Reflective Essay on Business Ethics and Sustainability Practices

This reflective essay explores the critical importance of business ethics and sustainability in ensuring the long-term success of a business. The essay reflects on the author's personal experience as a manager, highlighting the impact of ethical behavior on employee commitment, customer satisfaction, investor loyalty, and the avoidance of legal issues. The essay emphasizes the importance of establishing a code of ethics to guide employee behavior and promote transparency. It further discusses the positive effects of ethical practices on stakeholder relationships, cost control, performance management, and the overall reputation of a business. The author concludes by emphasizing the necessity of ethical conduct in achieving business goals and maintaining a positive image in society. The essay provides a practical perspective on how ethical principles contribute to a thriving and sustainable business environment.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY ON SUSTAINABILITY
Reflective Essay on Sustainability
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Business sustainability or corporate sustainability as it is commonly known as, refers to
the process by which environmental, financial and social demands as well as concerns are both
managed and coordinated for the purpose of ensuring ethical, responsible and ongoing success of
a business enterprise. There are a number of measures by which the process of business
sustainability can be carried out. One of these is the implementation of what is termed as ethical
behavior in business. In this essay I will reflect on the crucial importance of business ethics and
the ways by which ethical behavior can be encouraged and implemented in an organization, by
recalling the specific ethical problems that I experienced as the manager of a business enterprise.
1. The Situation
One of the most important reasons why ethical behavior is important in a business
enterprise is the fact that it fosters dedication and commitment among employees. This is
something I realized while working as a manager of a café in my neighborhood. I was faced with
a staff that not only lacked commitment, but who would also demand more pay for little work
done.
2. The Affect
This lack of dedication on the part of the employees at the café made me suffer a lot, as I had
to oversee operations and do a lot of the work myself to make sure that client needs were duly
met.
3. Interpretation of the Situation

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I realized that employees will be committed to fulfilling the goals and objectives of the
organization and that too within a limited frame of time, if ethical behavior is encouraged on the
part of employees by their managers or supervisors. Ethics is crucial as it gets employees to
perform their day to day tasks and responsibilities with the efficiency and the dedication that will
ensure that business goals get duly achieved and that the client requirements are duly met
without any complaints being made by the latter in this respect. Employee can become lazy and
they can become disinterested in serving the organization altogether if unethical practices like
corruption and sloth prevail in a business enterprise. The role of seniors becomes very important
here. If managers and supervisors act lazy and are disdainful of organizational ethics, then
employees will want to be the same, and the end result is that the organization will be faced with
a bunch of uncommitted staff who do not feel the zeal and the motivation and consequently who
do not have the desire that is required to take the business organization in forward direction
(Acquaye, 2918).
I realized that customer satisfaction is something that can most definitely be ensured
when a business is ethical in its mode of functioning. Customers are people who are responsible
for the existence of a business enterprise in the market over the long term. If a business is not
capable of keeping its customers happy, then it will not survive in the market and in the industry
over the long term. Ethical behavior on the part of employees will mean that employees are
committed to getting the requirements or needs of customers or clients duly met within the time
frame that is requested by clients for this purpose. Dedicated employees will leave absolutely no
stone unturned in order to perform goals and activities for the organization that involve keeping
customers happy. When employees work night and day or tirelessly during their shift timings in
order to keep the customers of a business enterprise happy, then it results in huge profit for the

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business organization (Avolio et al., 2016). This hard work and dedication on the part of
employees is again something that can only be assured when ethical behavior is encouraged and
fostered within the four walls of the business organization (Acquaye, 2018).
I came to the understanding from my personal experience in running the café, that
investor loyalty and confidence is something that can be acquired a business enterprise if
business ethics is put into practice in organizational matters. Investors are more likely to make an
investment of a large sum of money in an enterprise which they believe will not engage in fraud
or the embezzlement of funds, and from where they can expect good returns for their investment,
largely because the employees are so dedicated and committed to the fulfillment of business
objectives. In fact, a business organization will be able to attract plenty of investment if it is able
to show that it conducts its operations in an ethical and transparent manner. Ethical behavior
within a business enterprise is something therefore that will inspire the confidence of investors
rather than discouraging them in any way (Cai et al., 2016).
I also realize that legal hassles and problems can be avoided by a business enterprise in a
smooth and hassle free manner if a business organization chooses to be ethical in its behavior. In
fact, I personally believe that the avoidance of legal issues is one of the most important reasons
why any business in any given part of the globe should opt for being ethical in the first place. I
cannot imagine running the cafe smoothly if I am faced with legal issues pertaining to them same
all or even some of the time. Legal disputes, court cases and lawsuits can be avoided with ease if
all employees in the organization work with transparency and honesty and show the dedication
and commitment that is needed to achieve business goals and objectives without compromising
on the interests of shareholders and stakeholders (Chonko & Hunt, 2018). Honest and
hardworking employees are a crucial feature of an ethical business enterprise and it is this hard

