...EST1 Task 1 Western Governors University A: Evaluation of Company Q Social responsibility is a vital part any business or organization. Company Q does not display social responsibility as an important part of their company. Social responsibility shows the attitude actions and activities of a business which contributes a major impact on the image of that business. Company Q is a small local grocery store located in a major metropolitan area. This local area has a food bank that has requested assistance from company Q. The Food Bank asked that company Q donate day old products that they no longer need so that they may contribute them to their community. Company Q’s management team has declined the request and instead have decided to throw the food away. Company Q declining the donation request to the food bank shows a lack of interest in the community, which will reflect poorly on the business. Social responsibility is all about having a positive effect on our society. Company Q lacks social responsibility simply because they have denied to assist their community by donating day old foods to the food bank due to concerns of fraud by their employees. The choice that company Q has made will reflect negatively on the company. Shoppers may even choose to shop at other locations and the reputation of the company may decline. Businesses should be socially responsible and demonstrate ethical practices in their organization. Social responsibility within an organization should...
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...EST1 Task 1: Company Q’s social responsibility is severely lacking. They need to be a little less worried about the profits and focus a little more on the customers and what they might need or want and as a result customer satisfaction will go up along with profits. As far company Q should be concerned, they need to find a way to reconnect to the community. Company Q is a small chain of stores that seems to be getting smaller instead of growing, there are a few ways they can change that well building their social responsibility in the communities in which they do business in. First they need to be focusing on the customers a little more. A perfect example of this is when customers were asking for health conscientious and organic products Company Q should have answered and gotten the products on the shelf in a timelier manner instead of waiting two years before making any moves. Once they finally got the products on shelf they bought them in small amounts making the price high and the products almost nonexistent, so even though they answered the customers concerns they did it in a way were they would make more money and still not fully address the problem. Second they need to work on making ties in the community, but yet again they passed up another perfect opportunity when they decided not to donate day old food to the food bank to help the less fortunate, because they were worried about the employees taking it home instead of it going to the food bank. If that’s the case...
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...EST1 – Overview of Task Instructions I. Task 1 - Social responsibility of Company Q a. Part A - Evaluate Company Q’s current attitude toward social responsibility. i. Are Q’s actions (as described in the given statement) socially responsible? Why or why not? ii. Why is it important for Q to be socially responsible? b. Part B - Recommend three actions that Company Q could take to improve the company’s attitude toward social responsibility. i. Based on the information described in the given statement, what does Q need to change moving forward? c. Task Tips i. Focus on the information given to you in the task instructions. ii. Try not to over-think this task II. Task 2 – Imagine you are the ethics officer for a new business, Company X. Develop an ethics program that will be a part of the new employee handbook. a. Part A - Standards & Procedures i. This section should clearly describe specific actions, conduct, and/or behaviors that would be acceptable (or unacceptable) for your employees. 1. Example = dress code policy ii. This section must include a minimum of 4 elements to receive a passing score. b. Part B - Training i. This section should describe the type of training program that you will provide for your organization. ...
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...EST1 Task 1 Kara Kinikini Student ID: 265037 Business Management Many believe that business entities should have an ethical duty to be socially responsible, to work towards increasing its positive effects on society while decreasing its negative effects. Many organizations look for opportunities to be socially responsible while also creating shareholder wealth. Company Q is a small local grocery store chain located in a major metropolitan area. They have recently closed a couple of stores in higher-crime-rate areas of the city, reportedly because these two stores were consistently losing money. After years of requests from customers, all of their stores have started offering a very limited amount of health-conscience and organic products—all of which were high margin items. When asked by the area’s food bank for donation of day-old products, management declined deciding instead to throw the food away, citing worries over lost revenues due to possible fraud and stealing by employees who might say they are donating the food. Company Q's current decision to close stores in "Higher-crime-rate" areas of the city, was not a good exapmle of the social responsibility. The concept of social responsiility encompasses the actions, activities and attitudes of business and the impact a business has on its community. Closing those stores did not leave a possibive impact on the community, and other actions should have been taken to miminize negative impacts the community may have...
