Analyzing Ethical Issues: CSR, Code of Conduct, and Professionalism

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of ethical issues within the global business environment, with a primary focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the implementation of codes of conduct. It identifies key challenges such as human rights, working conditions, environmental impact, corruption, gender equality, consumer interests, and corporate governance. The report assesses how codes of conduct address these issues by promoting ethical behavior, compliance with laws, and sustainable growth. Furthermore, it examines the role of professional bodies like the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability and the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management in supporting and guiding businesses. The conclusion highlights the positive impact of effective CSR practices, codes of conduct, and professional body involvement on both the company and the community, emphasizing the importance of integrating ethical considerations into core business activities.

Preparing for a professional
career

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Corporate Social Responsibility – Issues and Challenges:..........................................................3
Code of Conduct – Address the Issue:.........................................................................................3
Relevant Professional Bodies:.....................................................................................................4
Assessment of Code of Conducts & Professional Bodies:..........................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1
APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION
The following report addresses the issues with in the business environment globally
regarding ethics of the business as well as professionalism. It includes challenges and issues with
respect to the Corporate Social Responsibilities of any business and how the codes of conduct
addressing such an issue will assist in resolving the issue for the corporates along with
involvement of any relevant professional bodies who will be aiding corporates to deal with such
ethical issue and whether such body is suited for such an issue. Finally, it will be concluded that
what effect does the code of conduct and professional bodies have on the resolution of such an
ethical issue within the organizations.
MAIN BODY
Part – A
Corporate Social Responsibility – Issues and Challenges:
Every business besides earning profits has an obligation towards the society in which it is
existing and operating (Hernandez-Lopez and et.al., 2020). Thus, it is the social responsibility of
the business to serve the society at large and be accountable for whatever the wrong doings it
may have done to the people and environment. There are certain issues and challenges that
affects the companies like human rights that needs to be addressed and respected specially those
recognised by the United Nations, working conditions that needs to be appropriate and shall
address all the statutory provisions and labour standards, the environment in which the business
is operating to comply with the statutory compliances along with implementing management
framework and due diligence, corruption which can affect the business very harmfully and effect
of internal controls on such corrupted activities, gender equality with respect to the staff of the
business along with equality of pay among the genders, consumer interests which shall be
protected and especially when the products and services are in large variety and are complicated
to be chosen from and well planned corporate governance which shall show transparency and
balance in the management.
Code of Conduct – Address the Issue:
Codes which will be implemented by the business to address and resolve the issues and
challenges in the corporate social responsibility (Code of Conduct & Corporate Social
Responsibility, 2022). Code of conducts relating to human rights states that rights of personnel in
and out of the business shall be protected as per the relevant laws, regulations, legislations and

the internal management policies. Referring to environment issues, such codes shall include
measures as a precaution to challenges of the environment, more responsibility towards the
awareness, implement environmental friendly techniques and processes (Abad-Segura, Cortés-
García and Belmonte-Ureña, 2019). Code of conducts relating to corruptive activities including
bribery and extortions like overriding global laws must be kept in check, compliance of labour
laws and employment laws, health and safety rules are complied with, fair treatment of
employees, setting of minimum age of employees, setting up of maximum hours per week to be
worked for, etc. Other code of conducts includes core values of the business to be a going
concern and provide stability to the stakeholders by being profitable and a growing business,
focussing on customer, meeting high standards of professional and ethical behaviour, etc.
Sustainable growth plan to achieve growth of the business in a sustainable way (Latapí Agudelo,
Jóhannsdóttir and Davídsdóttir, 2019). Personnel of the business are considered most valuable
asset of any business and shall be managed efficiently to promote personal development via
training of the employees and workers.
Relevant Professional Bodies:
Now the ethical business issues will be requiring relevant professional bodies and statutes
for support & guidance and resolution of such issues and challenges. Such relevant professional
bodies shall be best suited for the issues and challenges addressed (Liu and et.al., 2021).
Relevant professional bodies for aiding issues and challenges in Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) are Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (UK’s first professional body
to monitor corporate social responsibility activities launched on 9th July, 2014) which establishes
standards, code of conduct and L&D opportunities with respect to CSR for support and
development of professionalism. It led to issues like corporate social responsibility to be of the
top priority of any company and has become a part of the core business activity. Chartered
Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) is a professional body
established in 1991 supporting environmental managers and ecologists mostly in the UK and has
a vision to render a natural healthy environment for current as well as the future generations to
come (Ramesh and et.al., 2019). Each and every body mentioned here addresses a particular
issue being faced under the corporate social responsibility aspect and thus are the most suited
professional bodies to address the issues and grievances under a particular issue like corruption,
bribery, slavery, environmental degradation, child employment, human rights etc.

