Corporate Social Responsibility

Businesspeople have long debated the role companies should play in the betterment of society. After all, renowned economist Milton Friedman once asserted that a businesss only responsibility was to make money for its stockholders. But in these days of mounting environmental concerns and unscrupulous corporate behavior, social responsibility is quickly becoming a hallmark of many companies. In response, some of the nations top graduate-level business schools added programs on corporate social responsibility to their overall curriculum.

For many companies, getting involved in social concerns can be more than just a reputation booster. Fair business practices like environmental sustainability can increase a companys bottom line as well. And thats exactly what high-level MBA programs across the country are teaching the future executives of America. Schools teach students about corporate social responsibility through case studies with actual companies that have seen overall growth or brand awareness stem from their social initiatives. Campbell Soup Company, for example, is conducting a study on sustainable agriculture and packaging with students at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School. Additionally, the nonprofit Net Impact, a global network of business leaders, expanded onto 157 MBA campuses in an effort to get students to work with companies on social issues.

For students, working with these companies can act as brief internships as they move past classroom theory into the reality of todays business environment. Still, most recruiters admit that skills in corporate social responsibility arent required for new hires. Even aspiring MBAs participating in these programs wont likely seek out jobs in the green sector or other socially responsible industries. Instead, schools hope that students will impart these skills to whatever company they end up working for. Some companies, such as Campbell, are going so far as to train new hires in social concerns with the goal that such knowledge will someday be required in recruiting.

Below are several situations that present ethical questions in a business. Discuss (one) of these situations in your post (a) from the strictly legal viewpoint, (b) from a moral and ethical viewpoint, and (c) from the point of view of what is best in the long run for the company. Be sure to consider both short and longrange consequences. Also look at each situation from the perspective of all groups concerned: customers, stockholders, employees, government, and community.

A disgruntled employee of your major competitor mails topsecret information or new product samples to you. Do you begin to do a dance on your desktop or do you immediately mail the information back to your competitor? What would you do? a. Throw the plans or secrets away. b. Send them to your research department for analysis. c. Notify your competitor about what is going on. d. Call the FBI.

You are the general manager of a regional chemical company. In the course of producing your bulk chemicals, large amounts of particles and smoke are emitted through your plants smokestack. The level of pollutants is below current EPA regulations, and you are violating no laws, but neighborhood groups are complaining about minor health problems caused by the smoke. After investigating numerous alternatives, you find the most effective solution would be to install a scrubber system, which will remove 90% of the pollutants and ash. Cost: $3 million. Do you install the system?

You are a general manager in a cosmetics firm. The results of a study show that your major brand could cause skin cancer. What do you do?

You have the opportunity to offer a job to a friend who really needs it. Although you believe that the friend could perform adequately, there are more qualified applicants. What would you do?

You are the vice president of a beer company; your boss asks you to organize a lobbying effort to have the drinking age reduced to 18. What would you do?

Because of a loophole in federal laws you find that you could legally pay your workers less than the minimum wage. The cost savings you recommend may mean youd be getting a great promotion. What would you do?

You are an accountant in a large firm. Your boss tells you to use a controversial accounting practice, which will make the companys profits seem higher. She tells you it is only to impress stockholders and will not be used in statements submitted to the IRS. What would you do?

You are required to fire a worker for persistent absenteeism, but you know that her absence is because she is caring for her father who is in the advanced stage of Alzheimers disease. You feel that the organization is being inhumane in its attitude, but your boss remains insistent. What would you do?

A worker is repeatedly late for work. You know she has family problems and is going through a difficult period with an alcoholic husband. Her work is inconsistentsometimes average, often excellent. She has been with the company for nine years. On Monday, she was two hours late for work. What would you do?

You believe that your (male) boss is overly friendly with a (female) member of your staff and that she is taking advantage of the situation. What would you do?

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