Environmental issues in business
Ethical Issues in Business
There are a million ethical issues in today's businesses and unfortunately there is no perfect decision measurement for all these issues. The ethical issues in international businesses are much more complicated and much more delicate, along with being tenfold in numbers. This article deals with the current ethical issues in businesses and attempts to look for ways in which one can tackle them. Ads by Google
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Economics suggests that business and production do not go hand in hand with environmental and societal ethics, due to the two being mutually exclusive events. Why it is so, can form a subject matter of a thesis so will not be a debate matter for this particular article. This article though, discusses the various ethical issues in the business that affect all business workplaces, whether they are local or international. Let us have a look at the ethical issues in business, that are listed below in random order of importance. In business ethics, there is hardly a proper line which can be held on to like the bible, for ethics often sacrifices profits and the idea is to find the optimal balance between the two, so that the business conscience is clear and the profits are reasonable.
What is Business Ethics?
Business ethics is a behavior that all businesses stick to. Also known as corporate ethics or professional ethics, it incorporates moral guidelines as also the problems a business entity frequently faces. The term 'business ethics' became popular in the U.S. in the early 1970s. The Society for Business Ethics, a global institute that deals with business ethics and application of moral principles was formed in 1980.
Businesses started specifying their ethical principles from the late 1980s, perhaps to stay away from scandals in businesses.
In a Free, Unregulated Self-Ethics Model
many dead weight losses to bear. A few producers can collectively skimp on supply to increase market prices, a few strong buyers may collectively reduce demand till prices fall and a single entity can capture the entire supply chain and refuse its services to the free market and reserve them for the best price. To top it, the labor market can unite and ask for unreasonable increases in wages and the public transport unions can stand up for price hikes. Who decides whether all this is reasonable and hence ethical, or unreasonable and thus unethical? Who says that an earner who earns lower than the minimum wages is entitled to a wage increase even by somewhat unethical measures that require some employer arm-twisting? Who decides that a person who already earns millions in profits is not entitled to reducing worker wages to earn higher margins because it is unethical? See what I mean, ethics changes depending on which side you view them from. What may be absolutely right for you may be a gross injustice for me. So if the market is left to its own individual mechanics, the most important ethical issue of all will be that all those in strong positions will always be the ones manipulating the weaker ones. This is where business ethics comes in as a self-regulatory mechanism on the stronger players in the
economy. Let us now move on to certain routine ethical issues that almost every business has to face.
Industry Wide Ethical Issues
Following is a list of industry wide ethical issues. The problem with these is that they are not only routine and frequent, but they are also more widespread, i.e. throughout the whole industry rather than being confined to a particular business.
Bribing powerful officials in order to get bids and tenders accepted and bribing competitor employees to get informational leaks is a serious ethical issue in business. In fact, it is a crime that is legally
punishable in most countries today.
Labor related issues like gender discrimination at workplace, employee harassment, minority community participation, working conditions and child labor are also some general ethical issues.
Business practices like sourcing of materials, quality of inputs in production, compromising on certain aspects like product quality, safety, etc. and deception in packaging, quantity or size also fall in the purview of business ethics.
Some industries consciously omit the details of the side effects of the usage of their products from the product packaging while some indulge in controversial practices like animal testing and these too are some of the ethical issues in businesses.
and not complying with health, safety and environmental standards are some common current ethical issues.
Company Specific Ethical Issues
Here are some company specific ethical issues. These should be dealt with pretty strictly as to serve an example to the rest.
Showing honesty, integrity and openness in consumer relationships, addressing warranty and guarantee claims in an open and transparent manner and involving the company in some kind of social welfare causes is an ethical business practice that many are yet to follow.
Whether to accept moral responsibility of on-site mishaps, spills, leaks and disasters and whether to make product recalls if certain harmful information about them comes to light, are ethical issues that all businesses must be prepared for.