Assessment of Code of Conducts & Professional Bodies:
Code of conducts and professional bodies have a significant effect on the ethical issues with
respect to the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of a company namely – human rights,
working conditions in the entity, environment in and around the company, corruptive activities in
the company, gender equality in the company’s personnel, consumer interest to be addressed and
protected and corporate governance in the company’s management (Sánchez‐Torné, Morán‐
Álvarez and Pérez‐López, 2020). Such code of conduct will allow the companies to emphasize
on its beliefs and core values and set an appropriate culture within the company, provides the
company with a vision and missions on the basis of which the company will function, help
company build and maintain goodwill in the market, prevent the employees and the company
itself from dishonouring the laws and regulations applicable to it and enhance the environment of
ethical behaviour and trust among the employees, workers and management (Schroeder and
et.al., 2019). Naturally, if formulated, implemented and monitored effectively and efficiently,
such code of conducts and Professional Bodies will have a positive impact both from the
company as well as community.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that Corporate Social Responsibilities in the current scenario have
obligated the companies to perform and conduct social activities for the betterment of the society
in and around which it is operating. And thus, it has a positive impact on both the company and
the community. The above report therefore includes introduction of the ethical issue the business
is facing i.e., Corporate Social Responsibility. The code of conducts that will be assisting the
company in resolution of such issue along with support and guidance of relevant Professional
Bodies and impacts of both the professional bodies and code of conduct on the issue and whether
it is positive or negative on the company.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Abad-Segura, E., Cortés-García, F. J. and Belmonte-Ureña, L. J., 2019. The sustainable approach
to corporate social responsibility: A global analysis and future
trends. Sustainability. 11(19). p.5382.
Hernandez-Lopez, L. E. and et.al., 2020. Socialization of business students in ethical issues: The
role of individuals’ attitude and institutional factors. The International Journal of
Management Education. 18(1). p.100363.
Latapí Agudelo, M. A., Jóhannsdóttir, L. and Davídsdóttir, B., 2019. A literature review of the
history and evolution of corporate social responsibility. International Journal of
Corporate Social Responsibility. 4(1). pp.1-23.
Liu, W. and et.al., 2021. A new approach for addressing endogeneity issues in the relationship
between corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance. Finance
Research Letters. 39. p.101623.
Ramesh, K. and et.al., 2019. Consumer's response to CSR activities: Mediating role of brand
image and brand attitude. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental
Management. 26(2). pp.377-387.
Sánchez‐Torné, I., Morán‐Álvarez, J. C. and Pérez‐López, J. A., 2020. The importance of
corporate social responsibility in achieving high corporate reputation. Corporate Social
Responsibility and Environmental Management. 27(6). pp.2692-2700.
Schroeder, D. and et.al., 2019. Ethics Dumping and the Need for a Global Code of Conduct.
In Equitable Research Partnerships (pp. 1-4). Springer, Cham.
Online
Code of Conduct & Corporate Social Responsibility. 2022. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.cejn.com/en-in/guides-support/supplier-center/code-of-conduct--corporate-
social-responsibility/ >
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APPENDIX
CPD PLAN
What do I want to
learn?
What will I do to
achieve this?
What resources or
support will I need?
What is my
success criteria?
(Identify topics of
learning from
module)
(Detail what you have
learnt about the topic)
(identify how learning
will assist in future
studies and career)
(SMART target
identifying how
learning will be
implemented)
Corporate Social
Responsibility –
social responsibility
of the company
towards the society
as its obligation
From this topic, I have
learnt that CSR activities
have become a part of
the core activities of any
organization on which it
is applicable and for
such organizations who
voluntarily opts to do
such social
responsibility activity.
Now, such CSR has
various issues to be
addressed like
corruption, human
rights, environment,
interest of the
consumers, working
conditions of the
company, corporate
governance and gender
equality among the
Online & offline
Articles, online and
offline journals, books,
video lectures, video
lessons, internet access
and a laptop or a
computer to work on,
To assess that
whether I am able
to identify specific
CSR activity of
any company and
whether it will be
relevant for the
social cause and
for the specific
period of time.
2

personnel of the
company
Code of Conduct –
their analysis, use,
purpose and how
business ethics are
impacted these code
of conduct
From this topic, I learnt
that code of conduct to
address the ethical issues
like corporate social
responsibilities may be
different for different
company but the bases
on which such code are
made are similar
because such codes of
conduct involves issues
prevalent in all the
companies in one way or
other. Such code of
conduct will be different
for each issue like
human rights,
corruption, gender
equality, etc
Documents and records
of various
organizations,
discussion with the
expert of any
organization, standard
code of conducts from
articles, journals, text
books and internet
access.
To assess that
whether I am able
to understand the
code of conduct of
any company and
whether such code
of conduct were
adhered to by the
company in the
time frame in
which these were
to be adhered.
Professional Bodies
/ Organizations –
role of such bodies
for resolution of
ethical issues of the
company.
This topic explained the
importance of presence
of regulatory
professional bodies and
organizations in any
country to regulate a
specific task or issue
like CSR or
environmental
challenges and
Legal statutes and acts
of such professional
bodies, online and
offline articles, books
& journals, opinion of
experts as to the
interpretations of the
act and body, internet
access, etc.
By implementing
the specific
provisions and
rules of such
professional
bodies to the
companies
following such
bodies and assess
whether rules and
3

management and how
such bodies lays rules
and regulations for the
mandatory follow of
such rules and
regulations and prevent
the companies from not
following such rules.
regulations were
followed by the
company and such
check on the
company shall be
for a specific
period of time for
the sense of
comparability for
different specific
periods of time.
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