Applied Concept Paper: Critical Thinking Structures for Business Ethics Essay

executive director SummaryThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate my understanding of the previously menti mavind ingrained c one timepts and capability in order to relate them to the mapual vexation ball finished with(predicate) and through applications of my critical thinking skills. Key concepts such(prenominal) as morals, soci suitable responsibility, whistle-b inflicts, sustainability, stakeholders, and environmental stewardship ar menti hotshotd in Chapters 3 and 4 of (Wheelen, 2012). This paper discusses fresh articles regarding ethics in the Atlanta Public School Systems, a rape of the regulation of ethics by the antecedent HealthS come forthh CFO back in 2010, and Wal-Marts latest ethics controversy. In addition, this paper targets authoritative concepts such as affable responsibility, sustainability environmental stewardship and how they affect the stakeholders of Patagonia Clothing Company, Carlportland, U.S Silica and lucky Stone Company. These compan ies devote proven themselves to be in the fore figurehead of sustainability initiatives through their everyday practices.From this research, I learned that adhering to the Code of Ethics in the problem world is main(prenominal) on more(prenominal) levels. It guides all managerial decisions, creating a common framework upon which all decisions atomic number 18 founded. In order for companies to full meet their social responsibility, they should have in place a transition to integrate social, environmental, good and benevolent rights concerns into their stage craft operations and core strategy. Furthermore, the concept of sustainability has come to the vanguard of the spheric understanding that economics, environmental health and human vigorous(p)-being argon interconnected. This ultimately demonstrates that generating mellow- prime(prenominal) products in a responsible track increases brand reputation, competitive advantage, and nigh principal(prenominal)ly financia l success.Abstracts* investigation into APS duplicity Finds Unethical Behavior Across Every level This article dialogue close to how across the Atlanta Public School system (APS), round members worked in secret to cheat on testing results. The report accuses binding district officials along with schooling teachers and administrators, of wrongdoing which had been happening for years. In slightly schools, cheating became a routine, a part of administrative duties during the annual assure examinations. It grew into an organized crime of falsifying test results for children who could non score high enough to meet the districts self-imposed goals. In addition, Beverly Hall, actor superintendent, and her top aides, lied to top investigators, destroyed and altered public records, tampered with training, and misled law of nature to avoid taking responsibly for their unethical ways. This resulted in a stopping point of fear, intimidation, and retaliation in the APS. * Former He alth South CFO dialogue to cable Students About Workplace Ethics This article discusses the ethical challenges that many CFOs face in the workplace.Aaron Beam, former HealthSouth CFO, served prison time for forging the ships companionships finances and breaking the code of ethics. Beam warned students of the ethical dangers in at onces workforce. He mentioned why accountants and CFOs get trapped into lying, and sprightliness intimidated by their superiors. In this article, Bean touches on many important points, such as, how money changes battalion, how having more personal possessions does not guarantee happiness, and most importantly, how we need to stand by our principles and ethics all the time. After disbursal three months in the Montgomery jail, Beam learned his lesson he wrote a book, opened a lawn service business, and decided to sh ar his experience with business students in universities across the nation.* Wal-Marts Ethics ControversyThis article debates how an emplo yee finish up jobless after following the Wal-Mart ethics guidelines. Chalace Epley Lowry started working for Wal-Mart in January of 2006, and after a few days at the job, she witnessed unethical behavior from the VP of her department. Lowry suspected that Ms. Williams, the VP of Corporate Communications might have traded inside information about the clubs stock. She questioned it and filed a formal complaint with her fast supervisor she thought that it was the honorable thing to do. In return, her identity got divulge to the offender, make it uncomfortable in her amaze since Mona Williams was hard-hittingly her boss. Also, she got a lower mathematical process review, and when she complained, she was told to bring another job.* Patagonia Blueprint for Green BusinessThe preceding(prenominal) article is the story of how Patagonia, an outdoor-clothing and equipment devoted, and its founder, Yvon Chouinard, took his passion for the outdoors and turned into a booming business . By conducting business in a non-traditional way, Chouinard created a phoner with a different outdoor style that makes $270 million in yearly r howeverues. This administration is among one of the first in America to provide onsite dayc atomic number 18, as well as both maternity and paternity leave, and flextime. Patagonia reuses materials, questions poseth, ignores fashion, makes goods that last, and discontinues profitable products. With a laidback melodic line for employees, its production is at full capacity. Mr. Chouinards biggest dream is to turn Patagonia into a totally sustainable, ECO friendly company, where lot enjoy coming to work, and he trick sleep well at night.