Unethical business practices like dumping good at loss making prices just to earn market shares or to oust a new competitor from business, colluding with competitors to fix higher prices, using high
pressure selling tactics, using deceptive advertising, etc. are also some things that need to be looked at. Some stronger ethical issues are related to practices that are not easily detected, like releasing products that have built-in obsolescence (to generate further demand for future products) and indulging in accounting manipulations to generate secret reserves or to show higher or lower profits as per convenience.
There are many more ethical issues in business and some of them are so common that they even crop up on a daily basis. Making ethical choices is sometimes the hardest thing, especially when the one losing out is you or your business, yet, for the greater good and for the sake of differentiating humanity from animal kind, one has to look at business as well as personal ethics and evaluate them from time to time. For example, if all businesses just looked at current profits and production and ignored the call of the environment, the person losing out on all this is man and his society. Looking at all the ethical issues in business and finding the optimal solutions for them, by taking well-thought out and rational decisions based on all possible parameters will help everyone, the society, the consumer, the environment and more importantly, even the business.
Amazon Rainforest Destruction
There are many threats reasons the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed, but if you take a closer look all of them share the same principle, profit. For someone that is exploiting the forest and destroying it in the process there is nothing that will change their minds unless they find a more profitable business. Although this is a sad statement it is true and well known. But the local population usually can't fully understand the environmental issues and how they can affect other people's lives. They lack information and education, and although this can be solved with special environmental education programs, this doesn't solve the problem if you don't provide a means for the people to survive. Take that and the fact that the Amazon population is actually small for the area the forest covers and you will see that the problem is not the local population, but they are just instruments in hands of profit mongers. The businesses that are destroying the forest are also well known. The two that are the most responsible for the actual deforestation occurring in the Amazon rainforest are agriculture and cattle. Both activities need land to prosper and all other regions in Brazil are already saturated, there is no place for new crops or more cattle if, and only if, the producers keep using the same old techniques. This is truer with the cattle industry that still uses very inefficient processes.
Another business that affects the forest is the wood sector. Where there is legal reserves for wood the activity doesn't create much damage, the illegal cutting is devastating. Since most of the wood is exported, the buying countries should always require the proper certifications, which can proof the origin of the wood if its from a legal reserve. This would be a very effective way to make this problem a lower deforestation factor. Illegal mining also create a lot of problems by polluting the rivers with toxic substances used in the mining process.
What needs to be done is to create development possibilities that have high sustainability for the region. This is not a trivial task, but is not impossible either. Take for instance the researches on medicinal plants. Although these researches are good, they need to help protect the Amazon rainforest. This is a simple conclusion if you think how much needs to be researched and how fast the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed.
Additionally there is a lot of illegal trade of biological species. There are two kinds of illegal biological trade; one is for living animals that go to private collections, usually in Europe and United States . The other goes to laboratories for research, again, this usually happens in Europe and United States where the big pharmacy corporations have their headquarters. The first one just needs to stop. Brazilian police in the last few years have improved the surveillance and control of this kind of crime. Additionally something should be done to stop the importation in the Europe , US and any other country that have private dealers of living animals (usually endangered species). It's very hard to control this crime when someone offers to a poor local individual US$ 200 for a Capuchin Monkey or a Macaw, as this is more money than most of the people living in the Amazon rainforest earn in a year. So, the demand for these animals should also be fought in the receptors country where the demand exists. The other kind of illegal biological trade is for laboratories all over the world. It's difficult to understand why a laboratory can't pay for the knowledge and plant species they use in their research, as we are talking about a billion dollar international industry. Doing illegal trade or paying very low prices for it makes their profit even higher, but also don't help to protect the Amazon rainforest at all
So, the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed just like all the other forests in the world, including the ones in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa and there will be nothing able to stop this process unless a strategy is developed that has the environmental condition as a factor of wealth and well being. This sustainable development should integrate the forest and its people in one single system where one depends on the other to survive and maintain their features, natural features for the forest, and cultural features for the people.
