Examining CSR, Ethics, and Professional Career Prep Report

This report examines contemporary ethical issues within the global business environment, focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It identifies key CSR issues like environmental management, labor standards, and anti-corruption measures, and discusses how these impact businesses both positively and negatively. The report emphasizes the importance of codes of conduct in resolving CSR issues, highlighting the need for fair, transparent, and sound business policies that respect human rights and promote a safe working environment. It also explores the support and guidance available from professional bodies, using John Lewis Partnership as an example of a company with strong CSR practices. Furthermore, the report discusses the impacts of support and codes of conduct on CSR, noting both the positive effects on a company's values and reputation, and the potential negative impacts if standards don't align with objectives. Finally, it includes a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) plan outlining learning objectives, activities, resources, and success criteria related to CSR and ethical conduct in international business.

PREPARING FOR A
PROFESSIONAL
CAREER

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Contemporary ethical issue that has been face in global business environment.........................3
Code of conduct that assists in resolving the CSR issues............................................................4
Support and guidance available from the professional bodies....................................................4
Impacts of support and code of conduct over the CSR issue......................................................5
CPD plan......................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
In order to run business activities in globalized manner, the company requires more of cash,
language as well as time. Different societies have dissimilar kind of suppositions through which
they have to elaborate about how things gets done as well as what is acceptable within the
business and what is not. In addition to this, they also have to assort their business actions in
legal and political both ways along with genuine loads and the line among the right and beguiling
vital methods that can be challenging in order to recognize (Wong and Kim, 2020). This report
will elaborate the ethical issue that has been faced in global business environment, their code of
conduct in order to addressing the issues along with support and guidance required for relevant
professional bodies. Apart from this, the study will also highlight conclusion about the impacts
of support as well as the codes of conduct.
PART A
Contemporary ethical issue that has been face in global business environment
The most significant and fundamental ethical issues that have been faced by the companies
are related to the trust and integrity. Various among the ethical challenges appear as adjustments,
issues of validity, trustworthiness, beyond settlement conditions and whistle blowing. Among all
Corporate social responsibility is the selective ethical issues that are able to highly affect the
businesses in all manners. It is the type of procedure with an obligation by business entities in
order to act ethically as well as addition to money which is related to unforeseen development
while improving the individual fulfilment of the workforce and their families similarly as of the
close by establishment and society free (Manuel, 2018). Key CSR issues consists of
environmental management, responsible sourcing, eco-efficiency, stakeholders engagement,
labour standards, employee and community relationships, working conditions, human rights,
good governance and anti corruption measures.
This activity has the high level of power to affect the firm in both positive as well as
negative ways. Embracing CSR practices help to enhance the customer retention, loyalty level,
increases employee engagement, improves brand imaging, attracts investment opportunities, etc.
On the other hand, investing into the corporate social responsibility at any scale or point can lead
to high costs and expenses. Companies might have to reorganize their finances in order to

accommodate the budgetary change. As companies require expenses o train employees, launch
campaigns and collaborate with external agencies in order to roll out certain programs.
Code of conduct that assists in resolving the CSR issues
Irrespective of CSR policies, the companies have to respect the international norms,
initiatives related to corporate social responsibility and guidelines that work over sustainable
development of the business. Thus, the companies are required to develop fair, transparent and
sound business policy which has been prepared with an aim to earn the trust of customers,
shareholders, business partners, local communities as a top priority. The policies are also
prepared in a way which respects the human rights along with fundamental rights and will not at
all tolerate by any forced labour. Moreover, they also have to conserve and improve the adequate
working environment through providing safe and comfortable working atmosphere to employees
(Afzali and Kim, 2021). Proper management an administration will he provided in order to
promote the medium to long term development of human resources.
In addition to this, companies required to fulfil their responsibilities in order to provide
safe and secure services as well as products to the end of their lifecycle throughout the
manufacturing procedure. The establishments into the global environment have to address issues
in order to prevent pollution and to mitigate climatic challenges along with establishing a sound
material cycle society with the help of using sustainable resources. The code of conduct are also
prepared on the basis of building better relationships along with local communities that also
assist in creating better relationships with the local communities along with ensuring socially
responsible within their supply chain management (Lång and Ivanova-Gongne, 2019). In
addition to this, the companies are required to adopt fair, transparent and sound practices in order
to run their business activities, respects for human rights, improvement and conservation of
adequate working environment, fulfil their accountability to provide safe and secure products
along with conserving the global environment.
Support and guidance available from the professional bodies
John Lewis partnership is among one of the top UK’s retail businesses which considered as
adopting the best CSR practices in global business context. The company has 27 department
stores and 175 Waitrose super markets along with having largest employee co-operative with

