Leading and Managing Ethically: M&S Business Ethics Evaluation

This report provides a critical discussion and evaluation of business ethics within Marks & Spencer. It begins with an introduction defining business ethics and justifying the choice of Marks & Spencer as the subject of analysis, highlighting its long-standing presence and commitment to ethical practices. The main body explores the significance of business ethics for the company, emphasizing principles like honesty, integrity, and fairness. It delves into ethical theories such as care ethics and examines contemporary debates related to ethical issues, including supply chain management and labor practices. The report concludes by summarizing the importance of ethical conduct for organizational success, brand image, and profitability. The report also references sources like books and journals to support the discussion.

Leading and Managing
Ethically
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Contents
Title: “A Critical Discussion and Evaluation of Business Ethics in Marks & Spencer”.................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Justification of choice of organisation and business ethics.........................................................3
Significance of business ethics for Marks & Spencer.................................................................4
Ethical theories, paradigms and contemporary debates...............................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
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Title: “A Critical Discussion and Evaluation of Business Ethics in Marks &
Spencer”
INTRODUCTION
Business ethics are defined as the moral principles which act as directives or guidelines for
the way an organisation run its business operations. These are the form of professional ethics
which examine ethical or moral issues and ethical principles in the business environment. Marks
& Spencer is one of the well-known business organisation established in year 1884. It
successfully run its business operations from last 137 years in an ethical way. This project
evaluates business ethics in Marks & Spencer and covers the justification of choice of
organisation. It also includes discussion about significance of business ethics for the company
along with ethical theories.
MAIN BODY
Justification of choice of organisation and business ethics
Marks and Spencer is among the most iconic brands of United Kingdom which was
founded in year 1884 and offer home products, food products and clothing to customers. The
founder of the company was Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer and its headquarters is located
in London, United Kingdom. It is a commercial business organisation who successfully
operating its business since last 137 years. The main reason of selecting Marks and Spencer in
this report is that it is committed to do right thing in right way for the colleagues, suppliers,
customers, environment, local communities and shareholders. The business upholds some code
of ethics and behaviours in order to make sure that highest integrity and honesty standards are
maintained. Apart from this, the organisation is well suited with the topic, i e., Critical evaluation
and discussion of business ethics. While dealing with customer, stakeholders, suppliers etc.
business uphold ethical values. All the employees in the company need to adhere to the ethical
codes and policies. Marks and Spencer aims to perform business with these standards and
committed to maintain dignity and respect of employees, administer honest, clear and accurate
communication to stakeholders. Thus as the organisation is ethically committed, it is selected to
critically evaluate the business ethics.
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Significance of business ethics for Marks & Spencer
Business ethics are very important for Marks and Spencer in order to promote integrity
among the employees as well as acquired trust from its stakeholders, consumers, investors,
suppliers etc. Ethics guides the business organisation to make positive influence by its actions
and decisions. There are seven principles of business ethics that Marks and Spencer follows
including honesty, loyalty, integrity, fairness, accountability, commitment to excellence and
trustworthiness and promise keeping. The main purpose of ethics is to make sure consistent
moral attitude in organisation from the executive level to new hires. Its treat its employees with
respect and dignity and expect with its staff members to treat each other as well as customers in
similar manner. It developed and implemented a policy to promote an environment which is free
from victimization, harassment and discrimination. Apart from this, it is committed to provide
clear communication directly to colleagues which help in ensuring ethical working in the
organisation. With constant ethical behaviour, the image of brand impacts positively. It benefits
triple bottom line of Marks and Spencer and improve its profitability. A well-executed ethics
program reduced the losses and assist company in attaining growth and success in market.
Ethical theories, paradigms and contemporary debates
Care ethics is a normative ethical theory which holds that the moral actions is based on
interpersonal relationships as well as benevolence or care as a virtue. It books on significance of
response to a person. Some assumptions of the theory include individuals are understood to have
different degrees of interdependence and dependence on one another, the other people affected
through the consequences of choice deserve consideration of one in proportion to its
vulnerability and situational details identify the way to safeguard as well as promote interest of
the people involved. In contemporary economy, overshadowed and threatened through crisis, the
fairness represents and effective element to succeed. Marks and Spencer is committed to its
global sourcing principles and be collaborative and transparent. It is also responsible to maintain
healthy and safe workplace for the employees and consistently to be committed towards
maintaining ethical standards. Marks and Spencer is committed to treat each individual equally
in the organisation regardless their colour, gender, age, national and ethnic origin, belief, religion
etc. It also cares about wellbeing of employees and provide them with occupational health
services which they can access via its confidential employee "live well work well" helpline.
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However, in a report some ethical issues have been found with Marks and Spencer due to which
it gets negative marks in scoring system. It scores an ethical consumer best rating in supply chain
management. However, various issues have been reported through other companies. It involves
an investigation through Reporter Brasil and The Guardian, depicts that a supplier to company,
JBS purchased cattle from farm under research in Brazil for utilising employees as modern day
slaves. The supplier says it ceased purchasing from the farm on finding alleged link to abuse to
labour. Marks and Spencer was one among the retailers of United Kingdom said to have sold
tinned corned beef by JBS (Marks & Spencer Group plc, 2021).
CONCLUSION
As per the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that it is very important for each
organisation to follow business ethics as this will help in improving its brand image in market
and also provide it with various other advantages including improved profitability, reduced
losses etc. Apart from this, there are some ethical principles like honesty, integrity, commitment
towards excellence, fairness, loyalty and accountability which helps in leading the business
organisation towards growth and success in an effective way.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ladkin, D., 2018. Self Constitution as The Foundation for Leading Ethically: A Foucauldian
Possibility. Business Ethics Quarterly, 28(3).
Donald, M., 2019. Leading and Managing Change in the Age of Disruption and Artificial
Intelligence. Emerald Group Publishing.
Lee, M.R., 2021. Leading virtual project teams: Adapting leadership theories and
communications techniques to 21st century organizations. CRC Press.
Banks, S., Cai, T., de Jonge, E., Shears, J., Shum, M., Sobočan, A.M., Strom, K., Truell, R.,
Úriz, M.J. and Weinberg, M., 2020. Practising ethically during COVID-19: Social work
challenges and responses. International Social Work, 63(5), pp.569-583.
Marques, T.M. and Gomes, J.F., 2020. Responsible leadership andversus responsible
management. In Research Handbook of Responsible Management. Edward Elgar
Publishing.
Hughes, M., 2018. Managing and leading organizational change. Routledge.
Marks & Spencer Group plc, 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/company-profile/marks-spencer-group-plc>
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