10 of Today’s Most Important Environmental Issues
By Sara in Nature & Ecosystems, News & Politics, Science & Research Image: Thiru MuruganWhile this guide to important environmental issues is not comprehensive, if you’re new
to green or simply want a refresher overview, this list neatly summarizes some of our most
pressing environmental concerns … some of which cannot be solved simply viacreative
upcycling or small-space living.
1. Climate Change
Global warming has been concerning scientists for decades, but Al Gore legitimized the crisis
with his controversial film
An Inconvenient Truth
. From the melting polar ice caps to catastrophic
weather and threatened ecosystems, not only is climate change real, scientists agree that
humans are influencing climate change with our production of greenhouse gases (mainly
stemming from carbon dioxide and methane). What can you do? How bad is it? Why do so many
people still think climate change isn’t real? Is it real? These are just some of the issues worth
exploring. The good news is that despite the urgency of the crisis, there are exciting
technological developments as well as meaningful lifestyle changes you can make to help.
2. Energy
Clean energy vs. dirty energy. Renewable energy. Energy independence. Petroleum. Biofuels.
Coal. ANWR and offshore drilling. Even Paris Hilton has something to say about energy. Energy is
second only to climate change in significance, but the picture isn’t as clear as one might think.
China is heavily criticized, but did you know the state of California is worse? Look for plenty of
myth-busting and interesting news to come, as well as practical tips to reduce your own energy
dependence. Though no single energy source is going to be the solution, positive developments
toward a cleaner future are happening every single day.
3. Waste
With the immediate looming problems of climate change and energy, focus has shifted away
from landfill waste, but this is a serious problem. The world has largely gotten accustomed to a
throwaway lifestyle, but that’s neither healthy nor sustainable. Waterways are choked with trash
and modernized nations ship their undesirable leftovers to the developing world. Fashion fashion,
fast food, packaging and cheap electronics are just some of the problems. The amount of waste
the industrialized world generates is shocking. Water bottles are the defining symbol of this
critical issue. Fortunately, people are becoming aware of the consequences of “fast consumption”
and there are many simple changes you can make in your own life to help significantly reduce
landfill waste.
4. Water
Pure Water is in short supply. Our global reserves of drinkable water are a fraction of 1% and 1
in 5 humans does not have access to potable (safe) water. Many people do not realize that strife
has already broken out in some stressed regions. There are many potential solutions, some
promising, others challenging. Desalinization is an energy-inefficient, expensive option. But there
are many things you can do. (Hint: it starts with turning off the faucet when you brush.)
5. Food
Biofuels have turned into a global controversy – the idea that people may causing the starvation
of millions in order to fuel their SUVs is sickening. And yet that’s not the whole picture. For
example, eating hamburgers has as much or more impact on the global food picture as the use
of biofuels. And then there’s the whole issue of “food miles” – at first, local seemed logical, but
the situation is more complex than that. It’s all about resources and efficiency. There are big
questions: can we support the world without turning to vegetarianism? We know that the planet
can’t afford the Western way of eating. It would take 5 earths to support that lifestyle! What
about hunting – is that good for the environment? Look for more articles soon exploring the
complicated world of food. Fortunately, there are a multitude of tasty diets that incorporate
greener values, so it’s not necessary to adhere to veganism, for example.
6. Consumption
This is directly tied to waste. It is well-known that the industrialized world simply consumes in a
way that is not sustainable. And the developing world is rapidly imitating the model.
Sustainability in the most compelling sense is about long-term solvency. The way we live now is
borrowing against the future. Reducing consumption, and smart consumption, are both
necessary – and there are many ways to go about doing this. Some methods are pure geek,
some are high tech, and some are just common sense. And once you start exploring, you’ll see
that it’s actually fun.
