Ethical Issues in Business

In the preamble

Social Responsibility

In the preamble, social responsibility is described as the processes and measures that an organization takes to optimize its positive effects on its stakeholders while mitigating any negative impacts on them. The aim of social responsibility is to optimize the needs of stakeholders, who include shareholders, workers, society, the community, vendors, and a variety of other groups that are directly impacted and informed by the company's operations. To be more specific, it is thought that a business has the right not only to succeed commercially and financially but also to behave ethically by optimizing the efficiency and value of the lives of the concerned stakeholders (Colli).

Company Q Ethics Evaluation

Diagnostically, it's imperative to raise concerns that company Q is not being ethical in its activities and this is based on the following conflicting moves which have been taken by the company. First, the company has a negative attitude towards its social responsibility duty to the society by selectively addressing their needs. For instance, the company has begun listening to the needs and wants of the society concerning the products which the society needs. Conversely, after listening to them, the company does not fully provide all the needed products but simply what the company feels can be provided. This limits consumer choice and the right to access diverse products which essentially should be the objective of the company (Ferrell et al., 23).

Secondly, the company is not acting ethicality by simply closing down some stores in high crime areas. The move taken to abruptly close down some of the stores in areas which the company deems to be insured have negative results to the society. For example, by doing so, the company does not care about the welfare of its employees as this person will be rendered jobless. Additionally, by closing the two stores in the insecure region which is densely populated with potential people to buy and consume its unethical act. This should not have happened but rather the company should have engaged the right stakeholders so that the security of their stores is guaranteed. By simply closing the stores means that the people in those areas will not have access to basic needs and thus confusing their lives as no alternative source of products to them was established. The basis of a company being formed is not only to make the profit but to attempt to raise the value of the life of the people in areas in which they operate and giving them access to products becomes paramount (Collier 72).

Additionally, the company is acting socially unethical by simply trying to alter its policies which will see the company to retail only those products which can be afforded by high-income earners. This means that the company will deal in high-cost products which make it difficult for a common person to access their products. Its implication is that the company is only concerned with the affluent or the rich people while ignoring the rest of the society. Furthermore, the company is not willing to support the society through various means which are used by other companies to give back to the society. By way of citing an example, Company Q had declined to donate part of its products to the local food bank. This should be the precedence of any company which aspires to be socially responsible as making donations to the society helps to build its trust and image (Ferrell et al., 24).

Moreover, the company has molded a negative relationship toward its employees. The trust between the company and its workers is at dire straits condition which needs an urgent response to salvage the situation. For instance, the company has explicitly termed its employees as thieves. It's difficult for the company to expect much from employees when it has totally lost trust in them. The key thing that the management has to note is that employees are part of the society and any treatment advanced to them will equally be transmitted to the society. This has significant effects on its performance as employees have families and friends who buy from the company and thus their relationship with it can be distorted (Collier 75).

Recommendations

First, Company Q management has to collaboratively work with employees to define and implement an ethics program. The essence is that is a company has a well-developed ethics program, then it will automatically create trust between employees and the company, and this will reduce any chances of theft. Ethics training programs have to be implemented by the company so that various aspects of ethics are communicated to the employees.

Secondly, the company should provide the society with affordable products so that all people can afford based on their income levels.

Thirdly, the company has to reorganize its social reasonability programs which are targeting the society. For instance, the company ought to support the society through the donation of food so that the destitute in the society can also access it.

Conclusion

In recapitulation, company Q currently has an ill-defined social responsibility program and most of its stakeholder's interests are not being met. This needs to be addressed since it forms the basis for growth in this modern business age.

Work Cited