Business Ethics Essay: Amazon Warehouse Conditions and Ethics

This essay delves into the realm of business ethics, specifically focusing on the working conditions within Amazon warehouses. The introduction establishes the significance of ethical business practices and corporate social responsibility. The research section examines a news article detailing the challenges faced by Amazon employees, such as inadequate breaks, low wages, and strict deadlines, leading to worker exploitation. Furthermore, it incorporates insights from eight additional academic articles exploring broader themes in business ethics, including corporate social responsibility, labor practices, and global business citizenship. The discussion section analyzes the ethical implications of Amazon's practices, emphasizing the impact of unethical behavior on employees and the company's reputation. The essay concludes by reiterating the importance of ethical business models and advocating for improved working conditions, fair wages, and employee well-being, including healthcare and preventing workplace discrimination. The references provide a comprehensive list of sources used to support the arguments presented.

Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS
Business Ethics
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Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Introduction
Business ethics are the business policies and the practices that must be abided by,
since it is regarding with the controversial subjects of the organisation, like the corporate
governance, discrimination in the workplace, social responsibility as well as fiduciary
responsibilities. The organisations must follow the ethical policies because the business ethics
help to be the guide for the business to gain success as well as public approval. The business
ethics at work helps the corporations to balance the social as well as the marketing
responsibility. The level of trust between the consumers and the corporations are maintained
and guaranteed by the business ethics. Business ethical code of conduct involves consumer
protection, service to the society as well as no labour exploitation. Professional and corporate
ethics should be followed by every organisation to ensure its code of conduct so that the
employees remain loyal as well as motivated for the organisation.
Research
Chosen Article
The working conditions of the Amazon warehouses, and the employees are not at all
satisfied with the organisation. They do not have adequate breaks from their shift timings and
they also are not appropriately paid for their labour. According to the news, the minimum
labour wage is just 11$ and the workers are made to work for long hours thus subjected to
workforce exploitation. Even they are not allowed to enjoy their holiday season due to the
overtime job. Moreover, their deadlines are so strict that they do not even get the time for
their bathroom breaks. Due to these exploitation and the labour force discrimination, the
employees of the company rose to Strike on the important days of Amazon like the Amazon
Prime Day and the Black Friday.

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Eight other articles
Business Ethics – Case Studies and Selected Readings, M.M. Jennings (2015)
This book explores the complex issues of business ethics from the perspective of the
leaders. Itinvolves the different kinds of leaders and their decision making ability, along with
the factors that push them over the ethical line. With the help of a number of case studies, the
author provides a basis for evaluation of business ethics and encourages stronger values in the
future business leaders.
Moral Issues in Business, W.H Shaw, V Barry, T.Issa, and B Catley. (2013)
This book examines the moral issues and the dilemmas that are most common in the
modern business world and provides analytical tools to resolve these issues. It involves the
topics such as the nature if morality, integrity and responsibilities. The book also focusses on
the situation specific concepts like the whistle blowing, sexual discrimination in the
workplace, as well as labour exploitation and job discrimination, which require ethical
concerns.
The next nexus: Environmental ethics, water management and climate change. Water
Alternatives, D. Grownfeldt, (2010).
This article discusses the efforts that promote the sustainable water policies. The main
aim of the article is to bring in the concept of the values and ethics into policy of the water as
it can help to clarify the goals of the management and promote the other sustainable practises,
sine the water policies are based on the ethical considerations.
Global business citizenship and voluntary codes of ethical conduct. Journal of Business
Ethics, J. M. Logsdon and D.J. Wood, (2005).

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This article deals with the theory and the process of the global business citizenship
and its analysis with regards to the codes of conduct of the company. The article illustrates
and analyses the three attributes of the code of conduct that reflects the global approach.
Globalization and the Failure of Ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly, M. Velasquez, (2000).
This article briefly introduces the topic that the globalisation has resulted in a number
of ethical problems among the multinational corporations. The article further answers the
questions related to what must be the ethical considerations and what kind of labour and
environmental standards should the companies follow in order to operate in a country.
Capitalism and its regulation: A dialogue on business and ethics. Journal of Business Ethics.,
M. Parker and G. Pearson, (2005).
This article explores the ethics of the politics of capitalism. It begins with the basic
definitions of capitalism and leads onto further discussions and debate regarding the nature
and purpose of the costs and benefits of global capitalist systems. It also discusses about the
competition work that is better for the customers and that prevents the negative impacts over
the citizens.
Do workers benefit from ethical trade? Assessing codes of labour practice in global
production systems., S. Barrientos, and S. Smith, (2007)
This article deals with the corporate codes of labour practise that helps in the global
production. The study involves detailed analysis of the codes that have led to the
improvements of the labour standards, as well as the existing commercial practices, and talks
about the corporate approach to the society.
Corporate social responsibility: The good, the bad and the ugly, S. B. Banerjee, ( 2008).

