Challenges and Best Practices in Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability in the Technology Sector

This report discusses the key challenges and best practices in corporate responsibility and sustainability in the technology sector. It examines the case of Black Pepper Software Ltd and how they are addressing ethical and moral issues. The report also provides recommendations for businesses in the sector to be more responsible and consider global considerations.

Business ethics
responsibility and
sustainability

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................1
Examine and discuss the key challenges relating to corporate responsibility and sustainability
relating to your chosen sector......................................................................................................2
2. Analyze and explain what you consider to be 'best practice' within the sector, making
references to ethical and moral issues.........................................................................................4
3. Recommendations for businesses in the sector to show they are being more responsible by
taking into account global considerations....................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Ethics are the moral principles and set of standards that needed to be followed for
managing and controlling the work. These are using to increase the value and understanding of
people who are working and have the expectation to grow. In the context of business, ethics is
referring to the duty of people who are working and make them responsible for their work. This
is important for an organization to understand the needs and wants of people and follow all
principles and regulation concerning a business which can help to increase the productivity and
profitability (Abad-Segura, Cortés-García, and Belmonte-Ureña, 2019). For sustaining the
business continuously there is a need to focus on social, environmental, political, technological,
and economic factors that may affect the business. For managing and organizing business
activities there is needed to focus on ethics and responsibilities which can help to improve the
profitability. This report is based on Black Peeper Software Ltd that is a technology-based
organization in UK, developing software to make business activities easy and increase the
performance by using Artificial Intelligence. This report covers key challenges that relate to
corporate responsibility and sustainability, best practices within the technology sector by
involving ethical and moral issues and recommendations.
Main Body
About organization – Black Pepper Software Limited is software development,
technical based company that introduce new technology in their software which uses to make the
workings faster and easier (Black Pepper Software Limited, 2020). This organisation has many
clients to whom it provide IT consulting services that help to increase the organizational
performance and profitability in a changing environment and maintain good profitability. The
management of the chosen organization are applying social media and other technical resources
to inform their clients and provide the right information about the uses of software so clients can
manage the software and their workings. It also uses Artificial intelligence to develop
intelligence machines, think and working like human beings, solving problems, and making
effective planning for improving organizational performance. The management of such
enterprise are maintaining ethical and social responsibility which increases trust among people
and deliver the best quality of services. Artificial intelligence also helps to improve the customer
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experience by delivering the best quality and right uses of software that are demanding by
customers.
Examine and discuss the key challenges relating to corporate responsibility and sustainability
relating to your chosen sector.
For businesses, it is important to understand the needs and wants of their customers
which uses to provide the products and services accordingly. For running a business successfully
it is important to have proper knowledge of technology and process which can be used to make
easier working and deliver the best quality of services. Every organisation wants to sustain long
term in a competitive market for this it seeks to add a value of the organization by making sure
that it will impacts positively on society, the environment, and the economy. This is important
for management to focus on corporate responsibilities that can help to manage and control the
business activities by delivering right information and products which increases performance and
profitability (Ashrafi and et.al., 2018). For example, Black Pepper software limited is a
software development company that uses new technology to develop the software and increase
the organizational working in changing environments. The management of such organisation are
doing corporate responsibility by providing better services to its client to store their recorded
data and business related information that can help to manage the task effectively. The
management is using social media to provide the information and messages to customers
regarding their products and services which can help business concern to use this and increase
productivity. The another example is Tesco that is larger size retailer company operating
business by using new technology and virtual reality that can help to attracts the number of
customers and increases the organizational sales. Moreover, AI uses in corporate responsibility
through a virtual assistant program that provide real time support to users. This also helps to
detect security intrusions. This can help to increase organizational activities and function by
using new technologies.
Key challenges relating to corporate responsibility and sustainability
Project infrastructure – For technology-based organization it is important to focus on
ethical standards and corporate responsibility which can help to increase the performance in a
competitive environment by running their business. In context to Black Pepper Software Limited
un established project environment and infrastructure is the main challenge which is facing by
organization which have impacted on organizational activities. For solving this, management
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should use the best technology and technical activities that can be used in developing, testing,
and investing in solid IT infrastructure to create better software development (Medrado and
Jackson, 2016).
Improper uses of resources – The technology sector is facing the issue of improper uses
of resources and investment which are related to corporate responsibility and sustainability for
the long term in a challenging environment. For example, Black Pepper Software Limited is
having several resources but it does not make use of them properly in running the business which
reduces the organizational productivity and profitability in a challenging environment. For
solving this issue, management should have better knowledge and technical skills which can be
useful resources and capital to adopt new technology and develop the software (Bergman,
Bergman and Berger, 2017).
