Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Detailed Report

This report delves into the critical aspects of business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR), examining how companies can grow sustainably by adhering to ethical principles. It explores the concept of 'pester power' and its impact on consumer behavior, particularly in marketing to children, highlighting the ethical concerns associated with such practices. The report analyzes a case study involving a doll company and its marketing tactics, revealing instances of misleading advertising and the misuse of pester power. It further applies the deontological theory to evaluate the ethical implications of marketing to vulnerable groups, concluding that such practices are morally questionable. The report emphasizes the importance of ethical marketing, responsible advertising, and the need for businesses to prioritize integrity and consumer well-being to foster positive relationships and long-term success.

Running Head: BUSINES ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 0
Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

BUSINES ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 1
Question 1
Business ethics one of the forms of applied ethics or any other professional ethics that examines
the principles as well as moral related to ethics to the ethical issues that can arise in the business
environment. It is set rules and regulation that is the responsibility of business to follow to grow
sustainably in the market (Wood et al., 2015). In the recent scenario, most of the companies have
taken steps towards sustainable means and ethics that made them grown in an effective manner
than those who does not follow. It helps the company to create healthy image among consumers
and in competitive market (Wallace and Sheldon, 2015). In the following part there will be
deeply analysis of business ethics that most of the companies ignored and the consequences of
such activity in the market as well as among consumers.
Pester power is one of the effective tools that is mostly used by the companies to target their
market. It is the ability of child to affect their purchasing power of parents that often through the
use of nagging or pestering (Marshall, O'Donohoe and Kline, 2009). The pester power is
portrayed as the harmful due to the reason it was found that the advertisement exposure let to
enhance the petition of purchasing that in bend led to an enhanced degree of letdown if the
parents could not carry through that petition as well as in bend negatively affect the life
satisfaction of the risk at greater level (Lati et al., 2017). Therefore, most of the companies use
such tool to influence the children towards the products they sell in the market. The marketing to
the kids use all about creating such Pester Power because the company understood the influence
power of children n their parents that may create direct link with their profitability as well as
their interest in the advertise products that may turn out to be (Page et al., 2019). The marketer
knows that children are t only egg to their parents to the part with their disposable income but
also are the consumers of tomorrow. Therefore, pester power is the influencer power of the
children that forces their parents to buy particular product for them. It is one of the key tools for
the companies that made the company grow in the competitive market in an effective and
efficient manner (Malik and Shah, 2016).
Question 2
In the following caseMelanie was dissatisfied due to the advertisement done by the company for
doll, her anger was totally justified due to the reason the player of all in the advertisement was
totally different than the actual doll. In the advertisement, the doll can speak and can walk
however; it was not done in the real situation (Lawlor and Prothero, 2011). It represent that the
company represent the untruepicture of their product among the children that enhanced the level
of dissatisfaction among the consumers. Moreover, the advertisement was made in such a
manner that influences the children to purchase that doll at any situation. If parents are not able
to buy or afford that product then it increasesdissatisfaction and anger among the children. The
company has misused the pester power at greater level. Itcreates issue of conflict at the home

BUSINES ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 2
thatincreasestension among the parents at greater level. They should not induce the children for
their product which they were doing (McDermott et al., 2009). They were misusingsuch tool at
greater level. Melanie was single mother and was not financial strong, at the situation when her
daughter force her to buy that doll, it increase the level of anger in Melanie due to the reason the
doll was not like that represent in the advertisement. Therefore, it was the main reason for
Melanie to get anger towards the marketing and advertisement done by the company (Anitha and
Mohan, 2016).
From the above analysis of the case study it can be concluded that the business ethics play a vital
role in the business. The company should adopt ethical manner to grow in the competitive
market. The doll company has adopted unethical mean to attract the consumers. They used
children as a toll to market their product. They should show proper picture in the advertisement
of their product rather than to manipulate the children. It increases the level of dissatisfaction
among the children and their parents at greater level. The company has also misused pester
power to market their product. They influence the children to increase their sales that create issue
for the parents who cannot afford such product. It increases the gap between children and parents
that created issues for them at greater level.
Question 3
According to the deontological theory the marketing to children or the other vulnerable members
of the society is not been considered ethical. Deontological theory states that the dignity of the
person is important and it should been treated with respect and dignity. The theory talks about
the morality and the based actions will be decided that it itself are correct or not that will be
based on the various rules. It does not matter what will be the result but the action should
required being morally correct that can have also a bad consequence. In this case study the child
who does not have the toy had been bullied due to incapacity of her parent to buy the product.
Therefore the marketing through this way have a bad impact on society and it is not morally
correct according to the deontological theory (Vitell, & Hunt, 2015). However it can impact the
company but if morally anything wrong it does not make sense what will be the results.
Therefore in accordance with the deontological theory of ethics the companies must identify
their duties and than they should market their products. The deontological theory is the strongest
theory of ethics to make the public relations stronger. The teasing of child in school due to not
having of doll Clarabelle and that makes the public relations weaker and proves that marketing
through this way is not ethical (Greene, 2015).

BUSINES ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 3
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