7. Land Management
From desertification to polar ice melting to erosion and deforestation, existing land management
choices are not serving the planet or its inhabitants very well. The 1990s saw some headway
with forest management but the Bush administration’s various initiatives (most notoriously,
“Healthy Forests”) have set back progress by decades. There is very little land left that is
undeveloped, either with structures or roads. And there is virtually no land left that is not subject
to light or noise pollution. The modern green movement believes that in order to create a
sustainable future, people will need to return to the conservation spirit Americans were once
famous for. That’s a value system that includes meaning, adventure, and self-sufficiency – no
wonder so many people are getting inspired.
8. Ecosystems and Endangered Species
The good news is that some species have made a comeback. The bad news is that many more
species are now under threat, including indicator species and evolutionarily unique species.
(When an indicator species becomes threatened, endangered, or worse, extinct, this means an
entire ecosystem faces collapse.) The consequences can have global impact. From the most
unusual endangered animals to a complete list of indicator species for key ecosystems and how
you can help, you’ll find plenty of fascinating information soon. (Be sure to bookmark this post
and check back for updates and links.)
9. The Science of Public Health Issues
Our tomatoes have fish DNA? Killer bugs are on the loose? Superweeds are taking over corn
fields? Wild animals are sprouting extra limbs? Autism is on the rise? WTF! What on earth
(literally) is going on? From genetic manipulation and cloning to public health issues and food
and drug contamination, get to know the new, strange, important and most interesting green
issues related to genetic science, agribusiness, public health and more. What’s this about
electromagnetic fields? Is all that exhaust on my commute killing me? Do cell phones really
cause cancer? Will soy milk give me man boobs? How much of our groundwater is contaminated?
Is smog getting worse or better? How much acid rain is there? Why can’t I drink out of streams?
These are just some of the fascinating questions you can read about here in future posts. You
can look forward to sane analysis that debunks myth and takes fear-mongering to task.
Did you guess the tenth issue? There are more issues, but those are the most critical green
challenges. It will take a combination of technological developments and lifestyle changes to
address these challenges successfully – and that begins with learning, which is perhaps the most
important environmental challenge of all, rounding out the list at 10. Stay tuned for more!
Sources:
one of them is the changing gas prices
The Top Security Issues Facing Corporate America
A Compilation Whitepaper
Prepared By the Security Committee of The Technology Executives Club:
Rebecca Bresee, Computer Associates Jason Claycomb, INARMA Security Ravi Das, HTG Solutions
Terrence Doheny, Beyond If Solutions Dick Mulvihill, HexiSTOR
Joachim Peters, Delta Initiative
Ever since the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, this country has been on a heightened state of security. We see it in our everyday lives, from the places we travel to the buildings we enter. But recently, the security threat to business has become even more pronounced. With the proliferation of Electronic Commerce and the “Virtual Office,” threats are becoming an everyday occurrence to business. In fact, more threats arrive daily than business can combat them. Threats to business can happen at any level, such as from Physical Access Entry to the place of business, the Internet and company Intranet, lack of Security Policy enforcement, the Employees of the business themselves, Wireless Access to the company network, etc.
The threats to business are many. The goal of this Whitepaper, however, is not to detail each threat, but to outline the Top Security Issues that face business today. These Top Security Issues include the Top Threats themselves, as well as the Top Issues businesses need to focus on and implement, such as Security Policy and Business Continuity Planning and Enforcement, Compliance Issues, End User Training, and Risk Assessment. Specifically, this Whitepaper is divided into Technical and Compliance tracks, with articles covering:
Risk Assessment
Internet Threats to Business
Identity Management
Patch Management
Wireless
Compliance
Vendor Management and Outsourcing
Disaster Recovery: A Critical Business Initiative
End User Training
IT/Security MeasurementsDownload the Report
BIOGRAPHIES OF THE AUTHORS
Rebecca Bresee started in telecommunications in the late 1980's and has been in the technology industry since working with global clients such as Sara Lee, Eli Lilly, Caterpillar and others. For the past 8 years she has been specializing in Fortune 500 and 1000 selling security solutions across the IT infrastructure including; Host IDS, NIDS, Client Security, Antivirus, Gateway Security, Firewalls, Incident Management, Enterprise Security
Management, Vulnerability Assessment, and Managed Security Services. Most recently Rebecca joined Computer Associates Int. in the eTrust business unit focusing on Identity and Access Management Solutions; Threat Management and Security Information Management.
