business ethics
...anies that operated in Pennsylvania early in the century, they would come into a community, strip the land of coal and move on without giving anything back to the community. On the opposite side of the argument, members of the community can argue against social responsibility by saying that the company is gaining too much power within the community. Some community leaders feel that with businesses providing programs to the community these companies will become too powerful. The arguments for social responsibility are greater in number and quality than those that oppose social responsibility. The first and most important reason companies should be socially responsible is because it is the ethical thing to do. A company should help the community that it operates in, by giving back to the community. An example of a company giving back is the Boeing Company. In the Seattle area, Boeing is the largest employer and also the largest charitable supporter. Just this month, Boeing sponsored the PGA tour’s event in Seattle. There are many benefits for businesses to be socially responsible to their communities. By giving back to the local community, the public might be hesitant to impose greater restrictions on that company because of the public accountability shown by the business. The two major premises that have provided the foundation for the concept of social responsibility are social contract and moral agent. Social contract is defined as an implied set of rights and obligations that are inherent in social policy and assumed by business. (Lewis, pg 81) Moral agent is defined as a business’s obligation to act honorably and to reflect and enforce values that are consistent with those of society. (Lewis pg 81) Three primary perspectives of corporate social responsibility have emerged over the years: economic responsibility, public responsibility, and social responsibility. Economic responsibility deals with the responsibility of businesses to make a profit while abiding by the “rules of the game.” (Lewis, pg81) Critics of the economic responsibility perspective argue that organizations cannot be moral agents. Public responsibilities are when businesses act in a way that is consistent with society’s view of responsible behavior, as well as with established laws and policies. The last perspective of social responsibility is social responsiveness. This is when businesses proactively seek to contribute to society in a positive way. In order to achieve its goals organizations should develop an internal environment that encourages and supports ethical behavior at an individual level. (Lewis, pg81) Ethics is defined as a set of values and principles which influence how individuals, groups, and society act. Behavior that is morally accepted as good or right as opposed to bad or wrong is considered ethical behavior. (Lewis, pg 91) Busi...