbc.co.uk/news

www.buisness-ethics.com

Other assessment materials attached to this Assignment Brief

None

To achieve the criteria, you must show that you are able to:

Unit

Criterion reference

N/A

 Unit -37 Understanding Business Ethics