Premium Essay

Ethics and the Legal Environment

In:

Submitted By nismo63
Words 777
Pages 4
Final Project

Mark Ali

Kaplan University

Ethics and the Legal Environment

April 3, 2012

The Clean Power Company and The Energy Cooperative both face some challenging ethical and legal issues. Every company makes decisions that can effect beyond the managers and employees (Zeigler, Grace 2010). The wrong choices in both these cases can affect the company’s profits, their stockholders, and the shareholders. The two companies also could face potential fines and penalties from the decisions they make. When a business judges the effect of its decision on their stakeholders, that company is practicing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (Zeigler, Grace 2010).
After reviewing both cases here are my final recommendations.
The Energy Cooperative A non-profit organization dedicated to providing education to the public about energy information, new technologies, monitoring new start-up companies, and providing a public forum for complaints. It also provides new alternative energy companies a central hub to discuss new technology. The company is headquartered in Chicago with locations throughout the U.S. and in three cities abroad, Copenhagen, Milan and New Delhi. There are currently 400,000 members worldwide who are made up of professionals in the energy field and non-professionals who have interests in the field. They are all united through the web, here members vote on initiatives, policy changes, and any purchases over $100. There is a board of directors that meet once a month via conference call. They have all signed statements to have no allegiance to any particular company. They all receive a small fee for directing their affiliates and being on the board of directors.
Recently one of the directors has asked approval from the other directors when calling their potential clients to be able to state, “I’m calling as director of the Energy

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Ethics and the Legal Environment

...The Clean Power Company, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been in operation for 5 years. The company produces an energy regulating device that automatically regulates the use of power sources in homes and businesses. Recently, they have realized that in order to stay in business, they will have to move their operations out of the country. They have purchased approximately 500 acres next to the Chavon River in the southeastern part the Dominican Republic. The land is totally undeveloped. However, it is located across the river from the Altos de Chavon complex that has shops, restaurants, and other commercial attractions. This land looks like a tropical paradise with palm trees and access to the sea via the Chavon River. As part of the sales agreement, the seller, Teltac Corporation, has agreed to put in roads, septic systems, and water lines. However, electrical power and sewer lines will be up to Clean Power. Clean Power Company plans to be self sustaining by using solar power. Teltec has informed them that there should be no problems running sewer lines directly into the river as the Chavon River is clean and large and can nvthe waste. You are the Director of Corporate Development in charge of spearheading the development of this new site. In addition, you are responsible for transitioning US employees to the new location and hiring local employees. You will need to decide which Cincinnati employees will go to the new Dominican Republic location or if the company...

Words: 555 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Ethics and Legal Environment of Business

...HOOPER V. YODER September 9, 2015 The purpose of this paper is to analyze and evaluate a civil court case between Steven J. Hooper v. David Yoder and the role ethical principles played in the case. I would like to address these important points in this paper: * Define common law * Summary of the facts that brought the parties into the courtroom * State the holding of the court * The legal rights and responsibilities of the plaintiff and defendant * The role of ethical theories including Kant and Nozick’s in this case * Propose specific, common sense business practices that may have resolved the conflict Let’s begin with a definition of common law which is applied to all corporations. “Common law is made and applied by judges as they decide cases not governed by statutes or other types of law. Although common law exists only at the state level, both state courts and federal courts become involved in applying it. … Over time, judges began to follow the decisions of other judges in similar cases, called precedents. This practice became formalized in the doctrine of stare decisis” (Mallor, et all, 2010). There were several facts that brought the parties into the courtroom. The litigation began with the conflict between Hooper and Yoder who both started their business in the dairy products field as partners. Surprisingly, there was no formal written agreement for the partnership form of business between them. They created, accepted the rights and shared...

Words: 1345 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Ls312 Ethics and the Legal Environment Unit 2

...Douglas L. Kaye LS312: Ethics and the Legal Environment Unit 2 Prof. Craig July 16th, 2013 John Stuart Mill developed a systematic statement of utilitarian ethical theory, which is another ethical theory based on the consequences of actions. The application of this theory involves performing the action that produces the best results for the greatest number of people. Utilitarianism can be further reduced into two sub-categories, act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Followers of act utilitarianism think that in each ethical situation, an individual should perform the action that produces the best results for the majority of people. Rule utilitarianism requires people to construct and follow an established set of rules that should guarantee the best possible outcome for the majority of the people. Critics of both utilitarianism positions argue that it is extremely difficult to determine future consequences for other people. Another problem of utilitarianism is cost benefit analysis. Essentially, in the quest to please the majority, at what point do the minority’s interest become expendable? Assigning value to individuals in this manner, and using them as a means to an end may not always be considered moral behavior in some situations or circumstances (Kemerling, 2011). In the Palm Beach Post this week was a news article titled, "Royal Palm Beach woman charged with opening fake account, stealing $6,000 from bank" which was about a 50-year-old woman, Anna Papa...