Occurrence of natural tragedy: In changing and corporate business environment there
is nothing to be stable and uncertain what will be happened in next moment. If natural happening
are done in global market then it can be a challenging point in corporate world to operate the
business and make use of CSR and new technology. For example, in present time all world is
suffering from pandemic that is serious issue for corporate responsibility and sustainability by
managing business. In this situation, all businesses whether small, medium and larger are closed.
For example, due to pandemic Mark and Spencer company that is fashion retailing has closed
their business activities that reduced the sales and profitability of organisation.
Quality assurance – In a business environment, this is the main issue which are facing
by organisations while running a business and managing the technology. For example, Black
Pepper Software Limited is not reviewing code and suppressing errors that can be a challenge for
developers to meet the deadline of projects. For solving this problem management and
developers are using AI and ethical standards which helps to use best code development
practices and meet requirements effectively and sooner which supports operating and manage the
business. The another example is Bentley motors that is auto mobile company uses the AI and
corporate social responsibility for the purpose of improving brand image and entering in to
global market as it provide better quality and design of cars. If organization is not providing
quality assurance products then it will be challenge to sustain in competitive market.
Undefined quality standards – This problem is also related to software development
where Black Pepper Software development is facing problems to identify and detect the
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functions during testing or unit testing in the development phase. This is important for
organisation to focus on social responsibility and ethical policies while identifying the quality
standard which can help to take the test properly and manage the activities. For this, software
developers of organisation need to come out with test approach, conditions, cases, scenarios, and
scripts which helps to make sure that all testing plans and requirements are delivered by testing
cycles. This also makes sure their clients that their information will be confidential that bring
improvements in organisational processes and activities (Lim and Greenwood, 2017).
System and application integration – In a business environment, different technologies,
systems, and applications are using by businesses where it uses ERP systems, inventory
management databases, websites, and substantial complexity concerning corporate responsibility
and sustainability. Black Pepper is an example of facing challenges of system application and
integration that may lead to extra cost, delays, low quality, etc. affected the business. For solving
this problem the management of the chosen organization is required to develop a clear
understanding of end-user requirements, uses new research methodologies, design and
developing new solutions, evaluation of ideas by ensuring optimum integration, etc. are possible
through new technology and corporate responsibilities which helps to improve the business
performance and managing projects properly (de Bakker, Rasche, and Ponte, 2019).
Challenges with employee engagement – In corporate responsibility and sustainability,
employee engagement is the main factor that should be considered by organisation while running
a business. As the employer of each company should understand the needs of employees and
make efforts to provide them satisfaction and motivation which can help to increase sales and
productivity. For example, Tesco is facing the problem of employee engagement due to improper
coordination that affected business negatively. For overcoming this, employers and employees
should maintain good relations by sharing ideas and information about the business which
increases business performance (Huda and et.al., 2018).
Security – This is defined as a key challenge for organisation which is facing by the
technological organization while developing the software and performing activities. This is
important for software developers to provide the security of their system which can be used in
management, business analysts, technical architects, quality assurance and application
development which are needed to save from hackers and make the wrongly uses which reduced
the organizational performance and profitability. For overcoming the issue of security Black
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Pepper Software Limited is required to follow Artificial intelligence and new technology which
can help to provide safety with programming, developing high-performance languages,
performing security assurance activities, and performing essential core activities which can help
to manage the challenges and bring improvements in their organizational performance (Kourula,
Pisani and Kolk, 2017).
From the above, it has defined that different organisation such as Black Pepper Limited,
Tesco, Mark and Spencer, Bentley Motors and other organisation are facing many challenges in
corporate responsibility and sustainability at the time of running a business where management is
required to make use of Artificial Intelligence properly which can help to develop the best
quality of software with the best design by solving problems which can help to increase the
productivity and profitability.
2. Analyze and explain what you consider to be 'best practice' within the sector, making
references to ethical and moral issues.
Various companies in the technology industry struggle with the numerous issues listed
from above diverse situations. The following are among the companies that have performed a
remarkable job in upholding their corporate social responsibility and meeting any obstacle under
it:
The technical dimension relevant to the obligation of the technology sector organizations
requires each organization to have computer lists that are secure for system use and high system
material. Black Pepper software limited is established in UK and provides services in different
software. The company was situated in 30 April 1999 and offers different types of software
system which is purchasing by the various nations. The company uses the Artificial intelligence
to develop their software with high security and safety (Stonkutė, Vveinhardt and Sroka, 2018).
