The Social Responsibility of Business: Ethical Theories and Practices

This essay examines the social responsibility of businesses, defining it as actions benefiting the community and environment. It explores the importance of ethical considerations, including environmental protection, employee safety, and product safety. The essay delves into the concept of moral responsibility and its impact on business practices, referencing corporate scandals like Enron, Volkswagen's emissions scandal, and Uber's controversies to highlight the consequences of unethical behavior. It further discusses the triple bottom line theory and examples of CSR in practice, such as Johnson & Johnson and Zara, emphasizing the integration of economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The essay concludes by underscoring the significance of ethical leadership and responsible business practices for long-term success and societal well-being, referencing theories of corporate social responsibility.

Social Responsibility of
Business

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
Social Responsibility of Business is to sense of moral responsibility....................................1
PART 2............................................................................................................................................4
Utilisation of effective theories and conception.......................................................................4
PART 3............................................................................................................................................7
Reflection....................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Business social responsibility can be defined as the activities which are executed by the firm
in context of offering advantages to community and atmosphere (Social Responsibility. 2020).
There are diverse assets utilised through business venture from society in order to organise
business activities. It is crucial accountability of company to repay to community and
environment through offering diverse benefits to people of the community and environment.
Business and social responsibility is widely acknowledged that for a business to be successful it
demands to offer a good or facility. Now while these are the most essential aspects to a
successful business, they are not the only ones (Voronkova and et. al., 2020). The social
accountabilities if a business consider the following like environment protection and
safeguarding, employee safety and morale, product safety for the target audiences. A business
person is probably the most crucial section of the firm. A safe and secure work place or working
environment is another aspect which assists in developing and improving the moral of business
person. This essay is considered information about the analysis of the statement “from any sense
of moral responsibility”. Along with this, social accountability performance of commerce has
been determined in this essay.
PART 1
Social Responsibility of Business is to sense of moral responsibility
Social accountability is included as ethical theory at which a person is responsible for the
satisfying its civic accountabilities as well as it also considers activities of an individual that
must be useful and crucial for the community (What is Social Accountability?. 2020). This is so
as because that will assist in managing balance between the wellbeing of culture and atmosphere
and development of economic system. When social accountability is functional to the commerce,
it is named as the business communal accountability that is analysed as the kinds of global
confidential commerce self directive that purpose is to engage in the communal aims of
protester, charitable, environment of doing donations through involving in or maintain
volunteering or by organising ethics orient activities (Wigmore-Álvarez, Ruiz-Lozano and
Fernández-Fernández, 2020). The corporate social accountability of a business venture is
supported to diverse components like ecological accountability, financial responsibility, and
human rights accountability and charitable responsibility. There are amount of examples of
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social responsibility of business which are organised by establishment like reducing carbon
footprints, assisting local school and hospitals, charity and many more.
The corporate scandals in the US have excited a passion of actions in business schools across the
world. Deans and top management are admiring how much their curricula concentration on
business ethics and moral. New courses are being designed on corporate social accountability.
Business schools do not require doing a great deal more to assist secure future, they require only
to stop doing a lot they presently do. They do not need to make new courses; they require to
simply stopping teaching some old ones. But before doing any of this, business school faculty
require to own up to their own function in creating Enrons (Abugre Abugre and Anlesinya,
2019). Their conceptions and theories have completed much to support the managerial activities
that they are all now so deafeningly denouncing. In courses on corporate governance positioned
in agency theory, the business schools have trained and taught their scholars that administrators
cannot be trusted to do their jobs that of course are to increase stakeholder value. In context of
organisation design, designed in transaction cost economics, they have moralized the demand for
tough monitoring and control of individual to secure opportunistic behaviour. In strategy courses,
they have demonstrated the five force framework to recommend that organisations must compete
not only with their rivals but also with their suppliers, consumers, workers as well as regulators.
MBA scholars are not alone in having qualified or learned decades, these conceptions and
theories of management. Number of executives who joined business courses has learned the
same lessons, even if the real conceptions and models were often not demonstrated to them
relatively so instantly. Even those who never attended or joined business courses the actual
concepts often not shown and presented a business school have learned to think in these manners
as these theories have been in the air, legitimising some activities and behaviours of
administrators, delegitimizing others and basically shaping and designing the intellectual and
normative order within that all daily basis decision are made (Burchell, 2020). A sense of moral
responsibility is make an effective influence as when business scholars and executives have
learned management then they also learned about the business sense that how it create an
favourable impact over business as well people of the community. Along with they learn about to
engage that how a company can engage individuals. Corporate communal accountability is
important for developing the contact of brand in communal and it will direct to improve
immense relation with target people. Though, this firm will be capable to maximise the brand
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consciousness and identification in the marketplace. It will enable in getting attention of large
number of consumers regarding business as well as develop the sales.
