Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility: CO-op Food Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the business ethics of CO-op Food. It begins with an introduction to business ethics, defining key concepts and highlighting the importance of ethical conduct within the company. The main body of the report is divided into two parts. Part A examines how CO-op Food considers ethics, detailing their ethical philosophies (Utilitarian, Rights, and Justice theories) and providing reasons for prioritizing ethical practices, such as decision-making, consumer trust, and branding. It also explores the roles of senior management and employees in maintaining business standards, including their responsibilities and contributions to ethical operations. Part B offers a reflection on the discussed topics. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and reiterating the significance of business ethics for CO-op Food. References are provided to support the analysis.

Business Ethics

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
PART A...........................................................................................................................................3
How company consider ethical and reason.................................................................................3
Ethical philosophy.......................................................................................................................5
Role of senior management team in order to maintain balance of business standard.................6
Role of employees to manage business standard.........................................................................7
PART B...........................................................................................................................................8
Reflection.....................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Business ethics is mainly refers as policies of business along with practices through which
company leads towards potentially controversial type of subject matter must involve towards
insider trading, corporate governance, bribery, corporate social responsibility, fiduciary
responsibility and discrimination. In others words, it state applied form of professional ethics that
will combines of moral as well as ethical issues concerned with the business conduct
environment aspect (Aßländer, 2021). This will provide more active guidelines or practices in
which all the aspect of business conduct will covers so that company can take more useful
advantage and enhance overall revenue of organisation. The chosen organisation in this report is
CO-op Food. This organisation mainly deals in food retail business founded in 1844 in parts of
UK. It is also refers as famous cooperative Food brand that execute business activity more than
4000 shops. The report aims towards how company consider ethical along with philosophy they
follow. The report consist of role of senior management team in order to maintain balance of
business standard. It also consist of role of employees to manage business standard.
MAIN BODY
PART A
How company consider ethical and reason
The CO-op Food company is one of the famous organisation of UK that deals in business
of Food retailing. This is recognised brand that is used in almost 15 cooperative society. The
company is much aware about its practices of business ethics because it is directly linked with
the success of the company (Blay and et.al., 2018). That is why they follow all the business
standard of the ethical code of conduct to boost revenue level along with its loyal base of
consumer. The company consider ethical approach of business because it enhance it overall
brand value in front of mass audience. The company is highly commitment towards code of
ethical trade that is much conduct with practice of human rights along with modern type of
slavery with optimum number in terms of policy and protocols. It will help company in

providing proper guidance towards perspective of recruitment along with behaviour towards
relationship among partner, supplier, purchasing goods and services.
Policies for social group- This will practice overall conduct of working pattern, contract
condition as well as policy that is associated with grievances, discipline and complaints.
Sustainable development policy- It is concerned with overall company policy with form
of sustainable development that consider delivers related with business value so that each policy
will reflect upon consumer will act as socially responsible procedure.
Human rights and trade policy- CO-op Food consist to practice trade and right of
human policy which involve situation of exceptional through which it can withdraw optimum
trade region (David, 2020). This is based upon overall consensus towards state of any illegal on
basis of international code business ethics.
Sound Sourcing Code of Conduct- Business standard of CO-op Food related with
employment standard in workplace so that all supplier can follow or expect Sound Sourcing
Code of Conduct. That is why it is linked with Initiative of Ethical trading as a result it will
reflect upon code or standard of international labour which will reinforce overall policy of labour
along with modern slavery.
Supplier and sustainable policy of procurement- It will relate with proper
sustainability of business and standard to accomplish expectation connected with supplier
product and services by avoiding concept of resale through chain of supply standard. The
diligence carry out with proper source of conduct.
Supplier principle towards Ethical Trade- Guide of supplier connected with detail
assessment with proper application of ethical practice to meet overall conduct of food supplier so
that proper expectation will accomplish food standard.
Ethical trade along with Human Rights- The kind of ethical trade and policy standard
with reference to human rights covers the optimum detail provision of several communities
associated with goods and services as they treated in format of fairly along with fundamental
rights as to protect optimum level of respective business ethical rights.
Future of Food- CO-op Food company believes in future ambition of food retailing that
is connected with sustainable as well as ethical code of business food. They follow treating
people with full form of human rights through activation of upon commitment as well as
ambitions of human rights (Francis and et.al., 2018). This will connected with transparency by