Terrence Doheny, President and Chief Operating Officer, Beyond If Solutions, LLC
Terrence Doheny is President and CEO of Beyond If Solutions, LLC., an information security boutique that provides highly advanced encryption, biometrics and other innovative technologies to protect the individual and the enterprise. He has written a number of articles addressing security issues and is the current chairman of the ITA Security Roundtable. Terrence has also received invitations to present new technology safeguards to various municipal and federal government departments, including the
Missile Defense Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the United States Army, and the Alexandria Virginia Police Department.
Richard Mulvihill, Founder and Managing Partner,HexiSTOR Data Protection Services, LLC
Mr. Mulvihill has more than 30 years of sales and sales management experience in the data communications and storage industries with start-up companies and market leaders, such as Lucent Technologies, Newbridge Networks and Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. He was responsible for accelerating company sales revenue by
developing strategic business plans to translate leading-edge network equipment technology to business solution for enterprise and Telco markets.
Mr. Mulvihill founded HexiSTOR Data Protection Services in 2000 and is responsible for developing and executing the overall strategy for designing and delivery of Total Recall™, HexiSTOR's Point-in-Time Backup, and Replication & Recovery Service. This initiative is a new category of electronic data risk management service that combines data backup replication and recovery as one single process.
Joachim Peters, Partner, Delta Initiatives, LLC
Mr. Peters has a unique blend of excellent team leadership, business acumen and technical expertise. With almost 20 years of experience in engineering and administration of systems and networks, he has a deep understanding of security related issues and a strong knowledge of business systems and processes. For a startup eLearning
company, Mr. Peters led and managed all aspects of their environment including the design and implementation of all business infrastructure systems; prepared office space and hosting environment for the organization; and managed a team of technical experts. Previously, he created frameworks for business continuity, disaster recovery, and security. Mr. Peters also has designed and renovated data centers; architected and supported secure and scalable hardware and software environments; and developed and maintained security and disaster recovery policies for fortune 500 and early stage companies. Mr. Peters holds an MS in Computer Science from Technische Hochschule, Darmstadt , Germany .
Ravi Das, Consultant, HTG Solutions
Ravi Das is a Consultant for HTG Solutions. Ravi has been involved in Information Technology for 9 years. Previous positions have included roles in Software Configuration Management and Database Management and
Administration. Ravi launched the security solutions division of HTG Solutions in January 2003. This division offers a complete security solutions package, using biometric technology as the main product offering. Ravi is well known for his knowledge and insight into biometric technology. He has also published many articles about biometric technology, through the Technology Executives Club. These articles have been well received all over the world, from places like India , Germany , China , Thailand , etc. Ravi received his Master of Science Degree in
Agribusiness Economics (specializing in International Trade) from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale ; and a Master of Business Administration (specializing in Management Information Systems) from Bowling Green State University .
When you wake up every day you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an
optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It's all a matter of perspective.
You can whine because you have so much work or be grateful that you are your own boss and in
control of your own destiny. You can complain about your lack of an IT department, or be excited
about learning the tech you need to know. You can grumble about your unengaged employees or do
everything in your power to make them succeed. You get the idea.
Pessimism doesn't grow your business or even maintain the status quo. The pessimists on your staff
make the job harder for everyone around them. They make difficulties out of opportunities. And the
worst part is that their surliness rubs off on others.
You need to be able to look on the bright side of tough situations in order to take risks, and survive
both successes and failures. The sooner you accept the fact that you will have both successes and
failures, the easier it will be to get your business and personal life headed in the right direction.