Words: 623 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Ls312 Ethics and the Legal Environment - Unit 9

...Energy Cooperative Recommendation The Energy Cooperative is a non-profit organization that, in short, provides education to the public regarding new technology updates, monitoring viable new start-up energy companies and providing a public forum for complaints on its website. After meeting with the board of directors, I was asked to provide a recommendation on the ethical concerns with telling personal potential clients they are calling as director of the Energy Cooperative. The following is my recommendation. The ethical concerns I have are with the directors wanting to contact their personal potential clients for business gain and use their status with the non-profit to promote business for their personal gain versus the benefit of the co-op. According to Kant’s categorical imperative, an individual’s motives must be pure, if they are not, then the means cannot justify the end (Ziegler, 2011). In this case, the director’s motives to contact these potential clients can bring business connections to the co-op because of him acknowledging the group, but the director’s only goal is to profit from this for his own personal gain. Under Kant’s categorical imperative, the benefit that these potential clients can bring to the non-profit and all of its members are irrelevant because of the selfish act by the directors. It is my recommendation the directors do not use the status of their positions when contacting personal potential clients. I arrived at this conclusion mainly...

Words: 804 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Managing Medical Ethics and Legal Requirements in a Primary Care and Health Environment

...Diploma in Primary Care and Health Management 4419-601 Managing Medical Ethics and Legal Requirements in a Primary Care and Health Environment TABLE OF CONTENTS TASK | PAGE | Task 1Managing medical ethics is a fundamental part of a Manager’s role. It is the responsibility of the Manager to understand the guiding principles of medical ethics and apply them within the organisation | | a) Reflect on the journey of medical ethics and interpret how the principles of the Hippocratic Oath are applied within your organisation………………………………….………… | 4 | b) Examine your workplace with reference to its compliance with the legal and ethical requirements of holding, using and accessing data………………………………………….………. | 6 | c) Evaluate your role as a manager in ensuring compliance with the principles of medico-legal ethics in relation to duty of care ………………………………………………………… | 8 | d) Regulatory bodies are used as a means of support in the event of fraud and malpractice. Analyse the route or course of action you would follow if you were to identify evidence of potential fraud or malpractice within your organisation…………… | 9 | Task 2There are a variety of medico-legal requirements affecting healthcare organisations and the Manager is required to understand how these requirements impact not only on the medical profession but on the organisation as a whole. | | a) Review relevant medico-legal requirements relating to consent and capacity, affecting your organisation………………………………………………………………………………………...

Words: 4907 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Micro

...Objectives 4.1 Differentiate between types of employment relationships and associated the legal considerations. 4.2 Differentiate between types of discriminatory issues and the associated legal considerations. 4.3 Determine methods for managing legal risk arising from regulatory compliance issues. Readings Read Ch. 31 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International. Readings Read Ch. 32 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International. Readings Read Ch. 33 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International. Readings Read Ch. 43 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International. Readings Read Ch. 44 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International. Readings Read Ch. 45 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International. Readings Read Ch. 46 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International. Readings Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Participation Participate in class discussion. 2 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. DQ 1 due Day 3 and DQ 2 Due Day 5 2 Nongraded Activities and Preparation Podcast Listen to the Week Four podcast. Learning Team Reflection Check out the local and national news sources and find a current event that reflects what we...

Words: 594 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Ethics and Legal Issues in Mergers

...Ethical and Legal Issues Merger of Company A & Company B Human Resources Management & Talent Development 07-04-13 Abstract In any merger, there are always legal and ethical issues involved. These issues have to be resolved in order to ensure a successful merger. It is the role of Human Resource personnel to ensure the code of ethics is used in legal and moral implications. The role of the Human resource manager is to create an ethical environment in which all employees are able to enjoy there inalienable rights. These rights will include the accessibility of information about the job, company, and there career and the right not to be coerced into situations. Maintaining these rights will help in reducing stress, establishing trust, increasing productivity and efficiency. This report will document the legal and ethical issues associated with a merger. It will also consist of a detailed implementation plan in resolving these potential ethical and legal issues. A plan for establishing an ethical work environment and resolving ethical and legal issues will be discussed as well. Identify Specific Legal and Ethical Issues involved in Mergers Recently the mergers and acquisitions of firms has become a major trend in business. In the process of mergers and acquisitions, the role of ethics and compliance has become a major step in ensuring success. A breakout session was held just recently on ethics and compliance in mergers and acquisitions. The panel, which featured...

