This paper discusses the concept of business ethics and social responsibility using the example of Commonwealth Bank. It explores ethical behavior, ethical philosophies, and the consequences of unethical actions. The paper highlights the importance of personal ethics and the impact of business ethics on the company and society.
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Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Name of the student: Name of the university: Author note:
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1BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY For a successful business to sustain in the market, a business must follow certain business ethics. Business ethics helps a company trustworthy and reliable every member associated with the company, internally and externally. An appropriate ethics plan is developed when there is appropriate personal ethics. Along with business ethics, a company takes up social responsibility that contributes towards society and environment ( Swanson and Frederick 2016). The paper will discuss business ethics and social responsibility in this paper with the help of a real life example, a business ethics issue of Commonwealth Bank. The paper will discuss the issues in brief and use it to explain from the ethical perspective along with ethical philosophies that play vital role in maintaining the firm ethics in an organization. The past records have successfully shown that there are a number of ethical risks that are associated with the provision of financial advice along with other factors impact the ethical decisions making of financial planners ( Ferrell & Fraedrich 2015). Considering the case of CBA and its financial scandal, three examples of ethical behavior can be traced which are interlinked with each other. Firstly, there is individual behavior is noted from the rough financial planners of the CBA who conducted an unethical plan by placing elderly retiree’s savings into high risk investmentproduct.It wascontrarythan what wasinstructedand wascertainlylacking disclosure with falsifying of documents. Also, there is also an example of forged documents by CBA financial planners. Secondly, the issue is encouragement from CBA unethical behavior by providing incentives in the form of bonus, commissions and overseas sales trip to financial planners for top performing financial planners who are able to meet their sales target. A sales based culture amongst the financial planner is fostered by CBA. Also, when they were not met with their target they were threatened with dismissal ( Schlagwein, Thorogood and Willcocks 2014). Thirdly, CBA adopted several behaviors which would cover up the financial planner’s
2BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY misconduct. When CBA was first aware of transgressions involving financial planner, they suspended the employee however he was provided with promotion to the senior financial planner within the next month of his promotion. All these behavior represents the company’s unethical decisions. The case has now reached its peak and the company has faced the consequences of it ( Isidro and Sobral 2015). The company has involves unethical behavior which have effected its employees and the people associated with the company. Utilitarianism is one of the best known theories in regard to ethics with the best known persuasive good hypotheses. It is one of the consequentialism theories, where the center thought of the theory is depended on the consequences. It is the consequences that decide the action is right or wrong ( Kalajtzidis 2013). Utilitarianism trust that the motivation behind the ethical quality is to contribute and improve life by expanding the measures of awful things. They dismiss morale codes or frameworks that comprises of directions or taboos that rely on traditions, conventions, or requests given by pioneers or powerful creatures. Utilitarianism imagine that the things causes an ethical quality to be valid or legitimate is its positive commitment to human creatures ( Crane and Matten 2016). The Kantian theory revolves around the thought of an ‘unmitigated object’. It is an all inclusive standard of moral that expresses that an individual is ought to dependably regard the humankind in others.Every person should act as per decides that have the potential to hold for everybody.According to Kant, the ethical law is a fact of reason, and subsequently that every single judicious animal are bound by a similar good law. In this way one should answer to the inquiry ‘what should I do?’ ( Street 2016). To which Kant answer that people should act judiciously as per a widespread good law. In the same way, Kant contended that has moral hypothesis needs confidence is through freedom, God and the always lasting status of the spirit.
3BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Regardless of the fact that we cannot know everything about this things, reflection on the ethical law raises an advocated surety I them. Through this process Kant answers that one may trust that our spirits are godlike and that there truly is a Divine being that planned the world as per the standard of equity ( Teson 2018). Following the utilitarian theory, the CBA case has certainly performed unethical as the consequence of the entire situation has definitely did not lead to greater happiness. It is one of the consequentialism theories, where the center thought of the theory is depended on the consequences. The consequence of the CBA action is not done as per the ethics. The impact of company’s misconduct has impacted on the global financial crisis. The financial planning industry have highlighted that the morale problem associated with it. The company lacks the socially responsible behavior. The end result has led to results that are socially unwelcomed and harmful. A large number of people are affected by the company. There are genuine independent advisers who try to help savers and retire. A large number of aged populations have been affected with their financial decision making. Also, the employees of the company have been harassed by the senior managers in order to meet the target and exceed them. Since utilitarianism is based on the consequences, it can be stated that it has led to not good consequence (Ajide. and Aderem 2014 ). Following the Kantian theory where the emphasis is on the intension, the CBA case is certain an unethical action. According to Kant, the ethical law is a fact of reason, and subsequently that every single judicious animal are bound by a similar good law. The company was certainly aware of their action and the intension was simply self-beneficiary. It was therefore an example of the way an organization can act unethically. The individual ethics here have made a significant role as there person planning the action have made a decision which reflects their
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4BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY own ethical and moral values. The financial planner’s clear perception of moral values is uncertain.Theintensionwastobenefitbycreatingdisadvantageforotherexcessively. Therefore, it was a major ethical issue. Not only have the member of the company but the people associated with the company faced the problem. Being caught with the scandal has led to shut down of the company and damage its reputation. Therefore, it has affected many people associated with the company. Being aware of the consequences, the company has taken these steps. Therefore, since the intension of the company was not to help the greater population, it was an unethical action performed by CBA ( Dierksmeier 2013). As discussed above, for a successful business to sustain in the market, a business must follow certain business ethics. Business ethics helps a company trustworthy and reliable every member associated with the company, internally and externally. An appropriate ethics plan is developed when there is appropriate personal ethics. Along with business ethics, a company takes up social responsibility that contributes towards society and environment. Considering the case of CBA and its financial scandal, three examples of ethical behavior can be traced which are interlinked with each other. Utilitarianism is based on the consequences and the Kantian theory is on the intension. There is individual behavior is noted from the rough financial planners of the CBA who conducted an unethical plan by placing elderly retiree’s savings into high risk investment product. The intension and the consequences both were only opposite to social responsibility. Therefore the actions of the company was not to help the greater population, it was an unethical action performed by CBA.
5BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY References: Crane,A.andMatten,D.,2016.Businessethics:Managingcorporatecitizenshipand sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. Dierksmeier, C., 2013. Kant on virtue.Journal of Business Ethics,113( 4), pp.597-609. Ferrell, O. C., & Fraedrich, J. 2015.Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases. Nelson Education. Isidro, H. and Sobral, M., 2015. The effects of women on corporate boards on firm value, financial performance, and ethical and social compliance.Journal of Business Ethics,132( 1), pp.1-19. Kalajtzidis, J., 2013. Ethics of social consequences as a contemporary consequentialist theory. Ethics & Bioethics ( in Central Europe),3( 3-4), pp.159-171. Schlagwein, D., Thorogood, A. and Willcocks, L.P., 2014. How Commonwealth Bank of AustraliaGainedBenefitsUsingaStandards-Based,Multi-ProviderCloudModel.MIS Quarterly Executive,13( 4). Street, S., 2016, June. I—Constructivism in Ethics and the Problem of Attachment and Loss. In Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume( Vol. 90, No. 1, pp. 161-189). Oxford University Press. Swanson, D.L. and Frederick, W.C., 2016. Denial and leadership in business ethics education. Business ethics: New challenges for business schools and corporate leaders, pp.222-240. Teson, F., 2018.A philosophy of international law. Routledge.
6BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Ajide, F.M. and Aderemi, A.A., 2014. The effects of corporate social responsibility activity disclosure on corporate profitability: Empirical evidence from Nigerian commercial banks.IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance ( IOSRJEF),2( 6), pp.17-25.