Ethical Issues, CSR, and Professional Development Report (2020-2021)

This report delves into ethical business issues within the global business environment, focusing on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and professional development. The report begins by defining key ethical challenges, such as those related to working conditions, environmental concerns, and corporate governance, and explores their impact on business practices. It then examines codes of conduct and their role in resolving ethical issues, using Marks and Spencer as a case study. The report discusses available support and guidance from professional companies, including ISO 26000, and assesses the impact of these measures on ethical conduct. Finally, the report includes a continuous professional development (CPD) plan, outlining strategies for enhancing skills and knowledge throughout a professional career. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations in maintaining effective business practices and contributing to individual career success.

Preparing for a
Professional Career

Table of Contents
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
Defining of issues.......................................................................................................................1
Code of conducts that assists in resolving issues....................................................................2
Discussion of support as well as guidance which are available from relevant professional
companies...................................................................................................................................2
Assessment of impact of support as well as code of conduct that could have on issue.......3
PART 2............................................................................................................................................3
Continuous Professional Development plan...........................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5
APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Ethics has become a main consideration for carrying out young individuals in terms of their
selection of work as well as career. Companies that could work on building as well as
maintaining their ethical workplace cultures which are more financially successful as well as
having more motivated in terms of having productive employees (Reimers, F.M. and Chung,
2021). This report is based on preparing for a professional career in terms of ethics of marks and
Spencer which is the retail company the distance selling out home products, food products as
well as clothing. This report includes introduction of ethical issues, explanation of code of
conduct which assist in solving issues, discussion of support as well as guidance that are
available from professional companies, assessment of impact that support as well as code of
conduct have on issues along with its conclusion.
MAIN BODY
PART 1
Defining of issues.
Corporate social responsibility basically covers a wide spectrum of challenges that could be
taken into account for carrying out a business conduct. It generally consists of working
conditions, rights of individuals, environment, protection from corruption, gender inequality as
well as corporate governance. As this CSR issue of ethics in business basically refers to having
issues that could be arise and faced by company in terms of maintaining their position in terms of
societal values (Gromoll, 2021). As corporate social responsibility issues carry code of conduct
which could create a positive as well as negative impact in canning of business practices. in
terms of marks and Spencer positive as well as negative impact that could be carried out from
CSR issues are as follows:
 Positive impact: As it helps in increasing sales as well as customer loyalty towards
company by carrying out operational cost for carrying out better financial performance in
terms of retaining employees.
 Negative impact: As it creates a negative impact on relation with employee’s growth
along with creating of labour flexibility that could affect performance in carrying out
business practices (Pretti and McRae, 2021).
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Code of conducts that assists in resolving issues.
As it becomes responsibility of every CSR individual in order to comply with the code of
conduct to maintain an act of integrity for carrying out honest and fair business practices in terms
of dealing as well as maintaining relationships for avoiding conflicts in terms of corporate social
responsibility is interest as well as personal interest (Susemihl, 2021). In terms of marks and
Spencer company is using code of conduct in terms of resolving issues of CSR in maintaining
their business practices effectively by maintaining their values in terms of providing healthy
workplace, regular focus on creating out innovation practices as well as keeping customers as
their higher priority so that business practices could be able to carried in an efficient manner and
issues of ethics in terms of corporate social responsibility could be resolved (Walsh and Gleeson,
2021). As in order to resolve this issue it is necessary for Marks and Spencer to use various
responsibility that could act through it by being honest and trustworthy in terms of business
dealings along with protecting CSR's business assets that could be helpful in respecting as well
as abiding their business obligations for following their employees, competitors, unities and
other individuals.
Discussion of support as well as guidance which are available from relevant professional
companies.
There are various guidance as well as support that could be provided in order to deal with
issues that are faced by companies in an effective manner. In terms of marks and Spencer also
with ISO 26000 define international standard that could be developed in order to help various
companies for having assessing as well as a dressing social responsibilities (Alexiadou Kefala
and Rönnberg, 2021). SCR are considered to be important as well as significant in terms of
identifying their mission and vision, operations as well as processes, customers, communities as
well as stakeholders for providing out environmental impact. And provides interrelated support
for carrying out various comprehensive documentations in terms of social responsibilities which
consists of core subjects as well as issues that are related to CSR. there is a support which are
carried by company in terms of providing a corporate strategy along with valuing a philosophy in
terms of values as well as culture by using various tools and techniques in order to address
various issues of corporate social responsibility (Chaileuangleu, Chaiya Batra and Barnes, 2021).
Also with that company is using various tools and techniques in order to provide support as well
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as guidance in terms of accomplishing their goals by providing CSR activities for maintaining