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...Task 1: Ethical Situations in Business Assessment Code: EST1 Student Name: Student ID: Date: Task A Peter Drucker once wrote (n.d.), “profits for a company is like oxygen for a person. If you don’t have enough of it, you’re out of the game. But if you think your life is about breathing, you’re really missing something”. What Drucker meant is it’s not all about the almighty dollar; today’s businesses are expected to participate in corporate citizenship to fulfill its responsibility to contribute financial and human resources to the community to improve the quality of life. Unfortunately, Company Q operates as if their purpose is breathing. Gross profit margins for grocery stores are very low, especially in high crime districts. In order to survive businesses must be able to sell products customers want and be able to promote their store throughout the neighborhood to differentiate themselves from the competition. Company Q attitude toward social responsibility is very poor. A decrease in customer retention has clearly affected store sales because they hesitated offering healthy related foods. Selling high margin organic food products in a poor neighbor shows a lack of common business knowledge. The lack of sensitivity Company Q has towards their customers has forced them to buy from other stores. The absence of top management driving social responsibility has allowed the store workers to become poor corporate citizens. Company Q’s lack of social responsibility...
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...Task Number # EST1 Part 2 Revised Ethics Program for new management company known as “Company “for this report. Ethics Statement: At this company, we must recognize the importance of ethics as a business. We are committed to upholding high ethical standards in our operations. Our company shall promote the principles of honesty, fairness, and respect for individual and community freedoms. Our program consists of the following 1. Code of Ethics 2. Training 3. Complaints and Investigations 4. Program Review Section 1: Code of Ethics 1. Personal respect At this company we all have the right to work in an environment where we are treated with respect. We must also respect others differences of opinion, social background, religious preference and race. 2. Equal employment opportunities At this company we are committed to providing a workplace that is free of discrimination harassing offensive and abusive behavior. Every employee shall report any type of incident to their direct manager or the human resources office. 3. Safety At this company every employee has the right to a workplace that is free from any recognized safety hazards. It is management’s responsibility to correct any unsafe working conditions. It is also the employee’s responsibility to report any unsafe working conditions to their manager. 5. Whistleblower At this company no employee will be retaliated...
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...EST1: Competency 310.2.1 Company Q Ethical Response Essay Western Governors University - Missouri Company Q's problems are multifaceted in that they are not taking the opportunity to participate in a program that gives back to the communities in which they operate, but also passing on the opportunity to instill in their employees a sense of greater achievement, overall accountability, and pride in their chosen profession. When a business closes, it typically means that there was not enough revenue generated to cover the current expenses, or future revenues will diminish due to outside economic or social factors. Company Q operated stores in high crime areas, not necessarily low income. If the store decides to stock limited amounts of product, they are catering to a specific target audience that will pay more for that specific product. The problem Company Q runs into is the convenience and safety factors. A customer may opt to drive to another store, still Company Q, that is in a safer area of town. In this case, they prefer safety over mere convenience and while Company Q retains a sale, the store in the high crime area does not reflect the revenue. As sales grow at other locations and quantities become limited, Company Q will shift their focus to maintaining a solid revenue stream and stock the locations where the product is successful. Company Q could spend money on security precautions such as private security, RFID tags, and cameras but if their customers...
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...“As consumers' awareness about global social issues continues to grow, so does the importance these customers place on corporate social responsibility when choosing where to shop” (Taylor, 2015. #1). In years past, companies were first and foremost money making entities with the majority of policies focusing on the shareholders making profits. Social media and ease of access to public documents via the internet has given consumers more information than ever before. When a stakeholder, namely a customer, feels that a company does not hold their same values, they have the option to shop elsewhere. Many times this is what happens, which has caused similar companies to change their policies and refocus on ethical business practices. It appears that company Q has failed to change with the times. There are two issues to address in regards to their social responsibility. The first being a slow and minimal response to multiple customer requests for health-conscious and organic products. It is stated that for years the customers requested these items and that just recently they began to offer them. The slow response to their client base can cause customers to take their business elsewhere while waiting for change. Those customers may or may not return once the products are offered. That will depend on factors outside of Grocery Q’s control. In order to maintain their customer base they should have listened and taken appropriate action in a timely manner. Secondly, we have...
