COURSE OVERVIEW:
Understanding and practicing good business ethics is an important part of a manager’s job. Ethics is the study of moral obligation, or separating right from wrong.
Ethics become the vehicle for converting values into action and doing the right thing. A firm’s moral standards and values influence which kind of behaviours managers believe are ethical. According to ethically centred management, the high quality of an end product takes precedence over meeting a delivery schedule. Catastrophes can result when management is not ethically centred.
Drivers, or sources, of unethical behaviour fall into several general areas: the characteristics of specific moral issues facing an individual and the organisational environment. Factors contributing to unethical behaviour include greed and avarice, a Machiavellian personality, unconscious biases, and rationalisation. Moral issue factors include the gravity of the issue and moral laxity. Organisational factors include an atmosphere that condones unethical behaviour and pressure from higher management to achieve goals.
Social responsibility refers to a firm’s obligations to society. Corporate consciousness expands this view by referring to values that guide and motivate individuals to act responsibly. The stakeholder viewpoint of social responsibility contends that firms must hold themselves accountable for the quality of life of the many groups affected by the firm’s actions. Corporate social performance is the extent to which a firm respond to the demands of its stakeholders for behaving in a socially responsible way.
A major corporate thrust toward ethical and socially responsible behaviour is to go green. Seven such initiatives include (a) commit to low hazardous emissions, (b) develop a green supply chain, (c) make sustainability part of the business plan, (d) implement a four-day workweek, (e) make and sell products with recycled materials, (f) invest heavily in recycling, and (g) plant a rooftop garden.
Initiatives for creating an ethical and socially responsible workplace include (a) formal mechanisms for monitoring ethics, (b) written organisational codes of conduct, (c) communicating about the topic, (d) leadership by example and ethical role models, (e) confrontation about ethics deviations, and (f) training programs.
The purpose of this course is to explain the importance of and provide insights into workplace ethics and social responsibility.
The first part of this course starts by identifying the philosophical principles behind business ethics. Then explains how values relate to ethics. Then identifies the factors contributing to lax ethics and common ethical temptations and violations. Then provides guidelines to help managerial workers make ethical decisions and to conduct socially responsible acts.
The second part starts by describing the stakeholder viewpoint of social responsibility and corporate social performance. Then present an overview of corporate social responsibility initiatives. Then describes social responsibility initiatives aimed specifically at building a sustainable environment. Finally, summarises how managers can create a workplace environment that fosters ethically and socially responsible behaviour and the benefits of such activity.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:
- What is ethics and corporate social responsibility?
- What is business ethics?
- The ethical reasoning inventory
- The philosophical principles underlying business ethics
- Why focus on consequences and pragmatism?
- Why focus on the rights of individuals (deontology)?
- Why focus on integrity (virtue ethics)?
- Business values and ethics
- The sources of unethical decisions and behaviour
- The individual characteristics and the nature of the moral issue
- The ethical climate in the organisation
- The ethical temptations and violations
- How employers can protect themselves against harassment charges?
- The good cyber-ethics and netiquette
- The business scandals as ethical violations
- The guide to ethical decision making
- The corporate social responsibility
- The components of corporate social responsibility
- The stockholder versus stakeholder viewpoints
- The corporate social performance
- The corporate social responsibility initiatives
- The philanthropy
- The work/life programs
- The community redevelopment projects
- The variety of work/life programs
- The acceptance of whistle-blowers
- The compassionate downsizing
- The environmental protection
- How to create an ethical and socially responsible workplace?
- The formal mechanisms for monitoring ethics
- The elements of an ethics and compliance program
- The importance of written organisational codes of conduct
- The importance of widespread communication about ethics and social responsibility
- The leadership by example and ethical role models
- The encouragement of confrontation about ethical deviations
- The training programs in ethics and social responsibility
- The benefits derived from ethics and social responsibility
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.
COURSE DELIVERY:
Purchase and download course content.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.