avoiding proper fee related with supply chain and recruitment so that it will uplift brand name
through efforts of role of vulnerable employee and women.
Here are some following reason that will convey why CO-op Food consider business ethics
practices.
Decision making – CO-op Food operates must concerned with good code of business
ethics because it aid in decision making. The overall practice will convey maximum benefit as it
will focus upon completion of short and long term decision making in order to promote higher
success in business. Where as poor ethics directs towards toxic form of culture that ruin company
image.
Staff and ethics-The employee who are working will directly covey positive approach
with application of business ethics (Hwang, 2018). That is why company aims towards
enhancing its business ethics to accomplish purpose of good ethical practice with interest of
employee as a result this will leads to cover long term success of the company.
Consumer- Consumer is known as king of business, they prefer to select the brand which
practice code of business ethics. Company can build positive and valuable image in front of mass
consumer and easily communicate mission and vision of company. This will build trust of
consumer towards business.
Branding- Policy of ethical business directly improve overall image of business as it boost
the picture of business as they are focusing upon being more responsible towards business ethics
and do not damage image of company (Mees, 2019). For this company may include practice of
environment friendly and sustainable goods and services.
Ethical philosophy
CO-op Food follow some kind of ethical philosophy that is mention bellow-
Utilitarian-This is one kind of ethical aspect that is adopted by CO-op Food which aim
towards ultimate result as per the consequences with optimum decision making. This is also
refers as Kantianism that covers early proponents such as Emmanuel as a result to describe
results to be good behaviour of people at workplace. This will admit aspect of separate issue
along with ethical perspective so that company can raise revenue by hiding expense. Through
this it will beneficiated to all shareholder with proper access that may influence success of
company at long run. It will consist of ability with proper consequences to provide maximum

benefit towards group of people. This will take care account of law and fairness because it will
leads to convey proper concern with fairness. This will run lots of advantage with extent of
decision making of business in order to operate maximum people at workplace. This will reflect
some sort of conflicts rules or principle. That will supposed tom achieve long term vision of
company.
Rights Theories-It is formulated in 1900s with effect of counter balance in order to
become more good kind theory to directed towards human being that consist of fundamental
complexity in working condition (Rendtorff, 2017). It will consider emergent working condition
at workplace within employee with flow of appropriate rights of safe and healthy working. This
will consider overall protection with the ability for optimum utilisation of resources in order to
determine rights with proper form of conjunction.
Justice Theories- It will leads to cover optimum level of ethics in order to seek proper
fair as well as equitable type of distribution kind of goods and services. The idea of justice is
originated by John Jewel where it consist of veil ignorance through process of hypothetical
where all the decision will counter as fair format of equitable society with work of ignorance
imagination of society status (Singer, 2018). This kind of principle aids in decision making that
will consider force of action with proper means of ethical decision with significant inconsistence.
this will reduce dilemma ethical correct rights.
The ultimate reason to adopt ethical philosophy in business by CO-op Food because of ideal
situation and brand enhancement as practice of ethics will raise direction among leaders and
employee in organisation. This will promote moral authority in the business operational activity.
Role of senior management team in order to maintain balance of business standard
In context of CO-op Food, senior management is most responsible to manage overall
balance towards business standard related with business ethics. The senior management
encounter overall organisation through proper arrangement in context of multiple layer. They has
several kind of roles and responsibility that leads to cover proper authority scope in context of
business standard flow of top to bottom management. The ultimate role of senior management of
CO-op Food that is linked with direct and indirect layer of supervision in order to run or manage
largest group of workers in CO-op Food. There are several king of role executed by senior
management of CO-op Food for proper balance and arrangement of business standard.

 They will deliver proper suitable guideline or direction for top level to bottom level of
management.
 It will facilitate clear ground of priority by achieving optimum goal to covering whole
area of functional.
 It will approve various kind of request taken by proper amount of investment up to
convinced level of authority.
 This will promote optimum level of managing with overall budgeting through proper
functioning.
 It will manage overall budgeting functioning with optimum level of functioning.
 It will approve process of hiring along with proper request in the group.
 It will guide overall talent through identification in the process of development within
workplace of employees.
 Adopting cross functioning while working in order to facilitate higher level of
collaboration to accomplish overall objective of organisation.
 It will promote overall interaction through senior management while reporting.
 Strategy development during working with senior management in order to project flow
of execution planning.
 It will communicating overall objective in terms of financial result in order to perform
optimum level of direct report.
 It will facilitate overall goal generation to uplift higher performance that deals in direct
reporting.
 This ensure objective level of generation with flow of functioning while managing
business standard to show case working structure and operation of employee concerned
business ethics.
 Senior management is entirely responsible for standard of business. It will create overall
strategic goal in terms of policy layout to ensure decision making with proper flow of
direction to accomplish long term vision of company. It will aid in mobilize overall
resources with proper policy.
Role of employees to manage business standard
The role of employee is considered with prescribed behaviour of CO-op Food worker that
consist of certain level of functioning which position its status in organisation (Surdam, 2020).

