Ethics and Business: An Amazon Case Study Analysis

This report examines the ethical practices of Amazon, focusing on its impact on stakeholders, particularly employees, consumers, and health and safety officers. The analysis begins with the CEO's perspective on the importance of ethics and then explores the views of employees, who emphasize the need for ethical conduct to create a positive work environment and ensure workplace safety. Health and social officers also advocate for ethical business practices, highlighting their role in attracting and retaining skilled employees, and ensuring the company's accountability. Consumers are also considered, with the report noting that consumers increasingly prefer to engage with organizations committed to ethical principles. The report concludes that Amazon faces significant challenges due to its poor working conditions, particularly in warehouses, and provides recommendations for improving employee welfare, workplace safety, and overall ethical practices. It emphasizes the importance of management in promoting ethics and the benefits of ethical behavior, including increased revenue, improved brand awareness, and enhanced employee motivation.

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL
SKILLS

Executive summary-
Ethics defined as discipline dealing with what is better and bad and with moral duty &
obligation. In recent time, for every company it is important to follow ethical principles in order
to achieve their aims. The current assignment is based on Amazon case study in which workers
conditions has been explained. This report explains potential suggestions firm adopts to
promoted ethics in business, which is quite beneficial for them in term of generating revenue.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Whether CEO of Amazon thinks ethics should be the main priority of an enterprise................3
Whether employees think ethics must be main priority..............................................................4
Ethics should be main priority of firm in view point of Health & social officers.......................5
Whether consumers would think above element should be main priority of Amazon................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Health and safety refer to guidelines, programmes and process that protect welfare, safety
and health of human being engaged in employment or work. When both processes are followed
appropriately in work environment, they can aid to prevent incidents and eliminate risk of
individual illness and injury. Occupational safety and health also protects and prevent health of
people and local public that may be impacted by specific working atmosphere. It can impact in
positive manner by reducing cost such as medical care, sick leave and disability benefits. In
recent time, there are many companies’ in the business world efforts to implement health &
safety policies at workplace in context of workers. They develop tactics and plans for making
their staff comfortable while doing their job, which is really very important.
Every company, no matter what they do, has a accountability to uphold health & safety
standards within work areas where number of workers are performing together for achieving
business aims as well as objectives. The current report is based on case study of Amazon and
health & safety. It is one of the biggest internet organizations by revenue in the world; it was
founded by Jeff Bezos in Bellevue. Organization started as an online market place for books,
after expanded to sell software, electronic products, video games, toys, jewel, clothes and other
things. This assignment will explain few points where ethics should be main priority of a
company in view point of different stakeholders, like consumers, CEO of chosen firm,
consumers, employees and Health & safety officers. Furthermore, this study will justify
appropriate suggestions in context of Amazon that suggest how ethics will be promoted within
selected firm. The overall analysis in current report will base on 3 or 4 points, related to ethical
practices in business environment and workplace.
MAIN BODY
Whether CEO of Amazon thinks ethics should be the main priority of an enterprise
Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American industrialist, internet entrepreneur, investor and
media proprietor; he is the Chief executive officer of Amazon. He thinks that ethics should be
main priority and accountability of a company because it makes a company more successful and
support to build positive brand image in marketplace (Chazireni, 2019). It can be said that ethical

values need to obtain recognition as among elite, most essential success elements in modern
companies. As an company priority, ethics can not only impact decision making process, but also
and eventually institutional culture. It is really very essential for an firm to prioritize business
ethics at workplace because it help to build positive image and sustain business for longer period
of time in market. It analysed that Ethics have become a firm priority, in 21st century; it is neither
a luxury nor an alternative. Business ethics and standards related to this element are important
and firm should prioritize it because help maintain great reputation, avoid significant legal as
well as financial problems and they finally benefits everyone included consumers, workers and
other stakeholders.
In context of case study, Amazon is criticised for many activities due to unethical
practice at workplace that direct impact on its business reputation and workers performance. The
success of business is spoiled by poor reputation; because of that reason CEO thinks that ethics
and ethical standards should be main priority of a firm. System of ethical and moral beliefs that
guide behaviour, decision and values of a business company and people within that enterprise is
known as business ethics. In regard to given case study, organizational environment and workers
safety are the ethical requirements for company. It is fact that ethics must be main concern of an
organization because it brings many benefits for them in term of profitability and productivity.
Whether employees think ethics must be main priority
Ethics is a set of moral principles; it is concerned with what is well for individuals and
community and is also described as moral philosophy. When a company follow business ethics
and include ethical standards in their practices, they can obtain a lot of benefits in term of
increasing motivational and performance level of staff even better, which are able to work
harder. In well reputed, big or small firm, while working at workplace each and every employee
would think that ethics as key element should be the main priority of an organization like
Amazon, because it help to create a positive atmosphere at place where number of workers are
performing together (Breakey and Sampford, 2017). In regard to case Amazon case study,
company is suffering because of some legal issues, applicants who worked for firm make
complain against organization regarding their treatment with staff and workplace safety.
They think that enterprise should conduct ethical practices and must follow ethical
principles to retain candidates for long who are able to work even better for company to achieve