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work and dedication that will help the business organization to perform its activities to perform
its operations without engaging in the kind of behavior that is likely to be viewed with suspicion
or which is likely to invite legal action at some point of the other. I feel that legal or punitive
action if taken against a business enterprise is something that can prove to be largely detrimental
for the growth and the development of that enterprise. Legal action will imply that the business
will be barred from performing certain activities or initiating certain procedures that could
otherwise have brought in a lot of profit and growth and which cannot be undertaken because of
the sanctions that have been imposed on doing so by court authorities. Hence in my view, being
ethical and responsible is always necessary when aiming to fulfill business objectives and goals,
as being ethical will keep legal trouble far away, with the latter being quite terrible for the
progress of a business (Collins et al., 2018).
The possibility of developing good relationships with stakeholders is something that I
believe is greatly encouraged through the practice of business ethics. I learnt this from the
positive relationships that I was establish with visitors to the café, who were impressed by the
dedication and service I brought to the table. This includes the establishment of good relationship
with investors, with customers and with the employees and the people working at the
management level of the business enterprise (Daft & Marcic , 2016). Stakeholders are the people
who essentially keep the business running. Stakeholders are directly impacted by the outcome of
the activities that are undertaken by the business which is why being ethical in approach to
business is imperative for an organization, if it intends on building long term and stable
relationships with its stakeholders. The best way to encourage and inculcate positive
relationships with stakeholders is to be honest, transparent and committed in business dealings as
this transparency, dedication and honesty as it comes across is what will have a positive impact

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on the perceptions of the stakeholders regarding the business and its growth (Daft & Marcic,
2016).
Cost control and performance management are two areas that can definitely be controlled
well enough and assured of when ethical practice is implemented in the domain of business as I
realize from running a café that has insolent and recalcitrant employees. If the employees of the
organization and the management of the organization that includes the top level management as
well as the lower authorities are ethical in their behavior then this is likely to prevent fraud and
embezzlement from taking place. I feel that if a business has to grow and develop and create a
niche for itself in the industry that it is in, then it should engage in ethical practices as it will be
able to save it financial resources from being compromised on in the process. Unethical
employees and unethical management will be tempted to engage in fraudulent activities that will
ultimately prove to be very harmful for the progress of the business. In my view, the fact that
ethical behavior in a business organization encourages employees to be committed and devoted
to the goals of the organization is also something that will improve their performance in the
organization in both the short term as well as the long term. If employees are not motivated and
tempted by corrupt practices, and are instead ethical in the manner in which they perform their
duties and responsibilities, then it will reflect in the way they perform for the organization
(Lawton & Macaulay, 2015). This is all the more reason why I feel that ethics is so important for
a business enterprise.
Finally, I realized that ethics is something that is extremely crucial for promoting and
ensuring good reputation and image of a business. If a business is to be well recognized by
investors and clients and if it is to gain respect in society, and be a business where people want to
work at rather than being a business that people want to avoid, then it needs to be ethical in its

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modes of functioning (Acquaye, 2018). I firmly feel that ethical business practices do much to
establish good reputation and image of a business as evident from the way I managed operations
at my neighborhood café.
4. What I decided to do about the Situation
1. Establish a Code of Ethics
When it comes to the implementation of business ethics, the first and foremost thing that
needs to be considered is the introduction of a code of ethics in an organization. This is the
reason why I took the decision to introduce a code of ethics at the café I manage in my
neighborhood. The code of ethics is what governs the manner in which an organization is seen
to function. The code of ethics is what outlines all the dos and the dont’s for employees as well
as for top level members of the management (Chonko & Hunt, 2016). The code of ethics states
clearly what it is that is expected from the employees of the organization in terms of ethical
behavior. Employees in an organization, if they conform to the code of ethics, will be compelled
to take recourse to behavior that is ethical in character. They will be compelled by the law to be
against corrupt and dishonest behavior as there will be the underlying fear, that if they took
recourse to unethical behavior it will go against them. I personally believe that unethical
behavior can be best punished when there is a code of ethics in place in an organization. The
code of ethics in my view is nothing but a legal document that informs people working in an
organization of all that they are expected to do in the eyes of the law, at the work place and that
if they are found to be engaging in certain modes of behavior that is considered to be
unacceptable by the organization, then they are going to be fired for doing so. Employees need to
be aware of the fact that certain modes of behavior cannot be tolerated by the management or by
the owners of a business organization and that if they are not careful about how they behave then