their marketplace in terms of generating revenues.
Assessment of impact of support as well as code of conduct that could have on issue.
It has been concluded that for performing out assessment there are various positive and
negative aspects that could impact on carrying out issues of CSR which could affect professional
career. In terms of marks and Spencer certain positive as well as negative impact of code of
conduct as a supports which could affect professional career are as follows:
 Positive impact: As business code of conduct helps in improving companies core values
as well as believe that are performed in a right culture (Heath, 2021). It also provides
company as well as its employees from violating different laws as well as regulations
along with that it fosters environment of trust as well as ethical behaviour which are
carried by company.
 Negative impact: As sometimes code of conduct as well as support could facilitate an
ethical corporate behaviour in terms of business practices as well as the limit employees
for having ability to speak against in terms of corporation that could keep them quite for
fear of losing their jobs in terms of business practices which are to be carried by them.
Also with that it could lead to have company which is engaging in an unethical practice
of CSR.
PART 2
Continuous Professional Development plan
CPD stands for continuous professional development. As CPD plan refers to a process of
tracking as well as documenting, experience as well as knowledge which could be gained by an
individual for having formerly as well as informal of working along with beyond any initial
training. It is said to be an ongoing process of developing, maintaining as well as documenting
professional skills of individuals (Griner and Salmon, 2021). As these skills could be increased
by different courses by regularly practice icing them in order to have development. CPD plan
could be prepared by identifying individuals need and planning for performing out various
development task while reflecting learning of individual and applying them on learning through
different modes along with sharing learning and knowledge towards other individuals. CPD
leads to enables learning to become conscious as well as proactive, rather than passive and
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reactive. CPD is holistic commitment of professionals in terms of improvement of personal skills
along with proficiency throughout their careers.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from above report that ethical issues are an important element which
are to be identified by business companies in order to maintain their business practices in an
effective manner also along with that it relates in carrying out professional career of an
individual. Reports explains about various ethical issues of global challenges which consist of
explaining in terms of code of conduct that could be helpful in resolving that issues. Also with
that this report explains about guidance which is available in carrying out professional company
as well as assessment that could be helpful in supporting out code of conduct in ethical issues.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alexiadou, N., Kefala, Z. and Rönnberg, L., 2021. Preparing Education Students for an
International Future? Connecting Students’ Experience to Institutional
Contexts. Journal of Studies in International Education, p.1028315321998498.
Chaileuangleu, S., Chaiya, P., Batra, A. and Barnes, J., 2021. FACTORS AFFECTING THE
CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT FOR PREPARING
PROFESSIONAL CHEFS IN THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY IN
THAILAND. Social Science Asia .7 (1). pp.1-14.
Griner, A. and Salmon, A., 2021. Preparing to Be a Professional.
Gromoll, J., 2021. The Fading Pipeline: Preparing the Next Generation of Weapons
Inspectors. American Journal of International Law .115. pp.100-105.
Heath, J., 2021. Preparing Students for their Future! A Virtual Career Development Practice.
Pretti, T.J. and McRae, N., 2021. Preparing Gen Y and Z for the Future of Work Through Co-
operative Education: A Case Study on the University of Waterloo. In Applications of
Work Integrated Learning Among Gen Z and Y Students (pp. 94-118). IGI Global.
Reimers, F.M. and Chung, C.K. eds., 2021. Preparing teachers to educate whole students: An
international comparative study. Harvard Education Press.
Susemihl, K.L., 2021. From Sisterhood to the Senate: The Sorority Experience and Preparing
Women for Political Leadership.
Walsh, L. and Gleeson, J., 2021. Theorising and preparing students for precarity: how can
leaders and educators better prepare students to enter an increasingly insecure
workforce?. Journal of Educational Administration and History, pp.1-13.
APPENDIX
CPD Plan
CPD PLAN
Area of
Learning
Reflection of
Learning
Future implications Action
Academic
writing skills
Becoming capable to
achieve success by
effective writing skills
Learning from
practice, guidance
from teachers and
seniors
By exercising on
enhancing
writing skills by
taking
participation in
various debates.
Becoming
skilled as well
Developing
knowledge of
Developing
knowledge through
By reading as
well as
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as competent
for career
enrichment in
ethical issues
changing trends and
requirement for
becoming successful
in ethics as well as
becoming able for
leadership position in
professional
development.
experience and
becoming acquainted
with the latest trends
and developments
developing
various books
and journals on
ethical issues
that could be
solved in terms
of
sustainability,
corporate
governance
along with
corporate social
responsibility.
Effective
comprehension
skills
Becoming capable to
understand complex
as well as difficult
academic literature
Taking help from
teachers and
practising at
individual level
Through reading
and enhancing
academic skills
by taking out
participation on
various levels so
that skills could
be build.
Critical
thinking skills
Becoming capable to
think critically along
with expanding
perceptions while
thinking
By Reading
literature
By regularly
practicing about
thinking skills
by having
practical
knowledge so
that it will be
easy for me to
perform best on
critical
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situations.
Effective
leadership
skills
Becoming potentially
capable on
influencing other
individuals’
behaviours in terms of
carrying out ethical
activities for having
sustainability of
working.
Leadership could be
improved by regular
on activities as well
as focusing on
leading individuals
by influencing
behaviours on ethics.
Along with building
communication
through interacting
with individuals so
that leadership skills
could enhanced.
By continuously
focusing on
building
leadership skills
through
participating on
various
activities which
are related to
building up
ethical
behaviours of
other individuals
so that
effectiveness of
influencing
could be
increased at high
level.
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