The company supply highly protected software that help to manage work easily and maintain all
the activities effectively the main aim of the business to develop better software with Artificial
intelligence to maintain sustainability in business. This is one of the best company that offer
different types of software that follow all the social media activities and try to apply modification
in their software. They are following all the legal standards and laws that set by the UK
government for the technological industry to achieve all the profitability in shorter period of
time. The company follows the different practices and approaches to sort out the ethical issues
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that arise in the business during the financial period. This productivity and awareness in
implementing corporate responsibility has also made the organization boost its corporate
reputation and credibility, and is one of the key factors for the investment in high brand equity
and the corporation's loyal customer base in both the domestic and overseas markets.
Good practices' is a term that is frequently used in circumstances when it would be very
necessary to do all the deal correct and there are considerable costs or risks to do it in a less than
ideal way. Here define industry standards for the way to integrate sufficient ethical
consideration, analysis, and software creation decision taking. Consequently, organizations and
professionals should make design organizational policies, procedures, protocols and best
practices which are precisely relevant towards their own behaviors and difficulties (Sroka and
Szántó, 2018).
Highlight the human lives and interest behind the technology: For technological
settings for particular, it is likely to miss track of what technology is currently doing to people's
beings and desires. Also if the technology concerns non - sentient objects (e.g., ocean warming
compilations), it is used for essential human objectives and needs. So a lot of technology
concerns the most important aspects of people's relationship of living creatures: their
environments, their economies, their social interactions so their psychological and emotional
conditions. A respectable human being should treat the body, property, or mental state of some
other individual with reasonable caution; the same ethical responsibilities extend while creating
innovations that impact upon these and many other essential aspects of people's relationship of
citizens (Setó-Pamies and Papaoikonomou, 2016).
Don’t discount non technical actors, interests and expectations: Within different fields of
professional practice, technologists are fully skilled and used to communicating with those of
different levels of technological experience. It can contribute to a increasingly isolated mentality
when taking into account the needs and threats of non-technical participants to that they are
subjected. This may also promote a philosophically callous view of people who perceived risk is
the product of technological ignorance or naïvety. This approach contributes to missed chances
to incorporate policies of basic risk management and reduction, limiting the risk danger to the
company and to private entities. However, becoming technologically naive is not, in reality,
anything that allows a company no longer worthy of death or damage, and also less worthy of
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protection. In the end, having sufficient respect for non - tech characters and their desires would
make us stronger technologist.
Mind the gap between user expectations and reality: Keep in mind when designing
technologies how the perceptions of investors about a specific product can vary from reality.
Will the consumers know anything about these new technologies dangers, for example: Might
such notifications of exposure and usage contribute to unrealistic perceptions about how secure
users are? Will we hold all the commitments we made with our users? Can we, for instance, one
day advertise our product and/or its related information to third parties that may not uphold those
promises? Sometimes people fall into the trap of negotiating with others as partners once
they can potentially work from an epistemological successfully develop that knows more than
they do. Agreements with participants who've been 'in the dark' or are under delusions about the
essence of the information settlement are usually not morally valid. For example, it is saying that
for the best practices required to apply all the CSR activities in appropriate manner and focus on
expected software that wants to develop for more improvements. Such as, Facebook can apply
new technologies to connect with the customers for longer period of time and provide effective
facility to people.
Establish chains of ethical responsibility and accountability: The 'numerous-hands issue' is a
recurrent issue to acceptable conduct and transparency in organizational context. To prevent a
spread of accountability in that no individual on a group can feel motivated or pressured to
undertake the required measures to maintain successful and responsible practice, specific
networks of accountability should be defined and made visible to all those participating in the
work—at the youngest practicable periods of a project (Schaltegger and Burritt, 2018). It will
explain who is accountable for any element of ethical asset mitigation and harming avoidance, in
every one of the related hazard-laden business units. They will also state clearly who is primarily
responsible for maintaining a program or procedure that has been conducted morally. What
should be able to provide responses, reasons and solutions when there is an ethical breach or
serious risk posed by the accomplishment of the project? Accepted systems of transparency and
obligation guarantee which representatives of a venture or association take clear control of the
moral cost of the product.