There are number of corporate scandals are also occur in business organisations and that
create a negative impact over the environment and community. The Enron scandal is undoubtly
one of the most prominent commerce fraud of all time. The circumstance began in early 2001,
when analysts questioned the accounts demonstrated in the firm’s past yearly report, These
accounts utilise a range of irregular processed that made it complex to work out hw the venture
was creation money in spite of it it appears that having a traction in power, products and
telecoms between other sectors (Spence, 2016). The SEC started to investigation and found out
that Enron was beating billions of dollars in accountability by particular motive articles that
permitted it to emerge business even though it was actually flowing cash. Another corporate
scandal was made by Volkswagen which also acknowledged as emissionsgate and dieselgate
which was happened in 2015, when the US Environmental Protection Agency communicated
that it supposed VW had indignant emissions tests (Top 10 biggest corporate scandals and how
they affected share prices. 2020). It identified that the firm had been fitting overcome procedure
to its diesel cars that considered software that would notice when the cars were suffering
laboratory testing and turn on control to minimise nitrogen emissions. Then, it found that the
venture made a fraud regarding corporate accountability. Cause of these kind of unethical
activities, the company suffer a huge loss in term of fine, penalties and many more as well as the
number of customer also reduced, decrement in market share and it lost its loyal consumers.
Uber is another business organisation, there was also a scandal noticed. Uber is no stranger to
argument. In current years, there have been several charges of sexual harassment at the company
and question over its stop at nothing approach to expansion. The latter allegedly saw it utilising
forbidden knowledge to avoid law enforcement, steam drivers from rivals and spy on users.
However it was eventually allegation towards Uber’s bro culture which shown to be the
prevalent scandal and fraud and led to the registration of CEO Travis Kalanick in June 2017. The
accusations considered criticism that top members of employees had made sexist jokes and
tripped a brothel in Seoul (Mišura, Cerović and Buterin, 2018). Though some were not shown,
the claims impacted the price of the organisation’s shares that were operated confidentially at the
time.
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Along with this, the business schools can teach scholars about different theories and conceptions
which play an effective role in corporate social responsibility. The triple bottom line is an
effective social accountability theory which considers company leaders tabularizes base line
marks and does not only include on economics terms. This concept crucially concentrates on the
other forms that business venture should efficient such as social realm, deference to atmosphere
and social wellbeing etc. This concept is essential for offering direction to managing the
effectiveness of business in context of sustainability of financial and ethical characteristics
(Jurzina and et. al., 2017). This theory of CSR considers diverse components like economically,
social and environmentally. Economic sustainability is important or defines as the value or
connotation to long time economic firmness of commerce. By thus, it has been determined that
organisation demands to concentrate on the long term advantages rather than less term
profitability aims. Along with this, social sustainability considers the principles and significance
of the individual or consumers. This considers the principles of individual which will direct to
productively develop the brand reflection of organisation and maximise public relation. Also,
atmosphere sustainability is mainly associated to natural assets that includes of oil fuelling, clean
air to breath and water to drink ().
Along with this, there are several successful examples of product that are organising business
social accountability like business communal accountability through Johnson & Johnson as they
highly centred on reducing its influence on planet for the three decades. This begins range
through leveraging authority of wind in order to offer safe water to society around the globe
(Kaplan, 2020). Another example of Zara which also work regarding CSR in term of using
activities and practices to reduce its carbon footprint so that it can also contribute in
environmental and communal welfare. These are the some instances that showcase the social
accountably behaviour of an establishment of a company because in order to assist community
they modify their business operations.
PART 2
Utilisation of effective theories and conception
The triple bottom line is a type of business community based task determining that
businessmen organise bottom-line outcome not only in financial label yet in terminology of
organisation reactions in the community domain, and with respect to the surroundings. There are
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two facts to this idea. Primary, the three supports of duty must be held differently, with
outcomes described separately for all (Bondaruk and Bondaruk, 2020). Secondly, in all three
domains, the organisation should secure sustainable outcomes.The concept of sustainability is
very distinct. At the meeting of moral and consumption, sustainability means the long-term
conservation of stability. As described by the methodologist, now how the stability is maintained
and achieved inexpensively, communally, and environmentally. Economic sustainability worths
longer economic solidity excessively more variable, small benefits, no substance how high.
