Business Level 3 Unit 37 P3
Describe the social implications of business ethics facing Marks and Spencer in its different areas of activity.
Ethics must be global, not local. In order to build a truly great global business the leaders need to bring forward a global standard of ethical practices.
The only way to build a great global company is with a single global standard of business practices, vigorously communicated and rigorously enforced. Companies must layout the same business standards in Chicago, Paris, and Shanghai as in London.
Marks and Spencer face many ethical issues in their daily activities and these affect the public and their business in different ways.
Society and Ethical Views
When Marks and Spencer set the prices of their products, consumers think why they are priced at that amount. If Marks and Spencer source products from under paid farmers in China then this will be considered unethical in Britain as most consumers who shop at M&S want a “fair trade”. Ensuring M&S source their products from fair trade organisations their customers will be encouraged to shop there as they are doing their bit to prevent poverty in other countries.
Marks and Spencer donate 1% of their net profit to a charity. M&S have to take in to consideration what charity would be ethically right to donate to. For example, donating to an organisation such as BNP would cause controversy and would be unethical due to the parties’ extreme views that do not reflect the whole of society. Choosing a charity such as Cancer Research would be more ethical as it is a charity which most of society agree on. This will encourage customers to shop at M&S as it they know that some of the proceeds go to a good cause that they believe in.
Marks and Spencer’s recruitment process aims to be fair and not to discriminate groups of society. For example, if an old person applied to a job at a manager level and a middle aged person applied for the same job, it would be unethical to choose the middle aged person based
Ethics must be global, not local. In order to build a truly great global business the leaders need to bring forward a global standard of ethical practices.
The only way to build a great global company is with a single global standard of business practices, vigorously communicated and rigorously enforced. Companies must layout the same business standards in Chicago, Paris, and Shanghai as in London.
Marks and Spencer face many ethical issues in their daily activities and these affect the public and their business in different ways.
Society and Ethical Views
When Marks and Spencer set the prices of their products, consumers think why they are priced at that amount. If Marks and Spencer source products from under paid farmers in China then this will be considered unethical in Britain as most consumers who shop at M&S want a “fair trade”. Ensuring M&S source their products from fair trade organisations their customers will be encouraged to shop there as they are doing their bit to prevent poverty in other countries.
Marks and Spencer donate 1% of their net profit to a charity. M&S have to take in to consideration what charity would be ethically right to donate to. For example, donating to an organisation such as BNP would cause controversy and would be unethical due to the parties’ extreme views that do not reflect the whole of society. Choosing a charity such as Cancer Research would be more ethical as it is a charity which most of society agree on. This will encourage customers to shop at M&S as it they know that some of the proceeds go to a good cause that they believe in.
Marks and Spencer’s recruitment process aims to be fair and not to discriminate groups of society. For example, if an old person applied to a job at a manager level and a middle aged person applied for the same job, it would be unethical to choose the middle aged person based