According to the above analysis, it can be inferred that CSR, like every other strategic
management, is becoming an essential part of business activities and needs due consideration to
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help businesses enhance their brand identity and follow corporate ethics in organizational
behaviour. Every organization merged with the CSR requirements in various ways and types
(Reinecke, Arnold and Palazzo, 2016). As per the
3. Recommendations for businesses in the sector to show they are being more responsible by
taking into account global considerations
Having acknowledged the importance and meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility in
the software industry, it is of the paramount importance for any corporate entity in this sector to
pay closer attention to this principle and follow strategies that lead to successful management of
corporate social responsibility discharged. Because of the broad reach and field of CSR, it is also
found that even after intense treatment, organizations continue to lose out on certain essential
elements that are the main criteria for the organization's achievement. Here are some of the
guidelines for the technology industry has made organizations to exemplify their disposal of
liability in context of the society.
 CSR stresses the organization's interest in returning some of its profits to community
through specific community development. For example, it is very important for a
business entity to actually take development programs next, if a software company that
includes commercial only takes up development projects in its base country then this will
lead to an adverse reputation even when the company spends on corporate responsibility
caused by ignorance of local community approaches (Quarshie, Salmi and Leuschner,
2016) It is therefore imperative that companies identify the population's desires and
expectations and implement approaches to meet them. Like Black Pepper software
limited company in the technology sector, the emphasis should be on enhancing and
expanding the culture in which they work.
 Organizations will also issue annual reports detailing and explaining the organization's
efforts to fulfill its corporate responsibilities and efficiency in a timeframe that increases
consciousness among citizens that the organization is more transparent and moral in its
service with regards to corporate responsibility.
 There are many multiple laws and regulations regulating the activities of businesses and
associations in occupational health and safety guidelines for the technology industry.
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Either the first or easiest step any company should take to prove that such duty or
responsibility is to conform because of all these rules.
 Technology industry is directly related to information care and security, as well as the
most significant social obligation for any company in this field is to provide high-quality
and safe database schemas for human food. It is found that consumers prefer to charge
much increased costs if the performance of the commodity is adequately assured.
Different any technology company should only supply high-quality products independent
of the given product category (Pedersen and et.al., 2018).
 Corporate Social Responsibility is among the most common and effective business
behavior that helps each company boost its responsible individual and a positive picture
of the community. There are numerous issues facing organizations in the sector, such as
enhancing technological protection and the impact on the economy, which serve as
obstacles in effectively discharging obligations.
 It is suggested that to maintain sustainability for the business require to focus on best
practices that set by the experts for the technological sector and provide various
alternative of different problems. Along with analysis other companies software that
helps to company to grow maturely and get effective income.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that in a business environment concerning the
technology industry many challenges are faced by an organization that is related to responsibility
and sustainability may affect the business. This report is prepared by collecting secondary
resources such as books, online databases, etc. For overcoming these problems, artificial
intelligence and social media is used by a business concern which can help to operate and
manage the activities and functions. Business ethics are important that allows a person to make
planning and organize the organisational functions that can help to improve profitability.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
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Ashrafi, M. and et.al., 2018. How corporate social responsibility can be integrated into corporate
sustainability: a theoretical review of their relationships. International Journal of
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Bergman, M. M., Bergman, Z. and Berger, L., 2017. An empirical exploration, typology, and
definition of corporate sustainability. Sustainability. 9(5). p.753.
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Huda, M. and et.al., 2018. Empowering corporate social responsibility (CSR): insights from
service learning. Social Responsibility Journal.
Kourula, A., Pisani, N. and Kolk, A., 2017. Corporate sustainability and inclusive development:
highlights from international business and management research. Current opinion in
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Lim, J. S. and Greenwood, C. A., 2017. Communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR):
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Medrado, L. and Jackson, L. A., 2016. Corporate nonfinancial disclosures: An illuminating look
at the corporate social responsibility and sustainability reporting practices of hospitality
and tourism firms. Tourism and Hospitality Research. 16(2). pp.116-132.
Pedersen, E. R .G. and et.al., 2018. Exploring the relationship between business model
innovation, corporate sustainability, and organisational values within the fashion
industry. Journal of Business Ethics. 149(2). pp.267-284.
Quarshie, A. M., Salmi, A. and Leuschner, R., 2016. Sustainability and corporate social
responsibility in supply chains: The state of research in supply chain management and
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corporate responsibility, and sustainability research. Business Ethics Quarterly. 26(4).
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Setó-Pamies, D. and Papaoikonomou, E., 2016. A multi-level perspective for the integration of
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Sroka, W. and Szántó, R., 2018. Corporate social responsibility and business ethics in
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Management and Innovation. 14(3). pp.111-126.

Stonkutė, E., Vveinhardt, J. and Sroka, W., 2018. Training the CSR sensitive mind-set: The
integration of CSR into the training of business administration professionals.
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Online
Black Pepper Software Limited. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.blackpepper.co.uk/>
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