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they can be terminated from their positions immediately (Avolio et al., 2016). Another
important role that I feel that a code of ethics has to play in the running of a business
organization is that it provides workers with the discipline and the organization that they need in
order to be able to do their work well. In my view the Code of Ethics that is established by the
business organization for the adequate running of the business organization is one that needs to
find mention in the constitution of the company or the business organization, and employees
need to be made to sign this code of ethics at the time of being recruited into the organization.
This will give new employees a good idea of how it is that they are supposed to behave while
working for the organization and what are the consequences that they can be faced with if they
do not comply with all the rules and regulations laid down in the code of ethics (Daft & Marcic,
2016).
2. Engage with Employees on a One to One Basis
Top level management needs to engage with the employees in an organization on a one to
one basis and get to know them personally, if corruption is to be killed at its root, in a business
organization, I believe. Hence reaching out to my staff at the café is what I am going to try to do.
Members of the top level management need to interact with employees as much as possible and
try to find out where it is that they are coming from in order to gain an idea of the type of
behavior that the employees can be capable of when working for the organization over the long
term (Lee et al., 2016). For instance, a manager who makes it a point to get to know the
employees on a personal level will be able to understand if there are certain employees who are
likely to turn out to be dishonest in their dealings with the business and whether or not they are
capable of committing fraud. I feel that when managers engage with their employees on a
personal level, they also get to impress upon the employees the idea that ethics is important in

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business and that employees should do everything in their power to be as ethical as possible, in
order to take a business in forward direction. In fact, in my view it is the managers of an
organization who need to be entrusted with the responsibility of letting employees know that
ethics needs to be implemented when working for a business and that unethical business
practices will not be tolerated in any form. Such information when coming from a person like the
manager of an organization is likely to be taken seriously and followed diligently by the
employees of the organization, in addition to the seriousness or gravity associated with signing
or accepting a code of ethics. Managers are I believe expected to exhibit a transformational
leadership style when they speak to their employees about ethical behavior and make the
importance of such behavior known to them. Autocratic managers are people who do not
communicate with their subordinates (Lee et al., 2016). Their subordinates always fear them.
There is not much that can be achieved therefore by an autocratic business manager. However, a
transformational leader can go a long way in engaging with employees on a one on one basis and
letting them know in the most informal of ways, the standards of ethical behavior that is
expected of them. According to me, this will work better as far as the task of educating
employees about the importance of ethical behavior is concerned and getting them to behave
ethically for the length of their tenure within the organization (Meacham et al., 2019).
3. Introduce a Checks and Balances System for Safety
One of the best ways in my opinion by which a business organization can ensure that its
activities are being carried out in an ethical manner is to make sure that there is checks and
balances system in place for this purpose, which is why I have decided to introduce one the café
where I am manager. While I have not witnessed fraud as yet, I believe the checks and balances
system will serve as an effective measure against fraudulent activities. It will keep employees,

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managers and even business owners from engaging in fraud and embezzlement as it will involve
the regular auditing of financial accounts. The checks and balances system of the organization
will keep the business management up to date about the manner in which the organization’s
financial resources are being used and any suspicious activity here and there when it comes to
the management of funds, is something that can be immediately reported against. The checks and
balances system of the organization is a measure that in my view all business organizations of
the world should have in place as it serves as a perfect measure against corruption (Collings et
al., 2018).
4. Get Experts to Come and Give Lectures on Doing Ethical Business
I have decided to invite ethical businessmen of repute whom I personally know, to come and
give talks on ethical behavior at the café. While it may be difficult to get international business
experts to come and give talks in person, such lectures can be arranged for in the form of
webinars. Employees do not have to travel to far off distances in order to attend a webinar as this
can be attained from the comfort of the office. The webinar takes place online and a business
organization can get a panel of experts, rather than just one or two experts to brief the employees
of the organization on the importance of business ethics and why it ought to be practiced. I feel
that when employees are made to attend such webinars or when they get to attend in person talks
that are held by business experts on the subject of business ethics, the relevance of business
ethics and its significance will be driven home to them and they will want to start implementing
ethical practices in their modes of work if they are not doing so already (Lawton & Macaulay,
2015). While it may require a business organization to invest a considerable sum of money in
getting experts to come and give talks at an organization, and that too on the subject of business
ethics, the fruits of doing so is really going to pay off for the company in a few months, when

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employees feel motivated to do their work ethically. There can be nothing better than well given
lecture to get employees to understand the value and the relevance of business ethics, I believe.
Thus, there are quite a few ways by which I believe I can instill ethical practices in
employees of the café that I manage. Business ethics is absolutely vital in today’s day and age
given the prevalence of ethical scandals in each and every part of the world. If business is to be
acquired, if business organizations are to grow suitably and attract investors and stakeholders
who will keep the business running for the long term, then it has to be entirely ethical in the
manner in which it functions. If it is not, it will end up collapsing some day or the other, leading
to its demise.

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References
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Cai, M., Chen, P., Wang, J., Jiang, Y., Qi, L.U., Jia, J. and Xue, D., 2016. Status Analysis on the
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