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...While customers are the backbone of any business, small businesses turn away from social responsibility while they struggle to make a profit. Company Q, a small grocery store chain is no different. They have stores located in a major metropolitan area, which is good for business. However, until recently a couple of their stores were situated in high crime areas. With Company Q already operating on small profit margins, the risk associated with high crime areas make it difficult to sustain the business in those areas. Therefore, Company Q shut down a couple of these stores. In addition, by customer demand, they had recently started carrying healthy and some organic products in all their stores. While these were high margin items, they are being carried in all the stores, including the stores located in the high crime areas. There is higher risk to carry these products in those stores. Lastly, the local food bank had requested donations of Company Q’s day old or outdated products. Due to fear of lost revenue from employees stealing or mismanaging donations, Company Q turned down the donation request and instead decided to throw the food away. Smaller grocery chains have a tough job of keeping up with competitive product pricing of larger businesses. The larger businesses have more buying power so they are able to keep larger inventory and are able to keep their prices down, which is a great recipe for higher profit margin. With the higher profit margin, larger businesses are...
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...Company Q and Social Responsibility Stephanie Brown Western Governors University Company Q and Social Responsibility Company Q’s Current Responsibility Toward Social Responsibility How is Company Q rating in social responsibility to its stakeholders? When company Q obliged to begin carrying health-conscience and organic products its customers were probably very pleased. In addition, due to the positive impact of these new products Company Q might have experienced some profits. However, Company Q caused various negative impacts to multiple stakeholders when they refused the area’s food bank the donation of day-old products. First, the community will view this rejection as their non-support for local residents in need. Second, the staff will view it as a trust issue that might cause unwarranted feelings. Lastly, the food bank itself might spread the word of the rejection and cause ill feelings to any number of people, companies, and customers. First Recommendation The first item to address would be the possible loss of income as several stores were closed due to losing money. With the addition of higher cost items, the health-conscience and organic products, a community-involved project could be created and utilized to lessen costs. Company Q will definitely need to get creative with the local community as they are in a metropolitan area in order to seek local growers or growers at a minimal distance and still reap profits, appreciation, and social responsibility. Once growers...
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...Ethical Situations in Business Task 2 Company X Hotels Section 1: Standards and Procedures The first element of behavior to be discussed will be cell phone and other electronic use while on the job. It will not be acceptable to use a cellphone while working. All cellphones should be turned off or placed on silent mode. Any emergency calls should come through the front office of the location. All other types of electronics are not acceptable to bring into the workplace, with the exception of watches. The second element of behavior to be discussed will be sexual harassment on the job. Any sexual harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. This type of behavior includes, but is not limited to, the following: sexual jokes or teasing, unwanted or repeated touching, unwanted requests for socialization outside the job, giving sexually suggestive gifts, or showing sexually suggestive pictures. The third element of behavior will be the attendance policy. Repeatedly showing up to work late is not acceptable behavior. An example of excessive tardiness would be an employee who shows up more than five minutes late to work three or more times a month. Also excessively calling off to work is not acceptable. With the exceptions of being ill or having a family emergency it is generally not acceptable to call off work. An example of excessively calling off would be either calling off three or more times in a month or consistently calling off every month of employment. The fourth element...