their set targets and support for achieving competitive advantages. People raise their voice
against unethical activities at workplace, more than 600 applicants have been seriously injured
due to poor work areas management, which is not actually good for brand image in all over the
world. By considering this point, it is fact that all worker think ethics should be most important
priority of a firm, because it makes people lives easier who are still working in company to
improve their living standards. By following ethics and ethical norms management can retain
skilled and most talented staff with them for long. Online delivery team, who deliver products to
consumers according chose, thinks in positive manner about above subject, and wants that
Amazon follow ethical principles in ethical manner which is important for them.
Ethics should be main priority of firm in view point of Health & social officers
Health and social officers are responsible for identifying and monitoring health hazard in
people. They cater communities needed personal health and social care services and assures
provision of health care. They develop effective policies and plan that aid society and individual
health initiatives (Sarfraz and et.al., 2018). Just like above stakeholders or individuals they also
think that ethics should be the main concern or priority of a company because it makes them able
to gain attention of many people who seek to get better jobs in well reputed company like
Amazon. It is really very essential and beneficial for organization to conduct ethical practice and
attempt all their efforts to make their CSR plan successful. It analysed that ethics serve as a guide
to moral daily living and aid us judge whether their behaviour can be classified. It cultivates
productivity and strong teamwork at workplace. By prioritizing ethics and working accordingly,
management can enhance their productivity and performance level even better. Warehouses of
Amazon were listed on national council for occupational safety & health’s dirty dozen categories
of hazardous work areas in United State of America.
According to health and social officers, organization must follow ethics and principles
related to it because it makes firm able to gain all competitive advantages. It can be said that by
implementing business ethical standards in workplace, company can attract better staff members
who are able to perform really very effective. It helps to sustain and generate trust;
accountability, caring and fairness; and is consistent with good relationship. This kind of
behaviour caters a company for making better judgment by setting ground policies for their
attitude. By conducting ethical practices and improving workplace environment Amazon can

prevent business from all legal issues and help to overcome. Health and safety officers put high
pressure on companies to make changes in their business practices related to workers.
Whether consumers would think above element should be main priority of Amazon
There are various ethical problems in context of company identify including
environmental reporting, climate change, pollutions, human rights, employee’s rights and other
that directly impact on its market position and reputation negatively. Consumers are the key
elements of company, who contribute gaining all competitive benefits, achieving set aims and
objectives and support increasing profit margin by purchasing products via using mobile
application (Elg and Hultman, 2016). It identify that Amazon is facing issues related to poor
workplace situation which harm people who are performing at that place. Many workers are
seriously injured and harmed due to this factor; their warehouse is the most dangerous place
where workers are unsafe. It increase high employee turnover that affect consumer service.
Customers always seek to connect with those organizations who are following all ethical
principles.
They think that an organization must consider ethics while serving their services and
providing products to consumers which is important and beneficial in term of building strong
connection with target market and increasing sales rather than before. They believe when firm
follow ethical practices management get all benefits. For example, building business reputation,
takes ears of attempt, and running it hardly needs one violation. But ethical accountable
companies are less prone to disasters and scandals. And they become more sensitive to any kind
of activity that may directly affect positions and reputation of business. Consumer and other
stakeholders demand following business ethics and set standards according which satisfied them
appropriately. When ethics is main priority of company, they cannot falls in legal issues every
and always obtain positive response. Ethics are the main part of success and growth of business,
it helps to gain attention of potential consumers who can purchase things and pay good amount
for it.
CONCLUSION
From above analysis, it has been concluded that Amazon is world’s most famous and
well known online provider company, but they face varied issues because of poor working

condition at warehouse, they criticised because of this unethical practice. Careless behaviour of
management towards health care of their workers impacts mental and physical health of people.
The CEO of Amazon company think that organization should prioritize business ethics, which
help to achieve targets and sustain in competitive environment.
Furthermore, it has been summarized that workers, health & social officers and
consumers think that by following ethical activities or norms, organization obtain a lot of
advantages. As it makes them capable to beat competitors, avoid legal issues, financial loss and
other things that affect negatively. Ethical behaviour of firm makes them able to increase their
revenues, improved brand awareness as well as recognition. It enhances motivational level of
staff even better and encourages them for working effectively.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 From above discussion, three points of view from different stakeholders have been
described in regard to Amazon. It can be said that company must take actions regarding
their workers welfare. They should provide all the facilities to employees which makes
them comfortable and satisfied while working at warehouse, where major accidents has
been happen (Ryan and et.al., 2020). Company must improve working conditions by
taking appropriate actions, management must restructure overall location and conduct
survey to check workplace situation as it help to identify risk and hazard that impact
employee health. Applicants want to work in safe and healthy environment where they
can work for long and deliver quality services to consumers.
 Management play vital role in context of promoting ethics within Amazon, they are
highly accountable for this act. Manager should set up workshops and similar event to
promote ethics in work place. There are many ways, they can use and chose for
promoting ethics which is actually quite essential. Organization must arrange everything
at work area because Health and social officer expect from them. Company should
identify needs of people and then develop further plan accordingly. Code of ethics must
state business primary values and ethical principles that workers are expected to follow.
 Amazon recommend improving their business activities and practices, they should set up
training sessions to enhance workers performance level, as it make applicants able to

serve its best in ethical manner. It helps to reinforce business standard of conduct, to
justify what activities are and are not conducted, and to identify possible ethical
dilemmas. Organization in context of buyers must create tactic for determining their
needs and indentify current trends. They should cater each service and deliver product in
ethical and effective manner.

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Breakey, H. and Sampford, C., 2017. Employed professionals' ethical responsibilities in public
service and private enterprise: Dilemma, priority and synthesis. UNSWLJ. 40. p.262.
Chazireni, B., 2019. Business owners’ ethical values and social responsibility in Kwazulu-
Natal’s small and medium enterprises. Journal of Management &
Administration. 2019(2). pp.55-72.
Elg, U. and Hultman, J., 2016. CSR: retailer activities vs consumer buying
decisions. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.
Ryan, M and et.al., 2020. The Ethical Balance of Using Smart Information Systems for
Promoting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability. 12(12).
p.4826.
Sarfraz, M. and et.al., 2018. Employees’ perception of corporate social responsibility impact on
employee outcomes: Mediating role of organizational justice for small and medium
enterprises (SMEs). Sustainability. 10(7). p.2429.