Values, Ethics, and Collaborative Working: A Portfolio of Tasks

This portfolio assignment delves into the significance of values, ethics, and collaborative working within a business context, using Unilever as a case study. It begins by defining ethics and its impact on organizations, highlighting Unilever's commitment to integrity, respect, and responsibility. The assignment further explores corporate social responsibility (CSR) and how businesses contribute to the wider community through health programs, educational initiatives, environmental protection, and raising living standards. It then outlines ethical guidelines and legal considerations for soft drink companies operating in the UK, including packaging, food safety, marketing regulations, and data protection laws. Finally, the assignment examines the importance of team collaboration, policies for effective teamwork, strategies for motivating teams, and the consequences of poor collaboration, emphasizing the need for ethical conduct and legal compliance in all business operations. Desklib provides students access to similar assignments and study resources.

Values Ethics and Working
Collaboratively

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1. Explaining the concept of ethics and its impact on the business organization:.......................3
2. Explaining how business contribute to wider community with the help of corporate social
responsibility:...............................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
1. Ethical guideline that soft drink company need to follow in the market of the UK:...............5
2. Marketing and advertising law the company need to comply with:........................................6
3. Food and health regulations need to be considered.................................................................7
4. Legislation that the organization needs to comply to ensure the protection of customers and
their data.......................................................................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
1. Teams collaboration.................................................................................................................8
2. Policies of collaborative working............................................................................................8
3. Ways to collaborate to outside of the organization..................................................................9
4. Organization collaborate in diverse teams...............................................................................9
5. Strategies used to motivate a team...........................................................................................9
6. Consequences of poor collaborative working........................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Ethics is one of the most important thing for every business organization, this allows
them to follow cultural diversity and channelized it to company's success. Managing
workplace with value and collaboratively working with each other, company focus on long
term success and gain competitive advantage. This study is based on Unilever, this company
is one of the largest retail giant in the world that provide wide range of product and fulfil
demand of customer across globe (Shaw, 2016). This report will discuss concept of ethics and
its impact on business organization and will discuss how company follow CSR for brand
awareness process. Later this report will discuss ethical and legal process soft drink company
have to follow while dealing in the UK. At last this report will discuss importance of team
collaboration in a workplace.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
1. Explaining the concept of ethics and its impact on the business organization:
Ethics means moral responsibility of business towards employee, consumer and other
stakeholder. This refers to principle that work as guideline that allow business to examine what is
right and what is wrong. For example, if business without any reason remove employee then this
will be considered as unethical step or if employee perform any illegal or against company's
policy then it will also be considered wrong (Brenkert, 2016). Both employer and employee fall
under ethical guideline that help them to stay on right path. Employee have one ethical moral to
follow which is to fairly work for business but company have certain different ethic that they
need to follow.
Unilever is one of those companies who follow every ethical standard that allow them to
become stable, this business organization consider employee and their value. Unilever consider
themselves as brand ambassador of ethics, this company state high ethical value for their
business. There are certain area where ethics of Unilever can be seen in the business, these are:
 Integrity: Unilever's business integrity allow them to bring value for their employee with
the help of code of business principle this company provide clear policies, guideline and
other material to ensure employee determine company's ethical standard. Employee of
Unilever will often get healthy workplace environment due to integrity this company hold

to manage workplace. This company focus on continuous development with the help of
holding ethical guideline and principle for effective management of employee's value.
 Respect: Unilever respect every culture and provide them equal opportunity to grow and
become stable, this company focus on hiring cultural diverse candidate that carry wide
knowledge and have ethics to follow professionalism in the workplace (Trevino and
Nelson, 2021). Unilever show respect with the help of policies and opportunity provided
to employee, under standard ethical guideline this company hold to be one of the best
value based company for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
 Responsibility: Unilever's have responsibility to manage employee, society and
environment. This company follow every responsibility that allow them to become stable
for example corporate social responsibility of the business organization allow them to
become responsible towards society and environment. With code of practice, this
company ensure ethical consideration while dealing in the market avoiding impact on
environment.
2. Explaining how business contribute to wider community with the help of corporate social
responsibility:
Corporate social responsibility is one of the most important thing for every business
organization as this allow business to be responsible towards society and environment. Every
business organization somehow impact society and environment in both positive and negative
way, it is very clear that company need to be responsible towards betterment of wider
community and local or regional development (Advantage, 2020). Many large scale business like
Unilever focus on development of society and wider community, this company is well-known for
its program that run for boosting value of community and allow them to explore area of
development. This company run certain program under CSR to develop wider community, these
are:
Health and inclusion program: Unilever is one of those companies who run certain program
for betterment of society and environment, this company have their own CSR program for
example; Health and Inclusion Program of Unilever allow them to provide health facility to
diverse culture that do not get enough resource for medical treatment. Hindustan Unilever
Limited (HUL) run this program in villages and diverse society where medical facility still lack
behind. This company focus on completing their CSR by promoting health in society (Frynas