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...Forging Futures Management Consultants Clarrisa Ringwall- Senior Partner, Health and Safety, Ethics Officer At Forging Futures we set out to do exactly what our name implies forge the future of management. We are dedicated not only to the betterment of our client companies but also ourselves and the future. As such we would like to emphasize ethical treatment of self, clients and co-workers. You have been asked to join our team because your unique skills and perspective will be an asset not only to our company but to our clients’ companies and to our goal of forging the future. Forging Futures Management Consultants would like to thank you for joining our team and encourage you to help us to help others. Our Mission Statement: ‘Forging Futures Management Consultants will provide the best advice towards the creation of positive change in the world. Our goal is to create successes not just for ourselves but those we affect. Change the future, spread the joy.’ (FFMC) FFMC seeks to embrace ethical change towards the greater good for ourselves and our clients. It is our goal as a consulting firm to help our clients continuously improve their companies. We will strengthen what is iron into steel and we will shape that steel into unshakeable structures. The Forge -Standards and Procedures- 1. We encourage primarily the following of the golden rule ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. Our interpretation of this is along the lines of be appropriately kind...
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...EST1 Task 2: Ethical Situations in Business CODE OF ETHICS FOR COMPANY X Introduction The Code Of Ethics is a guide to be distributed to all of it's board members, management, employees, and suppliers when acting on behalf of Company X. The code contains standards of ethical conduct that all board members, management, employees, and suppliers must acknowledge and adhere to. The purpose is to provide a guideline for all employees of Company X to conduct themselves in a professional, honest, and respectful manner. Section I: Standards and Procedures A. Code of Ethics: Ethical conduct is of the highest priority and is an ongoing commitment to our employees and to our clients. Company X expects all of it's employees to treat each other with the respect, dignity, and moral aptitude which contributes to our ongoing business success. If any employee feels threatened, harassed or discriminated against they should report the incident immediately to their supervisor or to the human resource dept. The board members, management, employees, and suppliers should: 1. The U.S. Government and it's Agencies Comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding formal or informal investigations. Failure to cooperate with authorities may be grounds for disciplinary action, including dismissal. 2. Gifts, Loans, and Services Not accept cash, gifts, payments, loans, or anything of value that might imply a current or...
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...WGU EST1 Task 2 Company X Ethics Program Standards and Procedures: Company X expects all employees to conduct themselves with integrity, professional and responsible actions at all times. An employee’s actions in both personal life and professional life should avoid any situations that (A) could be construed as harmful to the company or its employees or (B) cause negative public reactions that could impact Company X customers or customer relations in adverse ways. You are a Company X representative during work hours and during off work hours. Violations of Company X rules of acceptable behavior will be viewed as misconduct, which upon review can constitute immediate suspension. Pending further review and investigation some violations may result in termination. The following section is not an all- inclusive list of violations but a snapshot of some that could result in immediate termination. * Falsification of Company documents and or records such as, but not limited to, time cards, company financial reports and travel expenses for reimbursement. * Failure to report an accident involving a company issued vehicle. * Insubordination or refusal to follow instructions or carry out work task without proper justification. * Misuse of company resources such as but not limited to, the internet, computer and phone usage. Ethics Training Common Ethical Values: The following will provide employees and potential employees with a clear understanding of what...
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...EST1 Task 1 Part A: From the given information, we see several examples that show us Company Q’s attitudes regarding social responsibility. First, Company Q closed some stores in high crime areas due to low profits. Without further information, this shows a lack of social responsibility as it possibly resulted in some lost jobs. Second, Company Q started offering a small amount of health conscience and organic products. According to the known information, this was in response to years of requests from customers. This shows social responsibility as it demonstrates attentiveness to customer demands. Finally, Company Q refused to donate food and threw it away instead, claiming that it may cause lost revenues due to possible fraud and stealing by employees. Without any additional information regarding this decision, I believe this shows a fairly severe lack of social responsibility. Part B: In order for Company Q to improve their attitude of social responsibility, I would recommend the following actions be taken in the future. First, in regards to closing the stores in high crime areas, the information given seems to suggest that theft or other crime might be the cost of low profits. A socially responsible approach to this problem would likely include some studies to see what was causing these low profits. Perhaps the stores existed in areas with certain cultures and ethnicities that consume products different to what these stores provided. Adapting the products...
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