Words: 1264 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Management

...techniques including how the planning function of management is used. Planning allows organizations to develop how the customers’ needs can be met, what is expected out of the company, and the environment. The structure of management helps accommodate the need for experience and expertise on important factors. Some of these factors are legal issues, ethics, and corporate social responsibility instead of just focusing on the profits. This paper covers the planning function of management, the influences of legal issues, ethics, and corporate social responsibility on management planning, and factors that influence the company’s strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning. Boeing Management Planning Boeing is known as “the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliner and military aircraft combined ("The Boeing Company: About Us," 2012). Every company uses different types of management techniques including how the planning function of management is used. Planning allows organizations to develop how the customers’ needs can be met, what is expected out of the company, and the environment. The structure of management helps accommodate the need for experience and expertise on important factors. Some of these factors are legal issues, ethics, and corporate social responsibility instead of just focusing on the profits. The Planning Function of Management Boeing was started in 1916 by William Edward Boeing. He began the Boeing...

Words: 1477 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Ethics Issues

...Business ethics mean many things to many people and for different reasons. Business ethics can be simply defined as moral standards by which people judge behavior (Tenbrunsel, 2008). In business, there are many different people you have to answer to: your customers, your shareholders, your colleagues and your clients. Business ethics are complex and very subjective and what we do when an ethical situation presents itself is what ultimately dictates one’s ethics. We have all heard of the “golden rule”, which is do unto others as you’d have done to you. I think this ultimately defines ethics and how they are very personal and subjective. If you lie, then you should not be upset when you are lied to. In the world of business, employers monitor their employees in different ways and for different reasons and there is no legal boundaries to the monitoring. There are five different ways in which employees are watched for ethics: business ethics, legal compliance, legal liability, performance review, productivity, and security (Reh, 2010). Legal compliance is a term used to ensure that companies and their employees adhere to the regulated guidelines that are set fourth by the industry. An example of this behavior is with customer service representatives. A company chooses to record the conversations that the customer service representative have with customers to protect themselves and their customers. While this does not seem like much, but it shows that a company cares enough to...

Words: 574 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Management Planning

...company, and the environment. As opposed to just focusing on profits, companies need to focus on the need for expertise and experience needed to take on important issues such as legal issues, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility. Management structure helps them accomplish this goal. It is wise to consult professionals experienced in these fields to counsel upper management on these issues. A proper business plan is needed in order for a company or organization to evolve. In this paper I will cover corporate social responsibility on planning, the influences of legal issues, business ethics, the influences of legal issues, the planning function of management, and analyzes at least three factors that influence the company's operational, strategic, tactical, and contingency planning. The Planning Function of Management Boeing is a multinational company that started in 1916 as the Pacific Aero Products Company. The management plan that William Boeing started has continuously evolved with the times as the function of Boeing Company has changed. In the beginning William Boeing had to secure a loan using his personal finances in order to pays his employee’s wages. In their early days the Boeing Company produced furniture, dressers, and counters for other businesses. By flying mail in a Boeing plane from Vancouver to Seattle, they were able to gain enough experience to start a new division in the Boeing Company. The Influence of Legal Issues Legal issues can...

Words: 1315 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Term Paper

...associated legal considerations. As an example, you consider legal considerations such as discrimination in the workplace. You also study regulatory compliance issues for an organization, as well as the associated business consequences. The readings focus on workers’ compensation, occupational safety, and other worker protection laws, with a specific attention to the Family and Medical Leave Act. This week also covers the collective bargaining agreements and labor law, as well as several laws and decisions a company must make regarding these labor law issues. In addition, you examine equal opportunity in employment and Title VII, including what comprises this significant law. You review regulatory laws, environmental protection and global warning, as well as antitrust laws and unfair trade practices. The readings focus on introductory concepts and the laws that support these concepts. Employment and Regulatory Risk OBJECTIVE: Differentiate between types of employment relationships and the associated legal considerations. Resources: Ch. 31 & 32 of Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International Issues Content • Ch. 31: Employment, Worker Protection, and Immigration Laws o Introduction to Employment, Worker Protection, and Immigration Laws o Worker’s Compensation • Case 31.1 Workers’ Compensation: Medrano v. Marshall Electrical Contracting Inc. o Occupational Safety • Ethics Spotlight:...

