Business Ethics: KPIs, Triple Bottom Line Performance and Reporting

This report delves into various aspects of business ethics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and the triple bottom line. It covers ethical decision-making, Giving Voice to Values (GVV) strategies, and the importance of sustainability in organizational performance. The report emphasizes the role of ethical investment, balanced scorecards, and performance information in managing and reporting organizational activities. It further discusses assessing the quality of reporting using the triple bottom line components (social, economic, and environmental performance) and highlights the significance of aligning values and creating value for stakeholders. The document also presents insights into linking strategy to performance information using KPIs, the challenges of choosing the right KPIs, and the role of performance information in decision-making and accountability. This student assignment is available on Desklib, where you can find more past papers and solved assignments.

Business Ethics

Business Ethics
Session 1: Ethics
Ethics is considered as the moral principles of an individual that helps in governing the
behaviour of the individual or conduction of any task. The term ethics involves the ideal nature
of a human or the moral duty of an individual. In general terms, ethics is related to the judgement
made by any individual or the action which the individual takes. It is important that a person acts
according to the situation, which should involve moral duty. In organisations, ethics is
considered as the right or wrong done by the people while showing their behaviour or making
any decisions. The aim behind ethics is living an ethical life, which involves correct decisions
and ethical behaviour.
Session 2: Giving Voice to Values (GVV)
GVV is an approach, which is considered as innovative because it leads to value-driven
development of leadership at workplace. The aim behind GVV is to fill the gap regarding the
development of leaders, who are value-centred. With the help of GVV, the emphasis is put on
helping the individuals to act on their own values so that ethical decisions can be made. It has
been explored that organisations aims to persuade people so that they can make ethical decisions;
however, GVV helps the individuals to act upon their own values. Under the concept of GVV,
there are seven pillars, namely values, purpose, normalisation, voice, choice, reasons and
rationalisation, and self-knowledge and alignment. These pillars are helpful in giving voice to the
values of an individual and being ethical.
Session 3: Ethical Investment
Ethical investment is a term, which is also referred to as investment regarding
sustainability and being socially responsible. When selecting investments, it is important that an

investment process is selected appropriately that involves factors, namely social and
environmental, so that the return on investment is impactful and competitive. With the help of
ethical investment, investment process can be easily selected, which leads towards the
accomplishment of return on the investment that is competitive in nature. Some of the examples
of ethical investment include, Green Fund, which is the green climate change fund, and
Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Session 4: Balanced Scorecard Framework
Balanced scorecard framework is a tool for strategic performance management, which is
usually used by the organisations, in order to keep track of their activities. Balanced scorecard
framework is developed in the form of a semi-structured report, which is managed by the
managers of an organisation so that they can keep the track of the activities of all the employees
in the organisation. The major benefit of this framework is that with the help of monitoring of
employee’s activities, consequences can be judged that are result of the activities undertaken by
the employees. Majorly, balanced scorecard framework is used to develop new strategies in the
organisation for organisational success.
Session 5: Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a value, which is measurable and is used by the
organisations, in order to analyse to what extent their business is accomplishing the objectives
specified. In general cases, KPI is used by the organisations so that they can evaluate their
success rate with respect to the targets achieved by them. If the KPI is good, then it can be stated
that the strategies of an organisation are correct and are helping the organisation in moving on
toward correct direction. In order to be effective, it is important that an organisation develops

quantifiable and well-defined KPIs, which are communicated properly in the organisation, and
are helpful in accomplishing organisational goal.
Session 6: Sustainability and Triple Bottom Line
Sustainability is a process, which involves change with the help of exploitation of
resources, using technology and making investments. However, it is important that the change
process is initiated, in order to meet the needs and expectation of the people in the present time
and also in the future. Other than sustainability, another concept is triple bottom line, which is a
framework including three major components, namely social, economic and environmental.
These major components help an organisation in achieving greater business value. Under
sustainability, the major components of triple bottom line are people and community, profit, and
planet.
Session 7: Ethical Decision-Making
Ethical decision-making is a process often adopted in organisations so that alternatives
can be identified regarding a decision to be made. By evaluating the possible alternatives, best
alternative is selected, which helps in making ethical decision based on the ethical principles.
The aim behind ethical decision-making is to find the alternatives for making a decision so that
all the unethical alternatives can be eliminated from the process. With the help of ethical
decision-making process adopted in an organisation, ethical decisions can be made, which are
beneficial for the organisation in making choices that are based on ethical principles.
Session 8: GVV Strategies
GVV stands for Giving Voice to Values, which helps in realising self-values and making
ethical decisions. Under GVV strategies, it is important that motives are identified and situation
is assessed in an appropriate manner. For making a proper decision it is important that situation

is analysed and also stakeholders are identified, as any decision impacts the stakeholders of an
organisation. Under GVV strategies, it is important that reasons are anticipated and wrong
choices are eliminated. Lastly, it is important under the GVV strategies that all the ideas are
aligned so that value can be created. In addition to this, it is important that all the colleagues and
allies are motivated towards the accomplishment of goal so that value can be created.
Session 9: Performance Information for Managing-In and Reporting-Out
Performance information is important in an organisation, as it helps in making an
informed decision or making choices out of the possible outcomes available. The major benefit
of performance information is that it helps in shaping value regarding the customer and driving
customer value. In addition to this, it also helps in shaping the value for the shareholders of an
organisation, which is referred as managing-in. Performance information in an organisation can
also help in providing accountability to the external as well as internal stakeholders, which is
referred to as reporting-out. Depending on the preparation of an organisation, performance
information can be qualitative or quantitative in nature.
Session 10: Assessing the Quality of Reporting
It is important to assess the quality of reporting so that the actual level of performance
can be analysed. This helps the organisation in reducing failures and enhancing value for the
stakeholders of the organisation. The quality of reporting can be assessed with the help of the
three major components of triple bottom line, namely social performance, economic performance
and environmental performance. This helps the organisation in focusing on the aspects of
sustainability and creating value for the stakeholders. Under the aspect of assessment of quality
of reporting sustainability leads to adoption of the concept of corporate social responsibility. This
helps the organisation in gaining competitive advantage.