...promote a variety of important moral and social values such as human rights, compliance with law, and health and safety (Resnick, 2013). Ethic is the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. When we think of ethics in business research the hospital is the last place one would think practices unethical behaviors. Just like any other organization the health care industry also experiences unethical business research. After all health care professionals have to take an oath of ethical behavior. In 2005 ACPE conducted a survey about ethical behavior. Close to 15,000 physician leaders participated in the survey. Some of the results may be alarming. 54.6 percent surveyed stated they were very concerned about unethical business practices affecting U.S. health care today. Only .6 percent at not concerned at all. The survey also asked if there were unethical physicians at the respondents’ organization and 33.1 percent answered yes. The survey asked a plethora of questions such as: physicians being influenced by pharmaceutical companies to prescribe a certain drug, board members with conflicts of interest, board members accepting gifts or favors from vendors, physician over-treating patients to boost their income, and physicians discharging patients from the hospital too soon to avoid length-of-stay outliers among other things. When respondents were asked to select from a list of potential unethical business practices in reference to health care the top concern was physicians’ not...
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...Ethics and Social Responsibility MGT/498 September 2, 2015 Ethics and Social Responsibility Ethical behaviors offer significant advantages, society as hold benefits. Executives who behave ethically are better off and live more fulfilled lives, and unethical behavior can destroy an organization and the individuals who take part in it. Conducting business in the appropriate manner may not always generate the greatest profits however in the end it will lead to greatest personal satisfaction, fulfillment, and a successful outcome. What is Ethics? Ethics is the study of what constitute right and wrong behavior, it focus on morality and application of moral principals in the everyday life, also what is conform to our personal beliefs Business ethics focus on what constitute ethical behavior in the world of business, however it is not a separate behavior. Understanding business ethics is important to long viability to the business and the well-being of the officers and directors as well as the welfare of the employees (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Ethical Standards and Behaviors The minimal acceptable standards for ethical business behavior are the compliance of the law. Ethical standards such as those in the company's policy and code of ethics must also guide decisions. Nevertheless, simply complying with the laws does not always does not necessarily make the business practice ethical. When can sometimes be ethical and still constitutes as being illegal? During the...
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...Ethics and Corporate Responsibility in the Workplace and the World Patricia Ingram Professor Renee Berry Legal 500- Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance March 1, 2015 Introduction "PharmaCARE is one of the world’s most successful pharmaceutical companies, enjoying a reputation as a caring, ethical and well-run company that produces high-quality products that save millions of lives and enhance the quality of life for millions of others. The company offers free and discounted drugs to low-income consumers, has a foundation that sponsors healthcare educational programs and scholarships, and its CEO serves on the PhRMA board. PharmaCARE recently launched a new initiative, We CARE about YOUR world®, pledging its commitment to the environment through recycling, packaging changes and other green initiatives, despite the fact that the company’s lobbying efforts and PAC have successfully defeated environmental laws and regulations, including extension of the Superfund tax, which was created by Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). ...PharmaCARE maintains a large manufacturing facility in the African nation of Colberia, where the company has found several “healers” eager to freely share information about indigenous cures and an abundance of Colberians willing to work for $1.00 a day, harvesting plants by walking five (5) miles into and out of the jungle carrying baskets that, when full, weigh up to fifty (50) pounds. Due to the...
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...Title: Business and Personal Ethics | Instructor Name: Dr. B. Sichone | Essay/Assignment Title: Unethical Business Practices and Solutions to Unethical Practices | Due Date: | Declaration:I understand that by completing this form I am bound by the following:To the best of my knowledge and belief no part of this assignment for the above subject has been copied from any other student’s work or from any other source except where due acknowledgement is made in the text, or has been written for me by another person except where such collaboration has been authorized by the lecturer concerned. H. MulambaSIGNATURE | Instructor’s Comments: GRADE [ ] | In this assignment we are going to look at the effects of poor ethical standards of an organization in the way it deals with the community of the environment in which it operates. And then suggesting solutions in which to the problems that may arise from poor ethical standards of an organization. According to the Business Dictionary, ethics are the basic concepts and fundamental principles of decent human conduct. Ethics includes the study of universal values as the essential equality of all men and women, human or natural rights, and obedience to the law of the land, concern for health and safety and for the natural environment. An ethical person is a good citizen at home, at school...
