Comprehensive Report on Ethics, Sustainability, and Social Impact

This report delves into the ethical dimensions of information technology and international business, examining critical issues and providing insights into real-world challenges. It begins by analyzing the impact of IT on individual well-being, highlighting the adverse effects of technology usage, such as physical and psychological issues and examples of cybersquatting, a practice where domain names are registered with the intention of profiting from the goodwill of a company's trademark. The report then shifts its focus to ethical issues in international business, particularly within the garment industry, critiquing the practices of top fashion brands and the impact on labor conditions. It identifies key issues, such as the demand for cheap labor, short production times, and the manipulation of social audits. The report proposes several solutions, including government incentives for ethical certification, strict enforcement of social audits, and the need for top brands to recognize the impact of their practices. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of adhering to ethical standards to prevent negative impacts on individuals and society.

Ethics, Sustainability and Social
Impact

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
TASK 1......................................................................................................................................3
1..............................................................................................................................................3
2- Providing examples of cybersquatting and how this practice is being addressed.............4
TASK B......................................................................................................................................5
Identifying and critically evaluating the key issues...............................................................5
Providing any solutions and recommendations......................................................................6
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The ethical issues in the business are incorporated into various areas which are
prevailing within the ethical standards. It involves promoting the conduct based upon the
integrity and trust which is the key ethical issues in a business. In order to effectively manage
the ethical issues which are being faced by the organization involves developing a thorough
understanding about those issues. This report is in respect to two topics which ethics in the IT
and the other is ethical issues pertaining to the international business. It involves identifying
the key issues in relation to IT usage, examples of cybersquatting. It also involves identifying
the issues given in the research report.
TASK 1
1
Information technology usages have increased at rapid speed and became essential
part of today's life style. There are various advantages that individual and organization derive
through this but it highly impacts the health & well-being. It becomes crucial to give
emphasis on IT's adverse impact in order to get deeper knowledge regarding the same.
Development of science and technology has decreased utilization related cost of this is
devices which has encouraged its uses in our home and offices. The most critical problem
that anyone can face is related to muscles and skeleton. There are various situations in which
pain of neck, shoulders, back ache, etc. are seen as in order to do work effectively individual
tend to use computers continually (Flick and et.al., 2020.). Risk of Repetitive strain injury is
one of the biggest threats of IT that highly need consideration as it tends to remain for longer
duration as it results in paining in rest time as well. Well-being get adversely affected due to
lack of computer vision syndrome which directly affect eye site because of radiation of
technological devices. These creates physical problems like loss of attention, inclination of
stress, decrease in quality & productive work, sleeping disorders, etc. physical inactivity
There are psychological issues as well which are outcome of usage of information
technology that is highly affect smooth functioning of well beings. In addition to this, these
problems are crucial to address as highly affect state of mind. It tends to increase the anxiety
level, internet addiction has increases threat of security of private information, etc. these all
are largely inclining serious psychological problems such as depression, desperation,
endangering education, bad tempered, etc. Various research has validated that it all influence
the personal state of mind that outcome in criminal actions like cybercrime, threatening
through social media, etc. mental health directly influences and result in physical inactivity

which are due to more proportion utilization of information reliance on social media. This
creates feeling of isolated and impact individual social life and promotes sedentary lifestyle
(Fazili and Khan, 2017). It is constant source of distraction in turn a shorter span of attention
ability. This provides formulation in stunt imagination that is unrealistic expectations which
provides adverse influence on growth of well-being. In addition to this, there are various risk
of hacking and stealing of private information that largely affect health and carets negative
thinking capability & decreases skill generating capacity. It promotes low empathy towards
other well beings that is one of the biggest disadvantages in turn tend to involve in legal
obligations. There are various sources that published inaccurate information and due to
inappropriate awareness people tend to take important decisions based such un reliable data.
These forms of information divert child and other age group and affect mental state that
indirectly carets safety and health issues. Failing memory to remember crucial points of life is
found to be major challenge of utilization of IT.
2- Providing examples of cybersquatting and how this practice is being addressed
Cybersquatting is defined as process of registering, using and selling a domain name
with intent of profiting from goodwill of a company trademark. This term usually refers to
activity of purchasing up domain names that may utilize names of current venture with
intention to offer a name for profitability to those ventures. Typo squatting, identify, jacking
and reverse cybersquatting, are the types of cybersquatting. It neglects existence of trademark
to profit from others. For example, Cyber-squatter can buy Heinz. Com when firm had not
developed a website yet, considering to sell domain of company at a later date for
profitability or to utilize domain name to attract traffic and increase money through
marketing. It is actually or major problem for the organizations and celebrities, as they taken
and affect trade market which may put negative impact on brands and individual celeb.
Cybersquatting is a kind of illegal activity that negatively influence victim.
There are many ways and practices available in the world that may support to
address cybersquatting. For example, individual may check where domain names take them
as a common rule. Furthermore, victim may identify this practice by contacting domain name
registrant. It may often conduct several of illicit, unethical and illegal practices (Tsai, 2021).
Cyber-squatters may deliver male, sell counterfeit items, steal identities, host phishing and
make profit from deceptive promotion ruses. They may also utilize highly sophisticated
automated systems to obtain internet domain tag on a massive extent that means cyber
squatters exploit internet users on wider area. The worst impact of this practice is that
individual may losses their resources or valuable assets that may be better spend towards