having more than 65000 employees (Witek-Crabb, 2019). Their primary aim is to give their
consumers a level of confidence into the products that are being sold by them into the market
space and the way in which they sell them by enhancing the transparency into the ways in which
products have been grown, sourced as well as made and through conducting fair business along
with consumer relationships. Their ethics as well as sustainability strategy sets out the directions
for them to become more sustainable and ethical business. In services of their partnership
purpose, they work into partnership for a Happier world as they aim to create a kinder, fairer
future partners, suppliers, consumers along with the communities under which they operate. The
company creates strong relationship with their customers. The company also share their progress
in the material information format in which their stakeholders get greatest interests which also
have to make informed decisions as well as judgements about the commitment to sustainability.
Their key stakeholders are their partners, suppliers, consumers, government establishments and
campaign groups.
Impacts of support and code of conduct over the CSR issue
Global companies who are dealing and doing business into diversified locations have to
deal with diversified laws, values, cultures and traditions applied to them in most successful
manner. The companies is not able to face any kind of corporate social responsibility related
issues if they are dealing with appropriate human rights and not complicit any of them, do
effectual elimination of child labour, undertake responsibilities to promote great level of
environmental responsibilities, suppliers must support a precautionary approach towards
environmental challenges, encourage the development and diffusion of environment friendly
technology along with the suppliers must work against corruption in all its forms which includes
dishonesty as well as extortion (López Jiménez, Dittmar and Vargas Portillo, 2021). Thus, in
conclusive manner it has been states that the positive impacts involves enhanced core values of
the firm, gives a vision, builds reputation, foster an environment of trust and ethical behaviour,
etc. On the other hand, it also provide certain negative impacts which includes that the standards
that have been set does not match with the companies objectives as well as culture.

PART B
CPD plan
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)
Importance of
corporate social
responsibility
CSR demonstrates the
business activities that
take an interest in
context of resolving
wider social issues,
rather than just those
that have impacts over
the profit margins which
will attract consumers
who share equal
amount of values
(Nicoara, Palihawadana
and Robson, 2019).
Hence, this makes good
business sense to
With the help of
increases transparency
level, focus towards
equity, deepen
community
connections, reimaging
risk tolerance power,
encourage creativity,
etc.
 To provide
a neutral
and
credible
platform
to all
stakeholde
rs engaged
into the
CSR.
 To provide
research,
training
practices,
rating,

operate sustainability. monitoring
as well as
related
support in
the field of
CSR.
 To
facilitate
any other
assistance
directly or
indirectly
for
activities
which seek
to
promote
CSR
practices.
Code of conduct in
global business
environment
The codes of conduct in
international manner
has been designed in
order to guide the
conduct of all principle
employees, irrespective
of their locations,
positions and functions
over ethical issues and
challenges that has
With the help of
adopting appropriate
research ad course
material, one can have
to create a sense and
understanding about
the code of conduct as
well as their
significance in ones
business activities.
When the
companies are
able to handle all
their CSR issues
along with other
significant
challenges with
proper code of
conduct ways.

been faced during the
normal course of
businesses. Acting with
the full integrity enables
the firms to take right
decisions. It is basically a
set of principles that
creates ethical
standards for businesses
and employees. Every
business has their ethics
code in order to engage
into the global market.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that CSR is acted as an ethical issue if cannot
resolve it at specific point of time as it includes challenges related to law and social
responsibility, shareholder pressure, shrinking government presence, labour markets, etc. With
the help of resolving them, the companies are able to fulfil their civic duty, and take actions that
must benefit the whole society.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Afzali, H. and Kim, S.S., 2021. Consumers’ responses to corporate social responsibility: The
mediating role of CSR authenticity. Sustainability, 13(4), p.2224.
Lång, S. and Ivanova-Gongne, M., 2019. CSR communication in stakeholder networks: a
semiotic perspective. Baltic Journal of Management.
López Jiménez, D., Dittmar, E.C. and Vargas Portillo, J.P., 2021. New directions in corporate
social responsibility and ethics: codes of conduct in the digital environment. Journal of
Business Ethics, pp.1-11.
Manuel, M.E., 2018. Safety and Risk Management Considerations for CSR. In Corporate social
responsibility in the maritime industry (pp. 253-278). Springer, Cham.
Nicoara, C.A., Palihawadana, D. and Robson, M.J., 2019. Strategic CSR and the CSR strategy-
making process of international business. In Socially responsible international business.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
Witek-Crabb, A., 2019. CSR maturity in Polish listed companies: A qualitative diagnosis based
on a progression model. Sustainability, 11(6), p.1736.
Wong, A.K.F. and Kim, S.S., 2020. Development and validation of standard hotel corporate
social responsibility (CSR) scale from the employee perspective. International Journal
of Hospitality Management, 87, p.102507.
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