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...enhances the quality of life for millions of people. However, this is quite the contrary. PharmaCARE cares only about their profit margin. They helped to create many of the social problems in Colberia such as destroying the habitat and endangering the native species through extensive activities and business practices. PharmaCARE’s treatment of the people of Colberia is immoral, unethical and socially irresponsible. They are taking advantage of Colberia’s low standard of living and economic plight. These people are simply trying to earn a living. At the same time, the executives are living in the lap of luxury. Companies are in business to make a profit, but where do you draw the line? Allen cannot legally fire Donna, Tom or Ayesha. These employees are protected by the public policy exception of the employee-at-will doctrine. Employers should not be allowed to use their economic power over employees in a way that undermines the interests of the community or that is injurious to the public good (p. 165). Employees cannot be fired for fulfilling legal obligations or for exercising their legal rights. Donna has every right to file for worker’s compensation due to her chronic bronchial problems. Her medical problems are probably a result of the mold around the air vents. Tom and Ayesha are exercising their legal rights to file a complaint with Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and Equal Employment Opportunity...
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...business concepts resulted due to global pressures. This result is in the form of business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Besides economic and environmental diligence, these concepts have become a marketing instrument to evaluate the performance of businesses. They are now designing products that are ethical and consider factors like health, safety and morality in their offerings (Hamelin et al. 2012). Similarly, consumers are the ultimate users of the products. They make a huge influence on the offerings by the concerns by accepting it or boycotting it. They attempt to bring changes in the society through their purchasing decisions. So the special market segment could be seen as the "ethical consumers"(Deng 2011). Thus, ethical consumerism could be defined as the ethical concern about the organizations and their products and services by choosing or not choosing a product or service that meets or fails certain ethical standards respectively. There are many aspects and matters included in the ethical considerations. These include safe environmental concerns, fair trade, animal welfare, labor standards and health concerns (Cho and Krasser 2011). The consumers reject the unethical offerings by the organizations through boycott or buycott. Boycott refers to the negative ethical purchase behavior while buycott refers to the positive ethical purchase behavior. Boycotting of various products is done by people that are harmful to the society like products made from animal...
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...Qn 1 1. The Natural Environment One of the more common ways marketers demonstrate social responsibility is through programs designed to protect and preserve the natural environment. a) Many companies are making contributions to environmental protection organizations, sponsoring and participating in clean-up events, promoting recycling, retooling manufacturing processes to minimize waste and pollution, and generally reevaluating the effects of their products on the natural environment. b) Green marketing refers to the specific development, pricing, promotion, and distribution of products that do not harm the natural environment. c) Although demand for economic, legal, and ethical solutions to environmental problems is widespread, the environmental movement in marketing includes many different groups, whose values and goals often conflict. d) Some environmentalists and marketers believe that companies should work to protect and preserve the natural environment by implementing the following goals: (1) Eliminate the concept of waste (2) Reinvent the concept of a product (3) Make prices reflect products’ true cost (4) Make environmentalism profitable 2. Consumerism a) Consumerism refers to the efforts of independent individuals, groups, and organizations working to protect the rights of consumers. b) A number of interest groups and individuals have taken action against companies they consider irresponsible by lobbying government officials and agencies...
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...1. What is the difference between law and ethics? In general, people elect to trade some aspects of personal freedom for social order. As Jean- Jacques Rousseau explains in The Social Contract, or Principles of Political Right, the rules the members of a society create to balance the individual rights to self-determination against the needs of the society as a whole are called laws. Laws are rules that mandate or prohibit certain behavior; they are drawn from ethics, which define socially acceptable behaviors. The key difference between laws and ethics is that laws carry the authority of a governing body, and ethics do not. Ethics in turn are based on cultural mores: the fixed moral attitudes or customs of a particular group. Some ethical standards are universal. For example, murder, theft, assault, and arson are actions that deviate from ethical and legal codes throughout the world. Whitman, Michael E., and Herbert J. Mattford. "The Need For Security." Principals Of Information Security, 4th Edition. CourseSmart/Cengage Learning, 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. Chapter 3 Pages 90-91 2. What is civil law, and what does it accomplish? Civil: Governs nation or state; manages relationships/conflicts between organizational entities and people. Whitman, Michael E., and Herbert J. Mattford. "The Need For Security." Principals Of Information Security, 4th Edition. CourseSmart/Cengage Learning, 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. Chapter 3 Pages 90-91 3. What are the primary examples of public...