and Yamahaki, 2016). This program of Unilever not only allow them to promote health but this
allows them to gain competitive advantage.
Educational program: Unilever run certain educational program where they tend to provide
education to children of worker, local community and regional area where company operate in.
this company not only provide education to children, but they educate women allow them to
understand their right, Unilever's educational program cover every worker that work for the
company. Certain resource for better education is been provided by the company to ensure that
they do not lack behind in completing CSR.
Environment protection: environment protection is one of the most important thing every
business organization need to consider before dealing in the market, this simply means they will
be reduced those activities that harm nature (Latapí Agudelo, Jóhannsdóttir and Davídsdóttir,
2019). Unilever is one of those companies who have their environment protection program, from
reducing pollution to cutting off plastic, this company turning towards sustainability that allow
them to be responsible towards nature and gain competitive advantage.
Raising standard of living: Unilever is one of those companies who have quality product, this
company focus on raising standard of living of their employee, consumer and stakeholder.
Unilever have certain program for B2B business or shop owner, this company provide stock in
bulk under lower rate that allow shop owner to boost their standard of living. Unilever fairly deal
with B2B business owner and fulfil their demand, with this, Unilever able to gain competitive
advantage and become stable in highly competitive market.
TASK 2
1. Ethical guideline that soft drink company need to follow in the market of the UK:
Ethical guideline allow company to remain stable in the market, this help them to
consider ethical standard while dealing with consumer. If soft drink company want to sell their
product in the UK then they have to consider basic guideline provided by the government, these
are;
Packaging: when it comes to packaging, company need to highlight ingredients that are been
used in the product, for example, if soft drink company have included alcohol in the drink then
they have to mention amount of alcohol or type of alcohol used in the manufacturing of the
drink. This way they can ensure they follow every ethical guideline to aware consumer, Under

Producer Responsibility Obligation Regulation, company consider fair deal that allow them to
avoid any kind of unethical behaviour towards consumer.
Food Safety: Food safety is one of the most important thing company need to consider while
dealing in food and beverage industry, soft drink company have to get licence for food
processing where they can use provide soft drink to consumer ensuring that food is safe to eat
(Manning and Soon, 2016). Under Food Safety Act 1990, soft drink company need to follow
both legal as well as ethical guideline. Ensuring food is safe to eat is one of the most important
ethical consideration company need to think about, if soft drink fail to meet standard ethical
guideline them company will going to face certain issue both legal as well as ethical.
2. Marketing and advertising law the company need to comply with:
Marketing and advertisings is one of the most important thing company consider while
selling their product and service in the market, every company need to consider law and
regulation for advertising that allow them to avoid broadcasting any kind of misleading
information or influence consumer to buy product in unethical manner. Under The Advertising
Standards Authority (ASA) UK, soft drink company need to consider legal guideline provided by
the government. Soft drink company need to consider the Advertising Code that including fairly
highlighting purpose of advertising (Lopez-Gonzalez, Estévez and Griffiths, 2018). There are
certain government agencies of the UK that handle marketing and advertising process in the
country, these are:
ASA: ASA is one of the most important regulatory agency that provide guideline to business
when advertising their product and service in the market, soft drink company need to provide
clear description of product including size, quantity and price of the product, if soft drink
company fail to provide any one legal obligation then they have to face lawsuit and case raised
by consumer.
CAP: CAP is connected with ASA which have responsibility to ensure advertising codes, these
codes are guideline for advertising agency that work for business advertiser. It is very clear that
if business hire advertising agency for product promotion then it is responsibility of agency to
consider guideline provided by the CAP. If soft drink company focus on advertising with
external media then they have to consider CAP for fail deal in the market.