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The journal article deals with the contemporary discourses of the corporate social
responsibility along with the concepts of sustainability. The corporate citizenship and the
sustainability are considered to be the ideological movements that unite the large companies.
The author also talks about the stakeholder theory of the firms and about the critical
implications of the management studies.
Managing ethically with global stakeholders: A present and future challenge. Academy of
Management Perspectives,A.B. Carroll, (2004).
The article deals with the different aspects that are involved in the ethical managing of
the global stakeholders. The concept of corporate social responsibility provides a framework
to the global ethics and the customers, the employees, the government, competitors as well as
the owners are responsible to abide by the ethics of the firms.
Discussion
Business ethics in the organisation are important for both the leaders and the
employees of the organisations. Each of the individual’s action within the company affects
both the individual as well as the entire organisation. The business ethical code of conduct
involves the corporate social responsibility where the individuals of the organisations
participate in the business practices and the initiatives that contribute to the society ethically.
The unethical behaviours of the company involve payment of below standard wages to the
employees, which aim at the temporary profit, but eventually harms the business by
backfiring in the long run.
Business ethics involve the personal responsibility, and personal loyalties. These
include the loyalties that the individual possesses. The corporations also act as legal entities
and must have certain moral responsibilities, which the managers must be abiding by
(Guillén, Ferrero and Hoffman, 2015). The professional people must adhere to certain ethical

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standards that have been established by the competent customs. The Amazon warehouse
employees need to work in poor working conditions and they do not receive even the basic
labour opportunities. This had led them to rise to strike. The employees demanded suitable
working conditions, adequate breaks and proper labour wages. Their demands were ethical
since they were subjected to unethical behaviour.
Business ethics helps to be beneficial for the company. It has a positive impact over
the community and helps the companies to develop a positive reputation in the market place.
itattracts a large number of customers and generates publicity. This can support the
organisation in the times of crisis and controversy.
Conclusion
Thus from the above discussion it can be concluded that there are numerous
organisations that still remain engaged in the unethical businesses such as the labour force
exploitation, the employee discrimination and the sexual harassment in the workplace. The
companies should be implementing the business ethical models and must follow the business
morals that would improve the productivity of both the employees and the company. The
Amazon warehouse employees must be paid proper labour wages and their working
conditions should improve including the necessary health and bathroom breaks. They should
be provided with the adequate breaks. The employees should be provided with the adequate
health care and the people who are injured during the work, must be helped and given proper
medical care. Inhuman labour must be prevented as well as gender discrimination in the
workplace should be stopped so that the employees become loyal to the firms and they do not
have to stage strikes for what they deserve.

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References:
Banerjee, S.B., 2008. Corporate social responsibility: The good, the bad and the ugly. Critical
sociology, 34(1), pp.51-79.
Barrientos, S. and Smith, S., 2007. Do workers benefit from ethical trade? Assessing codes of
labour practice in global production systems. Third world quarterly, 28(4), pp.713-729.
Carroll, A.B., 2004. Managing ethically with global stakeholders: A present and future
challenge. Academy of Management Perspectives, 18(2), pp.114-120.
Groenfeldt, D., 2010. The next nexus: Environmental ethics, water management and climate
change. Water Alternatives, 3(3), p.575.
Guillén, M., Ferrero, I. and Hoffman, W.M., 2015. The neglected ethical and spiritual
motivations in the workplace. Journal of business ethics, 128(4), pp.803-816.
https://www.newsweek.com/amazon-drivers-warehouse-conditions-workers-complains-jeff-
bezos-bernie-1118849
Jennings, M. M. (2015), Business Ethics – Case Studies and Selected Readings Eighth
Edition, Cengage Learning, Stamford, USA.
Parker, M. and Pearson, G., 2005. Capitalism and its regulation: A dialogue on business and
ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 60(1), pp.91-101.

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Shaw, W.H, Barry, V, Issa, T., and Catley, B. (2013), Moral Issues in Business, 2ndAsia
Pacific Edition, Cengage Learning, Victoria, Australia.
Velasquez, M., 2000. Globalization and the Failure of Ethics. Business Ethics
Quarterly, 10(1), pp.343-352.