Words: 971 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

International Legal & Ethical Issues in Business

...International Legal and Ethical Issues In Business Several issues keep emerging in the current business world. Some of these issues are legal while others are ethical. The management of modern organizations must ensure that their human resources have desirable ethical behaviour. This will ensure that their organizations maintain their clientele and in turn increase their profit margins. How would you effectively present the issue of potentially defective products to the CEO, other directors, and managers? A potential defective product can cause injuries if taken lightly regardless of whether the company’s ethical guidelines have been communicated. Such situations can cause significant legal repercussions and destroy the reputation of a company, which can cost the company if proper steps are not followed in correcting it. Normally, the senior management in current organizations fails to know what is happening at the ground level and it is the duty of the employee in charge to give out a report (Edwards, 2008). During such a presentation to the top management, it is important for one to give out sampled evidence to support the allegation in an honest manner. This should be made in comparison to the actual products to bring out the difference. Physical evidence brings out product defects and it will challenge the top management to act fast to avoid legal battles with the consumers (Brooks, 2012). How would you specifically notify customers of such an occurrence? It is an...

Words: 921 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Lwc1 Cos

...of Business Law and Ethics Course of Study Your competence will be assessed as you complete the LWC1 objective assessment for this course of study. This course of study may take up to 10 weeks to complete. Introduction Overview There are the two major subdomains of study within the Fundamentals of Business Law and Ethics Course of Study: business law and business ethics. The exam covers 11 business law and ethics concepts, including the following: contractual relationship government regulation of business dispute resolution labor and employment law hiring and employment practices warranties, negligence, and liabilities Sarbanes-Oxley Act ethical issues in business ethical leadership ethics programs use of company resources You likely have had some experience with the legal system, either through your own encounters or merely through listening to the nightly news, and you have probably read or heard about various ethical and legal issues causing financial upheaval in today's business world. This background will serve you well in this study. Now you can expand on that experience, and perhaps refine and enhance your own views on these issues. Once you complete this course of study, you will have demonstrated a level of competence that you can immediately use in your work setting and career. Outcomes and Evaluation There are 10 competencies covered by this course of study; they are listed in the "Competencies for Fundamentals of Business Law and Ethics (LWC1) " page. You will...

Words: 8481 - Pages: 34

Premium Essay

Ethical and Legal Issues of a Merger

...Ethical and Legal Issues of a Merger Human Resource Management & Talent Development Ethical and Legal Issues Corporate mergers are pursued because there is a belief that if both independent companies are combined as one, the resulting company will grow more rapidly and will be stronger competitively. Management teams from both sides of these companies will no doubt encounter ethical and legal challenges prior to the merger, during the merger, and after the merger has been completed. HR acts as a moral compass for these companies, and issues that must be faced raise questions about fairness, equality, integrity, honesty, accountability, and consequences of behavior. As HR Director of the acquiring company, it is my responsibility to aid all employees in adhering to the code of ethics that has been implemented into our organizational mission statement. Furthermore, it is my job to create a safe and ethical environment in which every employee can enjoy his or her incontrovertible rights, which include the ability to access information about his or her job and the freedom to be able to do their job without any duress. HR can be a conflicting job for those of us in management, as we are called upon to walk a very narrow line between what is legally and morally best for the employee and financially advantageous to the company (Moore, 2014). However, the alternative of facing civil and criminal penalties that would incur due to law breaking, or even the implication of law...

Words: 3703 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Strategic Management

...Strategic Management Process Paper Describe the primary components of a strategic management process, and indicate why a strategic management process is needed for a company The four components of strategic management are ethics, sustainability, innovation, and legal environment. Companies should exercise ethical practices when conducting business. These ethical practices eliminate legal repercussions, expenses, and ensure successful business transactions. Sustainability is the capacity of a company to maintain, and have the capacity to endure through unchanging resistance to change. The sustainable business has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy. Business innovation refers to a wide spectrum of original concepts, including development of new ways of doing business, new business models, and applications of technology and communications. Innovation helps the business restructure according to new innovative ideas and be able to compete with other businesses. The legal environment in business is broad. Legal environment involves ethics and business practices. The business must adhere to business ethics, social responsibilities, and laws in order for the business to run smoothly, avoid legal expenses, and avoid legal actions towards the company. These four components of strategic management are essential to the business success. Citigroup’s strategic management process Citigroup’s mission statement consists of serve individuals, communities...

Words: 390 - Pages: 2