An optimist understands that life can be a bumpy road, but at least it is leading somewhere. They
learn from mistakes and failures, and are not afraid to fail again. It may not be your fault for being
knocked down, but it is certainly your fault for not getting up.
Does success or failure have anything to do with mental attitude? The answer is a resounding, “yes.”
A psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania proved that optimists are more successful than
equally talented pessimists in business, education, sports and politics. Based on his research,
Metropolitan Life, the insurance and financial services corporation, developed a test to distinguish
between the optimists and pessimists when hiring sales people. The results of that experiment were
phenomenal: The optimists outsold the pessimists by 20 percent the first year. During the second
year, the difference jumped to 50 percent. Find me a sales person—or company—that wouldn not
beg for those numbers. I know we would find office space for those optimists at MackayMitchell
Envelope Company.
The right attitude coupled with the courage to reach for opportunity is the defining factor for
success. It’s never too late to start early. Don’t get discouraged just because you haven’t practiced
that approach until now.
I am an eternal optimist. I firmly believe that there is virtually nothing that I can’t do if I set my
mind to it, and that's true of everyone. It helps to be realistic. I know I am never going to pitch in the
World Series, but I can be a player/manager of a top-notch company. I took a big gamble getting my
company off the ground, but I’ve never looked back.
Is your attitude pulling you down? Are you an optimist, glass half full, or a pessimist, glass half empty?
We have all experienced ups and downs in life. How we deal with them is what is important. How do you handle them? Do you say this business is not going to work? If so, you’re letting your attitude get in the way! When we set our minds to the negative side, we are bound for failure.
Think about the most successful person you know! Ask yourself this, how did that person become successful. Was it because they took every failure and said, “I quit, this will never work.” Of course not, they analyzed what went wrong, learned from it, and made sure they did not make that same mistake twice. There attitude was not to fail!
“The satisfaction and happiness you derive from life depends on your aims, attitude, and actions. Those who wait for life to supply satisfaction and happiness usually end up with boredom and sorrow instead. “
Dennis Gaskill
Take a moment and answer these questions.
1. Do you believe the only way to prosperity is to work harder? 2. Do you believe I cannot be my own boss? It will never work for me. 3. Do you believe that others are to blame for your failures?
When I was young, my Dad drilled into my head that there is no such word as can’t. He taught me a valuable lesson. 1. When I have a positive attitude, I can be successful in anything I desire to do. “Positive any thing is better than negative nothing.” Elbert Hubbard
2. Take responsibility for my own actions.
3. Do not blame others for my failures, learn from them, and then try again. So, how can you change your attitude?
Be aware of your thoughts at all times. Concentration is the power to over come those negative thoughts. Your feelings are what you make them. If you focus on what is missing in your life, you will prolong that lack. Instead switch your thoughts to something positive, reflect about some thing good in your life. Be positive! Be definite!
Just by changing your thoughts, you can change your attitude. Realize that you already have the power in within you to change.
What you can visualize you can achieve! Imagination is one more key to changing your attitude. In the book, Your Psychic Potential, M. J. Abadie states, “By understanding you have no limits, and by letting your imagination soar, you contact that part of you that knows you lack absolutely nothing, that all things are possible to you.
Believe in your ability to change! Need I say more?
I am sure we have heard that adage, “Life is what we make it.” It is true, life is what we make it! To succeed in any part of our lives, whether it is in business or your personal life, we have to have a positive outlook, no matter what might come! Being negative will pull you down into despair! Which one will you chose?
“You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”
The 6 Attitude: You are the nurturer. Male or female, you are taking care of everybody else. A child who is a 6 Attitude act as if they are your mother or father. You’re the one in charge; you don’t want people telling you what to do or how to be. You feel most useful when things are out of control and you are fixing it. If it’s peaceful, you don’t know what to do with yourself. You definitely take care of other people and you’re usually great with children or running a business.