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...code of ethics serves as a guide to its employees when making difficult decisions. Ethics helps professionals with their actions and practices that are directed to improve the welfare of people in an ethical way (Fremgen, 2009). An organization’s culture and mission statement also help its employees make ethical decisions. The Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) organization is the national public health organization that is committed to protect the health and safety of our nation. CDC’s mission statement focuses on to protect the health and safety of our communities through prevention strategies and control of disease. The mission statement motivates the employees to do their best to prevent diseases and infection. The code of ethics provides guidance to ensure that CDC employees avoid situations that could violate ethics law (CDC, 2013). The organization’s mission statement and culture reflect its ethical values. Organization’s Goals and how they are tied to its ethical principles The organization’s goals are to provide protection for our nation’s health and safety. The CDC has pledged to treat all human beings with dignity, honesty, and respect. They have also pledged to provide an environment for positive personal growth and integrity. The CDC provides employment for over 17,000 employees and they work to provide a diverse work environment where everyone is treated equally, respectfully, and with human dignity. The ethical principles tied to the organizational...
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...and their impact on decision making within an organization. The essay explains the importance of ethical responsibility. There are detailed examples of ethical and unethical behavior within an organization. The essay is a compilation of works by several authors. The explanation of the authors’ belief of ethical behavior was studied to complete this essay. Ethical responsibility is important in the business world. Businesses have a responsibility of being honest with employees so they can make informed decisions about career choices; a responsibility to respect customers, and a responsibility to invest in the community that the business depends upon. The biggest organizations can be destroyed; whether by a company or by one person within a company (Sims, 2003). According to Sims common ethical problems include accounting practices that hide fraud and theft from employees as well as investors. These types of violations will lead to criminal charges, loss of consumer confidence, and employee respect. In order to maintain an ethically responsible company, clear moral standards must be set from the onset of the company (Sims, 2003). The company should create and enforce a code of conduct that ensures that customers are treated fairly by employees. Sims explained that to avoid even the appearance of unethical behavior the organization should be as transparent as possible in all of their dealings. Sims states that stakeholders are people who have vested interest or stake in the operation...
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...Unethical Financial Penalties Deborah A. Reynolds Chamberlain School of Nursing Life is full of choices. A nurse who has been named nurse of the year twice in her career, has her masters in science, and has her certification in critical care also weighs three hundred pounds. A computer engineer who has designed a patented accounts payable program also goes home nightly and relaxes with a six pack of beer. A cashier at the local Wegmans has the record for scanning more products per hour than anyone else in the organization also smokes a pack of cigarettes a day. An accountant who has never missed a day’s work also races in dirt bike tournaments. An African American father adds salt to everything he eats. A farmer sprays his fields with fertilizer, but never wears a mask. A fifty-year old man working in a factory never sees a doctor also has a strong family history of cancer. Lifestyle choices carry health risks. Who is ultimately responsible for the costs of unhealthy lifestyle choices? Healthcare in America is threatened by rising health care costs and the increasing incidence and financial burden of chronic diseases. As employers, insurance companies, and the government seek to decrease these escalating costs, there is a concentration on individual health behavioral choices and the personal obligation of the individual to adopt healthy lifestyle choices. Within the framework of health care reform, there is a growing initiative by employers to impose financial...