creation to scheme that may be perpetuated by cyber squatted websites. As a continuous rule,
first individual may check to see when domain name takes you to a site. When they do not
take owner to an operating website, but instead takes them to a site stating this domain name
for under construction, sale or cannot find server, likelihood maximize that there are dealing
with a cybersquatter. It can be said that absence of an actual site may guide that domain name
owner’s only aim in purchasing the name is to offer it back to other a high cost. Another way
to address this practice is contract domain name registrant. Before switching to any finding,
individual may attempt to contact DNR.
Along with identification of cybersquatting ways, there are many modes available
that victim can do to deal with this issue. For example, they may utilize under provision of
anti-cybersquatting customer protection act or use an global arbitration program that was
created by internet corporation of assigned numbers and names.
Cybersquatters may put several damage and impact on brands of trademark owner,
simply by protecting them from using domain name correlated to their businesses. Victim
may take legal action to protect their assets from this kind of illegal activity.
TASK B
Identifying and critically evaluating the key issues
As per the research report, the major issue that led to unethical practices by the
businesses is the demand by the tops brands for the cheap labour which results into making it
difficult for the suppliers in regard to providing the workers with the decent working
conditions. Based upon the report, the top garment brands like Nike, H&M, Adidas, Primark
and Walmart are demand in both ethical labour practices along with the living wages from
the suppliers which is not possible as they are not paying sufficient amount or is making
alteration to the business model which will help in making it possible (Top fashion brands’
business practices. 2019). It seems like they are actually not aware of their increase in
demand with the cheap labour on the workers or labourers. In accordance with the interview
of the manufacturers who supplies the knitwear to the top garment brands stated that these
brands are growing and expanding louder in terms of their demand and in order to meet it, it
results into bad labour practices and in addition to it, they are no even willing to make
changes in their commercial practices in order to support improvement and enhancements.
Another key issue which is being identified is that the major brands also impose
short production along with the pressures pertaining to the cost with the fluctuations in the

order. This results into making it tough for the suppliers in regard to complying with the
standards of the working conditions which are being expected by the top brands (Noh, 2017).
For instance, the South Indian garment industry, the suppliers in that area has improvised the
working conditions over the past 10 years but the increase in competition from the nations
like Bangladesh and Ethiopia resulted into decline in the prices which has consequently led to
the force drop in the prices this has resulted into leaving no or little space for the ethical
improvement. In addition to this, the social audits are also manipulated by the suppliers with
the objective of retaining the business with these brands. In addition to this, there statement
made by suppliers that the ethical certification systems are very expense and will not add
much value. The workers have revealed about the shocking violation which involves the
routine which ignores the health and safety standards, limit on the freedom of movement
along with verbal abuse.
Providing any solutions and recommendations
 In order to overcome the issues stated above, it can be recommended that the
government should make an initiative in providing incentives or the subsidies to the
business in regard to implementing the ethical certification system as for the suppliers
it seems to have very less value and is very costly. This can be resolved by providing
attractive options to the businesses which will force them to implement and maintain
the desired ethical standards.
 The proper social audit should be carried out and along with those strict actions
should be imposed against those who are carrying out their duties in an ethical way
(Connell, 2019). The actions might involve fine and imprisonment or shut of the
factory for some time if one tries to breach the standard or the rules. Even after the
audit, a sudden evaluation should also be done which will help in knowing the actual
situation when pre-communication is not made about the investigation or the audit.
 If the top brands are not ready to make relevant changes in their business model
making the suppliers to impose pressure over the workers, then the suppliers should
communicate the same to the government or the related authority and should not work
as per their terms. As one will work on their terms, this result into forcing the top
brands to make relevant changes in their working which is due to the reason that they
cannot afford to loss out the supplier providing materials or the garments at the
cheaper price. Thus, if they need cheap products they are required to effectively and
efficiently company with the ethical standards which involves welfare of the workers,

freedom of movement, equally and living wages with better working conditions,
avoiding the child labour practices.
 Another solution to this, is that there is a possibility that these top brands are
completely unaware about the working conditions which are being faced by the
labourers so it becomes important or crucial to make them recognise the subsequent
impact of their cheap request and fast fashion on the people who are actually behind
those clothes (Banday and et.al., 2018). This will for sure help in effectively
understanding the perspective of these top brands along with the measures they are
ready to take in order to improve the situation. If nothing is done in their side, then the
government of India should implement the strict actions to manage the situation.
CONCLUSION
It can be summarized from the above that complying with the ethical standards are
the must otherwise, it will result into imposing negative impact over the lives of the people.
In respect to the information technology, it is also having very negative impact over the
health and well-being of the individuals or using cybersquatting in generating profits. In the
manufacturing sectors as well, laborers are facing discrimination in terms of long working
hours, unhealthy working conditions, lack of freedom of movement, unfair wages etc. due to
the demand of cheap from the major garments. Based upon this, certain recommendations are
made for resolving the issues.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Banday, M. U. L., and et.al., 2018. Abuse faced by child labourers: Novel territory in
workplace bullying. In Indian perspectives on workplace bullying (pp. 173-204).
Springer, Singapore.
Connell, K. Y. H., 2019. Utilizing Political Consumerism to Challenge the 21st Century Fast
Fashion Industry. The Oxford Handbook of Political Consumerism. p.293.
Fazili, A. I. and Khan, O.F., 2017. A study on the impact of ICT on work life balance. Life
Science Journal. 14(5). pp.1-4.
Flick, C and et.al., 2020. The future of ICT for health and ageing: Unveiling ethical and
social issues through horizon scanning foresight. Technological Forecasting and
Social Change. 155. p.119995.
Noh, J. E., 2017. The role of NGOs in building CSR discourse around human rights in
developing countries. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary
Journal. 9(1). pp.1-19.
Tsai, R.S., 2021. TWNIC Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy Proceeding Efficiently
Cease Trademark Infringement and Cybersquatting. LEE AND LI BULLETIN.
2021(1). pp.8-8.
Online
Top fashion brands’ business practices. 2019. [Online]. Available Through:<
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/top-fashion-brands-business-practices-
undermining-progress-ending-garment-worker-exploitation-1.862357 >.