According to the triple-bottom-line representation, great companies have a duty of making work
plans permitting secure and extended activity which oppose in respect of time period should
make organisations doubtful about spending in items like dot-coms.Silicon Valley, California,
for example, is filled up of micro, start-up organisations. Some will convert into the
upcoming Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.. Sustainability as a dignity shows valuing corporate
scheme which may not take to rapid funds but this also keep away fatal reduction (Ahenkora,
Banahene and Quartey, 2016). Social sustainability merits stability in society and lifestyle. A
globe in which some lucky executives are pulling down for so long, while thousands of
individuals somewhere in the globe are under poverty can’t go on always. As the variation start,
as the rich get richer and the poor get both poorer and more complications, the possibility which
community itself will slump in displeasure and rebellion expand. In the globe's past, though,
such conversions are quite the same, which doesn’t show revolution come to our already
developed nations (Theories of Corporate Social Responsibility. 2020). It shows, though, for
make a business secure for a long time, chances and later funds require to be extended for
including most people.
Environmental sustainability starts from assertion that natural resources specially the engine
oil fuel, breathable air, and drinkable water are finite. If these things worsen seriously, coming
generations won’t be able to spend the same lifestyle. Preservation of wealths, hence, becomes
tremendously critical, as does the evolution of new origin of spark that may replace those which
using at present. Additionally, the occurrence of a commercial chemical corporation discharging
toxins into the land which emits upcoming years with dreadful result confirms which not only
are income limited, but our earth is restricted in its capability to obviously restore clean air and
water from the smoke and pollution.
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Whistle blowing mentions the act of management , either previous or recent, revealing data on
unlawful and immoral exercises within the management to reunite inside or outward to the
management, who can take action (Cortina, 2017). It is most progressively normal as most
workers communicate regarding their social problems. It cannot be contradict that whistle
blowing is followed by scope of troubles, for both the whistleblower and the management.
Though, it can be proclaimed that whistle blowing is a significant and reasonable technique of
attempting to rule attainable immoral efforts by management, intimately helping to start a level
of public role. For these motives, it is good for the public to preserve a support system and
cheering for whistleblowers, so that their efforts for terminating corporate crime can carry on
(The ethics of whistle blowing in business. 2020). Once the requirement for a whistle blowing
policy in the management has been identified and applied, it has the capability to overcome
ongoing management’s potency, and gain community in general (Kolk, 2016). It shows various
advantage as containing the prior capability of handling and improving crime prior to they came
in the public or critically warns the management, avoid more losses in income and status,
terminate any fitness and welfare insecurity rooted by the misconduct, maintaining worker faith
that their belief and affairs are related, and helping to upgrade an atmosphere of acceptance and
faith. In this way, the management is viewed by both workers and community as publicly
responsible and as a positive moral impact.
Promotion of a powerful scheme, a management mail a direct message to its workers that moral,
ethics and public role are critical to the long-term positive result of the management and that any
unmoral manner is intolerable. At that time, it is important for the management to show a
powerful response towards moral manners and follow the process specified in the strategy. For
an inside whistle blowing policy to successfully work, it is important that the worker's positive
attitude reaches to a person in the organisation, they are not risking their post, and that the issue
will not be brushed aside. The benefits to those who have explained whistle blowing policy
containing the contribution to their image as a moral and organised management. For any
management, the existing issues related with whistle blowing and the application of a whistle
blowing policy should not be shown with anxiety or disappointment, but in spite of hospitality as
a precious chance to motivate workers to combine themselves into the operation of helping to
make better effectiveness and victory of the management (Schrempf-Stirling, Palazzo and
Phillips, 2016). Through the formation of an environment of accessible and belief, good workers
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can make sure that their overall management is focused in removing immoral, unlawful and
dangerous activity which earlier may have been proceed unnoticed, as a consequence helping to
start as well as again the managerial public duty.
Doubtless, whistleblowing also leads to negative and positive outcomes on the management.
Once a whistleblower has revealed to an outside firm, the community and media survey, as well
as feasible resulting demand may cause long-term suffering to the esteem of a company. As a
consequence, a massive sum of time may be exhausted, conflicts whistleblower disclosures,
resulting in a feasible dropping of ethics among workers remaining inside the company, and the
generation of any confusion and mutual doubt between the workers can affect the production of
the company. There may also be concern of mislaid incomes and a decrease in the retail outlet
performance of the company.Researcher notes that more often than not, supervisor have grasp
the attitude that whistleblowers cause an insecurity to the company’s junction, authority
structure, and public image.