3. Food and health regulations need to be considered
The soft drink organization is required to consider the health and safety regulation for
launching their beverages and food to the consumers. The government of UK has implemented
the law The Food Safety Act 1990 where an individual or an organization is required to follow
the rules and sell the food for sale which is not harmful for health of the public (Murphy,
Benson, and et.al., 2020). A company has to ensure the proper maintenance of the health and
safety areas and carried out the hygiene. The proper arrangement of the food and health safety
regulation should be adopted which helps the company to not get increase their overall sale and
can reduce the risk of food poising which helps the company to not get banned and restricted to
run their food business. The UK government has also implemented the laws and legislation
where the company has to follow the hygiene at their food production areas.
 The premises should be clean in have to be in good state.
 A proper ventilation and drainage system has to be considered.
 Equipments should clean and washed.
 Proper arrangement of the pest control
 A personal hygiene of the staff members
 Proper main of the food temperature should be considered to prevent the growth of the
harmful bacteria
4. Legislation that the organization needs to comply to ensure the protection of customers and
their data
The UK government has implemented a law and legislation where they have to protect
the customer data and information with them only and cannot get be shared by someone else as it
is illegal to be done (Gaitán-Cremaschi, and et.al., 2019). Under the Data Protection Act 1998
the business or an organization is required to protect the personal data and information of the
consumers. Under this law, there are major eight principles which a company needs follow and
adopt.
Fair and lawful: The personal data of the consumers must be collected fairly and lawfully where
an individual knows and aware of their data which has been collected by the company. In
general, the consumer should know that their personal information has been collected by the
organization and allowed by the customers.

Registered: The company must inform the Information Commissioner about the gathering of the
data of the consumers as they cannot sell the prior information.
Purposes: The company can only gather the relevant and useful data of the consumers and do
not have any other intention to use the data.
Accuracy: The personal data must be accurate and updated. If the data has been inaccurate then
it is of no use so the company needs to collect only accurate and relevant data.
Rights: The data should be used in right way and with lawful areas as access to personal data,
prevent direct marketing, compensation and such more (Fry, Madden and et.al., 2018).
Security: The collecting of the data buy the company should maintain the integrity and people
right and freedom where they have to take care of such things like unlawful personal data and
unauthorized process of the data.
International transfer: The data and information should not be transfer at international level to
needs to protect the data under the laws.
TASK 3
1. Teams collaboration
Working as team helps an individual person to put the effectiveness in a working area
where the company Unilever can be able to get the profitable outcome. Team collaboration helps
an individual to accelerate their skills like problem-solving and help them to provide the creative
work. Unilever adopts this method to obtain the effective and excellent outcome where it also
helps an individual to improve their skills and knowledge (Holzinger, Kieseberg and et.al.,
2018). Working as a team also foster the good and diverse environment where people can be able
to understand the effectiveness of working in a team. Team working includes each person efforts
and knowledge which make the project and working more creative and accurate from which it
becomes easy to achieve the goals and target.
2. Policies of collaborative working
There are different policies and procedures the company is required to adapt to create and
encourage the collaborative working in their organization. At first, while doing any project in a
form of team all the members of the team should be known about each other where they are
required to have a short meet ups and interaction which helps them to work as a team. Secondly,
the proper communication should be done within a team so that each and individual person can

share their ideologies and their knowledge which will be very beneficial for the company as they
can be able to achieve the definite goals.
3. Ways to collaborate to outside of the organization
The company Unilever is one of the leading company where they adopt the team
collaboration working which provides the effectiveness to the company. The company practices
different ways to collaborate with the outside people of the company (Aghakishiyeva, and
ElAdwi, 2020). Unilever invites the members from the outside by sending them invitation
through email from which they can be able to get the communication and collaboration with the
people. The company also pins a post by creating and outlining their goals, which helps them to
create a good collaboration among people outside of the company. Even, Unilever company also
make the connection and interaction with the people by sharing the files and gathering the
feedbacks and reviews from the team will help the company to get communicated from the
people. Also, the team members communicate personally by chatting over the different
applications or also creates a group where they can collaborate easily.
4. Organization collaborate in diverse teams
The company Unilever always encourage their diverse team to work together from which
they can be able to provide the effective results and outcome. The management of the company
allows the employee to perform the working activities in a form of group where they can be able
to understand each other ideologies and can share the knowledge effectively. A management of
the Unilever also provides the effective training programs for their employee where the diverse
collaboration of the team can learn and improve their knowledge effectively (Wu, Feng, and
et.al., 2018). The company allows each and individual person to speak and can create a friendly
environment in a company from which it will encourage the people to speak and express their
ideologies widely. Giving them a chance and opportunity to speak can make them to feel
comfortable in working a diverse team and can be able to provide the effective results and
outcome form which the company can be able to grow definitely.
5. Strategies used to motivate a team
The company Unilever keep focus on their employee and implement the various
strategies to motivate them accordingly. Employee needs a good and positive environment where
they can be able to express their ideologies and feelings freely where the company gives a
positive working culture which motivates them to work effectively. The company pay the