* Pursuing Sustainability Business Initiatives, a over spacious Business In this article, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) recognizes their large makers member companies, which are pursuing sustainability initiatives through their everyday practices. The first one, CalPortland Co mpany, one of the major producers of Portland cement, has been pursuing environmental stewardship for years. The second one, Lucky Stone Company, one of the largest family-owned and operated aggregates companies in the U.S, has an excellent environmental reputation. And the trio one, U.S. Silica, is a leading producer of industrial minerals which recently adopted a formal sustainability policy. This article also emphasizes what these companies have in common and highlights the benefits companies get out obtain by making sustainable decisions now.ConceptsEthics is defined by the textbook as the consensually authoritative standards of behavior for an occupation, a trade, or a profession. there is no cosmopolitan standard of conduct for business raft. This is especially true given the global nature of business activities. Cultural norms and surveys vary between countries, ethnics groups and even among geographic regions (Wheelen, 2012). A Code of ethics specifies how an organiz ation expects its employees to behave time on the job. A code of ethics, (1) clarifies company expectations of employees conduct in dissimilar situations and (2) makes clear that the company expects its people to recognize the ethical dimensions in decisions and actions. (Wheelen, 2012). Whistle-blowers are defined by the author of the textbook as those employees who report unlawful or unethical behavior on the part of others. Even though the Sarbanes-Oxley Act forbids firms from retaliating against anyone reporting unethical acts, 82% of those who uncovered fraud report being ostracized, demoted or pressure to quit (Wheelen, 2012).The concept of Social indebtedness as it is explained in the textbook proposes that a private corporation has responsibilities towards the beau monde that extend beyond making a profit. Many business people have tallyd upon the main responsibilities of a business, which are Economic, Legal and Ethical. be socially responsible does provide a firm a more positive overall reputation (Wheelen, 2012). Sustainability may include more than simply ecological concerns and the natural environment. It merchantman also include economic and social aspects. In the business environment, in order for a firm to be sustainable, it must be successful over a long purpose of time and it must satisfy all of its economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities (Wheelen, 2012). Stakeholders are a large group of people with interest in a business organizations activities.This group gets affected by the achievements or failures of the firms objective lenss (Wheelen, 2012). Some examples of Key Stakeholders are creditors, directors, employees, government agencies, shareholders, suppliers, unions, and the community where the business operates. Environmental Stewardship refers to responsible use and hold dearion of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices. Environmental stewardship defined in simple legal i njury as dealing with mans relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it (Leopold, 2013). AnalysisThe article about the APS unethical practices touches on one important concept Ethics. For years the Atlanta School District produced gains on republic curriculum test by cheating on students exams. Years of misconduct took place at all levels of the organization, from the top of the set up of command to the Superintendents office. The cheating prevented many struggling students from acquiring the extra help they needed (Vogell, 2011). It also created an atmosphere of stress and fabrication among school employees. Top investigators in the case came up with three executable reasons that cheating flourished in APS. 1. The district set unrealistic goals, and pensions and raises were based on the test results. 2. Because the target test results rose every time the school reached the goal, the pressure rose. Cheating was, therefore, the only way to obtain the results . 3. The top officials refused to claim responsibility. However, I disagree with those three reasons. Just because goals are unattainable, that does not immoral we have to act unethically. Once the cheating started, it could not be stopped.It collapsed on itself, as lying usually does. If top leaders refused to take responsibility, it was their choice. We, as individuals, have to be responsible for our own actions. Teachers are responsible for circumstances students become better members of society this includes teaching them good citizenship skills. There are always grey areas in professional codes of ethics because there are many areas that are subjective. Personal integrity and honesty are postulate by all who agree to follow a code of ethics. If an pedagogue observes someone practicing unethical behavior, it is his/her duty to report such behavior through the proper administrative channels. In the article that talks about the former CFO of HealthSouth, Aaron Beam, he warned students about the ethical challenges that are in the workplace. I especially enjoyed this article because it touches an important subject, the code of ethics. Even the most ethically-aware professionals find their standards challenged on a daily basis. As accountants, part of the code is to invent the public interest, and sometimes that may mean putting it ahead of the companys interest.As a CFO, that duty is heightened. In addition, the first people employees look to are the CEO and CFO to see if they have a real commitment to ethics. If they behave unethically, employees are likely to do so as well. A respectable CFO must be able to stand up to his/her boss with integrity and to speak unpleasant truths when necessary. non only can inappropriate behavior lead to configuration failures, fraud, and theft, plainly the consequences can adversely affect employee morale and the firms reputation. An ethical framework is built by making the right choices in the light things. Integrit y is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching (annonymus). In the third article about Wal-Mart, we see an employee who is following the companys code of ethics and acts as a Whistle-blower when she suspected an unethical act was committed by her department head. It is important to note that Wal-Mart prides itself on having one of the strictest and most stringent ethics policies in the retail industry (Gogoi, 2007).However, that was not true in this case. Instead of rewarding Ms. Lowrey for such a brave act, her identity got exposed, and she was encouraged to find another job at heart the company in 90 days. She even experienced a lower performance evaluation after the incident. She felt disappointed to see the way an ethics complaint was handled by a corporation like Wal-Mart. Most of Wal-Mart scandals are perpetuated by a close of silence. Rather than addressing the concerns that are affecting workers across the country, Wal-Mart has attempted to silence those who speak out for changes that would help the company, workers, and the community. As front line Wal-Mart workers are facing hardships, the company is making almost $16 billion a year in profits. Meanwhile, the Walton Family (heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune), are the richest family in the country. solely of this has taken a toll on Wal-Marts image. Some people will not shop at Wal-Mart because they do not unavoidableness to support a company that they perceive is unfair to its workers.Reading about Patagonia got my attention, since I have purchased their outdoor products without really knowing the companys history. This unique business is conducted upside down and inside out. Decades before cycle became a common practice, Patagonia was already reusing materials. The companys founder believed in putting the Earth first, by attaining sustainable practices, while making unlikely profits ($270 million in revenues yearly). This company would not release toxins into rivers or chase endless growt h. All of Patagonias products are produced with the highest level of quality and manufactured in the most socially responsible way. Patagonia became the first company in California to use renewable sources, like wind and solar energy, to power all its buildings and one of the first to print catalogs on recycled paper. With a payroll of 350 employees, the boss greets them by name. At the sweatshops facility, workers overlook a resort area of the companys day care facility.The people that works there are anything but slackers it was impressive to see how involved in sustainability their employees are, express Matt Kristle, a senior vice president of Sams Club (Casey, 2007). In addition, the owners agree to keep Patagonia privately held and say no to anything that may compromise their values. Also, a good portion of the companys profits is being donated to grass roots organizations, $26 million since 1985. As a company, all of the stakeholders are really committed to doing the right t hing. That is why Patagonia serves as a blueprint for future businesses that want to follow this path. In the last article I chose, there are three companies within the same industry that pursue sustainability initiatives through their everyday practices. They all agree that environmental stewardship and social responsibility can interact to increase stakeholder value as well as shareholder value, (Schlett, 2011). U.S Silica, CalPortland and Lucky Stone voluntarily assist their communities in resolving the issues that affect them. For example, CalPortland, does material donations for the City of DuPonts war memorial.Lucky Stone collaborates with the James River Association to create a spawning reef for the endangered Atlantic sturgeon species. U.S. Silicas effort to protect an endangered turtle species near Pennsylvania plant is admirable, as well as parcel feed local homeless people once a month. By helping their communities to resolve social issues, these companies are helping th emselves by increasing brand value and reputation, improving their license to operate, and cut back their risks. Conforming to environmental laws is not enough anymore.Consequently, pursing environmental stewardship elevates an organization into the stake attention category. And that, when implemented together with social responsibility initiatives for greener products and processes, moves the company into the Business and sustainable Development. A good example of that is that all three companies have been working through their environmental management systems to go beyond compliance by implementing Best Management Practices. By encouraging a culture of environmental and social stewardship, these three large producers are at the top dog of sustainability, and as a result they are recognizing financial and sustainable success. decisionAfter carefully analyzing all the articles, I came to the conclusion that all those concepts are intrinsically related. It is important to underst and that business ethics go beyond legal issues. Ethical conduct builds trust among individuals and in business relationships, which validates and promotes pledge between people. One of the principal causes of unethical behavior in organizations today is overly aggressive financial or business objectives. Abusive or intimidating behavior is another of the most common ethical problems for employees. making ethical choices is sometimes the most difficult thing, especially when the one losing out is you or your business. Yet, for the greater good and the sake of mankind, one has to look at business as well as personal ethics and mensurate them periodically.All professions have a set of values that are the fanny of their belief system and the intro of their practice. A Code of Ethics is important on many levels. It sets the tone from the top of the companys culture. An effective Code of Ethics establishes the ethical expectations for employees and management alike and sets forth the mechanisms for enforcement and consequences of noncompliance. There are four dimensions of social responsibility economic, legal, ethical, and voluntary, including philanthropic. Earning profits is the economic foundation of any company, and complying with the law is the next level.However, a business whose sole objective is to maximize profits is not likely to consider its social responsibility, although its activities will probably be legal. Sustainability is the balance between people and the environment. Air, water, and land are all impacted by the behavior and actions of human beings, but these impacts can be controlled. The challenge for companies in the twenty-first century is developing an environmentally responsible strategy that keeps them ahead of the game, helping them maintain an advantageous position in the marketplace. It is not enough to simply check boxes, publish a sustainability report, or reduce waste in factories. Companies must be in truth innovative in terms of how they manage their relationship with the environment.Works CitedCasey, S. (2007, may 29). Patagonia Blueprint for Green Business. Retrieved from http//cnnmoney.com. Gogoi, P. (2007, July 13). Wal-Marts Latest Ethics Controversy. Retrieved from http//www.Bloomberg Businessweek. Leopold, A. (2013, January 31). Aldo Leopold Quotes. Retrieved from aldoleopold.org http//www.aldoleopold.org/greenfire/quotes.shtml Schlett, W. (2011). Pursuing Sustainable Business Initiatives, a Large Business. Stone, Sand & Gravel Review , 44-48. Vogell, H. (2011, July 26). Investigation Into APS Cheating Finds Unethical Behavior Across Every Level. Retrieved from http//www.ajc.com. Wheelen, T. L. (2012). Strategic Management and Business Policy Towards Global Sustainability (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NY Prentice Hall.