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...and performing with integrity is a priority (GlaxoSmithKline, 2014).” GlaxoSmithKline’s research and development is the center of the organization. When research is conducted it is done so in an ethically high standard along with quality standards. Since GSK is a public organization they state they are transparent in their research regardless if the outcome of the research is positive or negative. From 1999 through 2010, GlaxoSmithKline was involved in a scheme to deceive and defraud physicians, patients, regulators, and federal health care programs such as Medicare to prescribe and receive payment for drugs such as Paxil, Wellbutrin SR, and Advair. When we are children we are taught that doctors and nurses are supposed to make us feel better. They are the ones that make all the “boo boo’s” go away. But, what happens when someone puts their trust in a doctor, nurse, or medical professional and that trust is destroyed because of greed, and unethical and socially irresponsible practices? One of the top three global vaccine manufacturers, GlaxoSmithKline agreed to plead guilty and pay three billion dollars to resolve allegations of fraud and failure to report safety data. This information was released by the Department of Justice office of Public Affairs as of July 2, 2012. GSK unethically published and promoted false and misleading accounts of studies and treatment guidelines to persuade physicians to use their drugs. Clinical evidence was...
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...ethically toward its stakeholders. It provides with the high-quality products and saves people’s lives increasing its quality. However, the case with the African nation of Colberia, where the PharmaCARE holds its big manufacturing object, raise community fears as for the unethical attitude toward the indigenous population of this land. The following paper will illustrate the main unethical considerations of the Company, will describe the key characteristics of its stakeholders, and will illustrate the human rights issues presented by PharmaCARE's treatment. The paper will also suggest the changes that PharmaCARE can perform to be more ethical. The key characteristics of the stakeholders within the PharmaCARE PharmaCARE follows the open-door policy and culture among its employees. It stands for the employment equity and promotes the development and progress of its people. The company conducts workshops and training sessions to create its employees’ awareness of and ensures with the training of new processes and new technology that it establishes. It often presents health care staff with the challenging issues to ensure the staff to be aware of new medication nutritional care, some potential side effects or interactions. The Company provides educational programs for all staff members to enhance their professionalizm. The pharmacists obtain certifications of the Medication Aide Training Program. Consultants are well trained to support...
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...Summary of Article African American men were targeted for a Syphilis study in 1932. It became one of the most unethical studies ever in United States history. This story became widely publicized in 1972 which caused the research to cease. Unethical research such as not disclosing the real reasons for the study left men sick and vulnerable. It eventually affected the men and their families. The effects of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study were felt for many years and many generations later. One positive outcome was the implementation of the National Research Act of 1974. The unethical acts could have been avoided by working from a “I treat you the way I want to be treated” philosophy. Medical research is usually considered life changing and for the better good of mankind because of positive advances that come from it. In 1932 when Caucasian doctors and the United States Public Health Service sponsored a study to research the effects of syphilis in African American men. This was not study for the better good of mankind. 400 African American men who already had contracted syphilis were enrolled in the study along with 200 uninfected men who served as control participants. “In the late 1940s, penicillin first became available to the general public as a cure for syphilis. However, the decision was made not to make it available to study participants, who were allowed to continue in the study without any treatment for their disease. They were continually supplied with placebos...
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...Business Ethics and Social Responsibility The World Health Organization found children in developing countries who fed on Nestlé’s infant formula had mortality rates five to ten times greater than that of breast-fed children (Scheid, 2014). The numbers of these mortality rates were astounding to the world when it was discovered that Nestle was the culprit. When Nestle was in its strategic planning process ethics and social responsibility to the community was not a priority. Ethics and social responsibility have a very important role when a company is developing a strategic plan. During the strategic planning process ethics and social responsibility must also be taken into careful consideration for stakeholders within organizations. There are preventive measures that companies can take to prevent unethical behavior and prevent stakeholders from overstepping boundaries. Roles of Ethics and Social Responsibility in Strategic Planning Business Ethics Ethics is defined as the consensually accepted standards of behavior for an occupation, a trade, or a profession (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010). Many will debate whether business ethics actually exists. The argument has been that there is no absolute right ethics. Other debaters believe that ethics establishes a foundation for a business. Every company has a set way of doing and handling business, and this organizational culture will vary depending on the company and industry. In the strategic planning process it is imperative...
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