PART 3
Reflection
From the above context, I learnt diverse things but one of the key things is information and
knowledge about corporate social accountability which is a management and administration
conception whereby organisations incorporate communal and ecological disquiets in their
commerce operation and connections with their stakeholders. Along with this, I also gain
information about business social responsibility that how business enterprise can operate their
business in effective manner by performing activities for social welfare. The BSR is also play an
effective role in development of business in term of maximising profits and building an effective
brand image in the market. In addition to this, I also gain knowledge and information about the
theories and conceptions of social responsibility. By considering concept like Triple bottom line,
the business organisation can operate their business in effective manner by centring on different
aspects like socially, economically and ecologically. Also, I learnt about the different scandal
which are made by different business venture which are made by different corporation and how
they affect the image and corporate accountabilities in unenthusiastic manner. I also learnt about
whistleblower that is an individual, usually a worker, who depiction information of action within
a confidential, public and government venture which is considered illegal, illicit, unsafe, scandal
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and many more. In term of overcoming and respond regarding them, business venture consider
effective policies and strategies. Being a social responsible establishment can bolster an
enterprise’s image and make its brand. Social accountability empowers workers to leverage the
corporate assets at their disposal to do effective. Formal corporate social responsibility programs
can boost worker morale and lead to high efficiency in the working environment. These all
learning about business and social responsibility assist me in developing by knowledge as well as
making development in professional career during the time of performing a particular job role or
operating a business.
CONCLUSION
From the essay, it can be summarised that social responsibility plays a crucial role in the
business firms. It aids to the purpose of the establishments as well as serve as a guide to the
business venture that demonstrates for its consumers. Along with this, it also creates influences
on the business ethics that examines the ethical principles and the ethical issues that occurs in the
business environment. Business can be found out as the most essential ventures in the society.
Their activities and decision have the ability to make a change in the community. With the help
of moral accountability, the business scholars and executives work regarding welfare in term of
making the business activities effective that will create a positive impact over the atmosphere
and society.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Voronkova, O.Y. and et. al., 2020. Corporate social responsibility of business as a factor of
regional development. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 7(3), pp.2170-2180.
Wigmore-Álvarez, A., Ruiz-Lozano, M. and Fernández-Fernández, J.L., 2020. Management of
University Social Responsibility in business schools. An exploratory study. The
International Journal of Management Education, 18(2), p.100382.
Abugre, J.B. and Anlesinya, A., 2019. Corporate social responsibility and business value of
multinational companies: lessons from a Sub-Saharan African environment. Journal of
African Business, 20(4), pp.435-454.
Burchell, J. ed., 2020. The corporate social responsibility reader. Routledge.
Spence, L.J., 2016. Small business social responsibility: Expanding core CSR theory. Business &
Society, 55(1), pp.23-55.
Mišura, M., Cerović, L. and Buterin, V., 2018. Relationship between corporate social
responsibility and business success: Case of the global tobacco industry. Management:
journal of contemporary management issues, 23(1), pp.157-171.
Jurzina, T. and et. al., 2017. Tools of realization of social responsibility of industrial business for
sustainable socio-economic development of mining region's rural territory. In E3S Web of
Conferences (Vol. 21, p. 04010). EDP Sciences.
Kaplan, S., 2020. Beyond the business case for social responsibility. Academy of Management
Discoveries, 6(1), pp.1-4.
Bondaruk, T.H. and Bondaruk, I.S., 2020. Conceptual foundations of the development of
business social responsibility in Ukraine. Економічні горизонти, (1 (12)).
Ahenkora, K., Banahene, S. and Quartey, J., 2016. Societal value antecedent of corporate social
responsibility and business strategy.
Cortina, A., 2017. Corporate social responsibility and business ethics. In Corporate Citizenship,
Contractarianism and Ethical Theory (pp. 69-78). Routledge.
Kolk, A., 2016. The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the
environment to CSR and sustainable development. Journal of World Business, 51(1), pp.23-
34.
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Schrempf-Stirling, J., Palazzo, G. and Phillips, R.A., 2016. Historic corporate social
responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 41(4), pp.700-719.
Mayorova, E.A. and Lapitskaya, N.V., 2016. Assessment of customers' perception of social
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Martos-Pedrero, A., Cortés-García, F.J. and Jiménez-Castillo, D., 2019. The Relationship
between Social Responsibility and Business Performance: An Analysis of the Agri-Food
Sector of Southeast Spain. Sustainability, 11(22), p.6390.
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