Ethical/Code of Conduct in Major Internet Companies

A BUSINESS REPORT ON ETHICAL/CODE OF CONDUCT IN MAJOR INTERNET
COMPANIES
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Introduction
Ethical standard is a fundamental aspect in every organization’s operations. The codes of
conduct builds the confidence of the organization in the society alongside keeping the company’s
employees informed concerning what the company is anticipating as far as organizational
behavior is concerned. It also provide the guidelines for the organization’s employees in making
ethical decisions that protect the image of the company. Ethical standards are the principles that
promote values like fairness, good behavior and trust among other values when followed by an
organization1. Every company has its own standards which it follow; every organization have the
rights to develop its own ethical standards that have meaning for the organization. This
document will focus on ethical standards that is portrayed by various organizations including
Microsoft Corporation, Apple, Google, and Facebook.
Relating the organization’s earlier years with the ethical codes of conduct, back in the
nineteen eighties, when Microsoft was still young in the market, the organization had a blinding
reputations in ethical conducts as confirmed by Wallace Jonathan who was a lawyer representing
a certain developer who was seeking license for his work from Microsoft Corporation2. By then
Facebook, Google and Apple were minor players in the market, some, like Facebook were not
yet created. It can be seen that Microsoft was the giant since late nineties and is still the giant on
ethical/code of conducts and compliance.
1 McShane, Steven Lattimore, Sandra L. Steen, and Kevin Tasa. Canadian organizational behaviour. Toronto:
McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2009.
2 Microsoft, 2018, About Microsoft. Retrieved on 30th September 2018 from: <
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about>
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Like other organizations including Facebook, Apple and Google, Microsoft Corporation
have been enlisted under one theme that is trust. According to Microsoft Corporation, trust is a
fundamental aspect of its operations with its customers, investors, its employees, government
and its representatives. Trust has offered the process to enable the corporate’s employees make
difficult decisions regarding the values and standards of the organization3. Moreover, the
documents containing the organization’s ethical standards are provided for its employees in a
format that is eye appealing and easy to read4. As further highlighted by the organization, the
responsibilities which are covered in the codes of conduct apply to all Microsoft’s employees
including executive officials and all members of board of directors.
In a contest of ethical conduct where a company which lead in its industry in ethics and
codes of conduct was awarded, Microsoft emerged the best among other organizations including
google, Apple, and Facebook and was awarded. The organizations were evaluated according to
their social responsibilities, governance, and citizenship among other aspects.
What people think the organizations concerning ethical conduct
A survey on what people think concerning the ethical standards of Microsoft was done
for the purpose of this assignment with the help of questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided
into various sections including section for the question: How ethical do you think Microsoft
Corporation, Facebook, Google and Apple are? The questionnaire also contained a section for a
3 Sarantakos, Sotirios. Social research. Macmillan International Higher Education, 2012.
4 Markham, Annette, Elizabeth Buchanan, and AoIR Ethics Working Committee. "Ethical decision-making and
Internet research: Version 2.0." Association of Internet Researchers(2012).
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