The role of employees is associated with arrangement of duties or responsibility which is
operated by them in the working place to manage business standard. Some particular kind of
roles is assigned to employee in organisation in order to solve various problem while
communicating operations of work. In CO-op Food employee operates two types of roles to
mange business standard.
Technical role- This will require accountable role of employee that are assigned to perform
some set of duties (Weil, 2017). Here appropriate skill and knowledge is needed tom perform the
task with reference of business standard. It help in achieving organisational goal and futuristic
long vision.
Social role- It is also important for managing business standard, where all the employee will
work to supervise role optimum level assigned roles and duties. This can be done with proper
form of communication with proper effect of mechanism within the workplace. This will ensure
proper functioning or exchange real or actual information to spread within working environment
of employee. This will socialise supervision through responsible working result.
PART B
Reflection
My reflection involve approach or model of Gibbs refection cycle that consist of 6 stages
such as description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan (Werhane, 2019).
The model of Gibbs reflection created by Graham in 1988 in order to ensure proper learning and
experience structure. This will offer proper framework in order to examine proper allowance of
repeated nature of learning, planning and experience.
My whole reflection revolves around 6 stages-
Description- This included my experience about business ethics at working place.
Feeling- This will clear my thoughts with connection of experience of business ethics.
Evaluation- This will convey both bad and good kind of experience.
Analysis- It will reflect actual sense of business ethics.
Conclusion-It will enhance my learning of several different perspective of business ethics.
Action plan- At last finally I cover action plan which deal situation what need to be improved
and I plan accordingly.

Action plan
I need to improve How I plan
Knowledge My knowledge related with business ethics
principle and concept need to be improve
because this will improve my performance in
CO-op Food and I can easily contribute in
boosting image of organisation. My action plan
to improve knowledge related with business
ethics by studding or gaining real practical
exposure in company to formulate standard of
business.
Skill Skill is much needed to manage business
standard and execution to follow ethical related
policy. It can be improved by attending
lectures and proper training concerned with
skill so that I can easily circulate all policy
related with business ethics at workplace of
CO-op Food.
Business standard All employee and senior management must
ensure proper execution of business standard. I
can improve business standard management
with help of expertise guidance in working
environment. I can also conduct feedback
through which I can update my concept
regarding business standard.
Communication The skill of communication is most essential
for success of business, that is why I need to
update my skill of communication. As a result
I can easily communicate my essential message
or information from top to bottom management
so that I can easily maintain balance of

business standard. It will also build
relationship of employee and management with
positive way so that I can update my
knowledge with proper functioning of
business. I can improve my communication
skill through actively participation to interact
with subordinate or employee and conduct
feedback to improve sense of communication
skill where I am lacking.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that business ethics is very useful framework
that will consider in daily operation of business standard, decision making, developing positive
impact in working condition that improve overall branding of company. This will conduct better
choice in decision making of company that will easily reflect upon success of company. Ethics in
business is equally significant as in personal life as it enhance overall relationship with
competitors, consumer, employees, government and society. This is the main reason that
promote overall creditability of business by boosting revenue level. The senior management and
employee pots lots of efforts to handle or mange actual business standard. The organisation focus
upon adopting useful ethical philosophy in business operation so that it will boost goodwill of
company in front of loyal consumer and competitors.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aßländer, M.S. and Kast, S., 2021. Does CSR Limit Our Understanding of Business
Ethics?. Progress in Ethical Practices of Businesses: A Focus on Behavioral Interactions, p.45.
Belle, S.M., 2017. Knowledge stewardship as an ethos-driven approach to business
ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 142(1), pp.83-91.
Blay, A.D and et.al., 2018. The usefulness of social norm theory in empirical business ethics
research: A review and suggestions for future research. Journal of Business Ethics, 152(1),
pp.191-206.
David, A., Mayes, A.S. and Coppola, E.C., 2020. The Effect of Live Theatre on Business
Ethics. Humanistic Management Journal, 5(2), pp.215-230.
Francis, A.G and et.al., 2018. Business ethics: a study of Portuguese social representation of
business ethics. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 13(1), pp.85-106.
Hwang, J. and Chung, J.E., 2018. The roles of business ethics in conflict management in small
retailer–supplier business relationships. Journal of Small Business Management, 56(2), pp.348-
368.
Mees, B., 2019. The rise of business ethics. Routledge.
Rendtorff, J.D., 2017. Cosmopolitan business ethics: Towards a global ethos of management.
Routledge.
Singer, A.E. ed., 2018. Business Ethics and Strategy, Volumes I and II. Routledge.
Surdam, D.G., 2020. You can’t live (well) without business ethics. In Business Ethics from
Antiquity to the 19th Century (pp. 1-14). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Weil, V., 2017. Is engineering ethics just business ethics?: What can empirical findings tell us?.
In Engineering Ethics (pp. 19-23). Routledge.
Werhane, P.H., 2019. The normative/descriptive distinction in methodologies of business ethics.
In Systems Thinking and Moral Imagination (pp. 21-25). Springer, Cham.