| The issue of business ethics is constantly brought | | | | scandals are Enron, WorldCom and Stayam. |
| up to the public's eye when a company practices | | | | Ethics of human resource management involves |
| good or bad business ethics, (an example is the | | | | the recruitment process, orientation, performance |
| latest BP's oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico). | | | | appraisal, training and development, and healthy |
| Business ethics is the behavior of a company to | | | | and safety issues. The issue revolves treating |
| the rest of the world as a whole, as well as their | | | | employees as humans, and not merely as |
| single interactions per customer. | | | | commodities. Employers are not allowed to |
| Businesses can gain a good or bad reputation, it all | | | | discriminate against employees, employees have |
| depends on their level of capitalism (how much | | | | At-will employment, employees have the right to |
| the business is interested in making money, at all | | | | union bust or strike break, employees have the |
| costs), and how they conduct themselves to | | | | right to privacy in workplace surveillance and drug |
| make money brings up ethical behavior. Most | | | | testing, employers must allow whistle-blowing, and |
| people say that businesses should be held | | | | there must be balance of power between |
| responsible for their own ethics as well as ones | | | | employer and employee. Also, an employer must |
| tied in relationship with other businesses. As a | | | | not be hired, fired, promoted, demoted, based on |
| result, major big companies have been fined | | | | race, age, gender, religion, or any other |
| millions for breaking ethical business laws, money | | | | discriminatory act. |
| is usually the main factor to whether a company | | | | Ethics of production is where business ethics deal |
| has done wrong. | | | | with issues of a company to ensure that products |
| Companies have to follow anti-trust laws, which | | | | and production do not cause harm to employees. |
| state that businesses cannot monopolize, or | | | | The dilemma in this is that there is usually a |
| attempt to monopolize a market. The philosophy | | | | degree of danger in any production process. It is |
| behind this law is to prevent stagnate markets | | | | difficult to define the social perception of |
| and to have a healthy market competition. | | | | acceptable risk. Examples include inherently |
| Businesses that constantly get fined are soft | | | | dangerous product or services such as weapons, |
| drink, companies, fast food restaurants, clothing | | | | alcohol, tobacco, chemical manufacturing, etc.) |
| and shoe stores that use sweatshops, and much | | | | Relationships between company and environment |
| more. Business ethics can even be applied to how | | | | are constant hot topics as well. New technology is |
| your employees act, why good employees do | | | | always and ethical issue, such as genetically |
| bad things. | | | | modified food, phone radiation, health, etc.) |
| Ethics of finance in a company include their | | | | Ethics of property and intellectual rights includes |
| behavior in creative accounting, earnings, financial | | | | issues such as patent, copyrights and trademark |
| analysis, insider trade information, securities fraud, | | | | infringement. Employee raiding is the practice of |
| bucket shops, forex scams, executive | | | | attracting key employees away from the |
| compensation, bribery, kickbacks, facilitation | | | | competitor to take advantage of their knowledge |
| payments and such. Good examples of companies | | | | or skills. |
| that were discovered practicing accounting | | | | |