employee according to their performance and also gives incentives which motivates them to
work hard and effectively. Giving them different packages of incentives has been discovered a
very good motivation for the employee as employee puts their best efforts in making the
company grow and develop. Along with this, the Unilever also provides the different kinds of
opportunity to their employee according to their performance which helps them to increase their
skills and self development and areas and also provide the good outcome to the company.
Offering them an opportunity makes them to feel a valued part of their company where they can
put their best efforts and hard work in making the company successful.
6. Consequences of poor collaborative working
The company can get a poor result if they are not able to work in a team collaboration
where they have to face many consequences due to poor working (Papenfuss, Capiot, and et.al.,
2021). The company will face the consequences where they do not able to increase their growth
and development because of the poor project management where the team has not worked
together which makes the pressure and stress on an individual person and leads them to not able
to conduct the proper project accurately. A poor collaboration of the team al so makes the
company to execute the poor strategy where the overall business will get the impact and discover
the risk at the end of the period. Even, poor collaboration also increases the security risk where it
involves the confidential information and data.
CONCLUSION
The report has concluded the importance of the ethics that the company needs to follow
and adopt for the better results and outcome. The report has included the concept of the ethics
and its effectiveness in the mentioned company where it also involved that how the company
contributes and supports the corporative social responsibility at their company. Also, it includes
the marketing and advertising laws and food health regulations the company needs to adopt and
implement at their organization to obtain the effective result. It also mentioned the laws of data
protection which a company should implement at their organization. At last, it demonstrated the
importance of the team collaboration at the workplace and its effectiveness which can make the
company to achieve their goals.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Advantage, C., 2020. Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR and Socially Responsible Investing
Strategies in Transitioning and Emerging Economies, 65.
Aghakishiyeva, P. and ElAdwi, O., 2020. The Role of Experiential Learning Towards the
Development of Students’ Team Collaboration Competencies in Higher Education
Settings.
Brenkert, G.G., 2016. Business ethics and human rights: An overview. Business and Human
Rights Journal, 1(2), pp.277-306.
Fry, L., Madden, A.M. and et.al., 2018. An investigation into the nutritional composition and
cost of gluten‐free versus regular food products in the UK. Journal of human nutrition
and dietetics. 31(1), pp.108-120.
Frynas, J.G. and Yamahaki, C., 2016. Corporate social responsibility: Review and roadmap of
theoretical perspectives. Business Ethics: A European Review, 25(3), pp.258-285.
Gaitán-Cremaschi, D., and et.al., 2019. Characterizing diversity of food systems in view of
sustainability transitions. A review. Agronomy for sustainable development. 39(1),
pp.1-22.
Holzinger, A., Kieseberg,and et.al., 2018, August. Current advances, trends and challenges of
machine learning and knowledge extraction: from machine learning to explainable AI.
In International Cross-Domain Conference for Machine Learning and Knowledge
Extraction. (pp. 1-8). Springer, Cham.
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.
Lopez-Gonzalez, H., Estévez, A. and Griffiths, M.D., 2018. Controlling the illusion of control: A
grounded theory of sports betting advertising in the UK. International Gambling
Studies, 18(1), pp.39-55.
Manning, L. and Soon, J.M., 2016. Food safety, food fraud, and food defense: a fast evolving
literature. Journal of food science, 81(4), pp.R823-R834.

Murphy, B., Benson, and et.al., 2020. Changes in consumers’ food practices during the COVID-
19 lockdown, implications for diet quality and the food system: a cross-continental
comparison. Nutrients. 13(1), p.20.
Papenfuss, A., Capiot, K. and et.al., 2021, October. We need to talk about this! Assessing
information needs for collaboration in a sectorless working environment. In 2021
IEEE/AIAA 40th Digital Avionics Systems Conference. (DASC) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
Shaw, W.H., 2016. Business ethics: A textbook with cases. Cengage Learning.
Trevino, L.K. and Nelson, K.A., 2021. Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it
right. John Wiley & Sons.
Wu, X., Feng, and et.al., 2018, July. How shared screen affected team collaboration task, a case
study of ergonomics experiment on team situation awareness. In International
Conference on Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics. (pp. 241-249).
Springer, Cham.