Business ethics Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business ethics - Dissertation Example The relationship between business ethics and the law has in the recent past become a controversial issue necessitating the need for further research in this area.This is since empirical evidence illustrate that when businesses aim at garnering a competitive edge,they are predisposed to performing practices that are contrary to the business ethics. Is it therefore viable to believe that businesses that have been able to maintain a competitive edge act unethically? Consequently, can businesses that have upheld their ethics be referred to as being anti-competitive? It is in the wake of these research questions that this essay will illustrate the influence that business ethics has on the performance of an organization and the relationship between business ethics and law1. Research Questions: 1. Is there any relationship between business ethics and the law? 2. Does competition influence the business ethics of an organization and how is this related to law? 3. Is social responsibility rela ted to the business ethics of an organization and the law? 4. What is the way forward to enhancing the synergy between business ethics and law? Prior to answering the research questions delineated above, it is important to understand what ethic means and why business ethics is important in law. Ethics is a moral principle that determines the conduct of behavior of various professionals as pertains to how they conduct their business and in the decisions they make. As pertains to the utilitarian theory of justice, professionals need to make decisions that are aimed at meeting the greater good of the society and not out of their inner selfish motive. This therefore means that there is need for businesses to uphold their ethics as pertains to how they conduct business. Business being aimed at prevailing above the competitors and making profit, there is need for business men to adhere to ethical principles but still remain competitive. How then is business ethic related to law?2 The law is a combination of rules and regulations that govern a group of people and violation of the law leads to criminal offence. The law is made from sanctions and principles that have been developed by people and more often than not, the law depicts the public opinion of people as pertains to various issues. With reference to business ethics, the law is sought when a business acts in an unethical manner that harms another organization or harms the general public of the organization. The law acts as leverage in disputes resulting from claims that one business did not act ethically and violated the moral principle required in business. Having understood what business ethics entails and the relationship it has with the law, it is important to evaluate how business ethics can be violated as businesses conduct their business and the implications of these violations with reference to the law.3 Models of public policy have been developed in an attempt to illustrate business ethics and what it encompasses: moral manager and the moral market. With reference to the moral manager model, it is upon the managers to engage in morally upright decisions as pertains to the decisions they make and the influence of these decisions to the performance of the organization. This therefore means that the goal of business ethics entails training managers so as to develop morally upright behaviors that re translated to decisions made and the influence they have on the performance of the organization. An organization therefore needs to institutionalize a design that monitors the performance of individuals involved in the business. Moreover, markets also serve as a concern as pertains to business ethics and the law. The forces prevalent in the market influence the performance ethics of individuals in an attempt to counter these forces or to adapt the organization to these forces.4 As businesses attempt to advance in comparison to their competitors, more often than n

Walt Disney`s Management of Diversity and its Challenges Essay

Walt Disney`s Management of Diversity and its Challenges - Essay Example Associated with several international film companies, the company diversified to open the Disneyland Theme Park in California in 1955. The second Theme Park, with resorts, opened in Florida in 1971. Disney’s other key theme parks include the EPCOT Centre opened in 1982 and Animal Kingdom in 1998 in Florida; as well as Tokyo Disneyland in 1983; and Disney Paris in 1992 (Clarke and Chen, 2012). Thus, â€Å"today, Walt Disney’s Parks and Resorts operates or licenses 11 theme parks on three continents† (Clarke and Chen, 2012, p.322) including North America, Asia and Europe, and a twelfth is proposed for Shanghai in China. Merchandising in park attractions was introduced in 1987, and the company offered time-share ownerships in the park resorts from 1991. Walt Disney World further diversified its business into Education in 1996, and fitness, Sports Training and Events in 1997, besides filming, recording, network, broadcasting, cruising, and other projects. The Walt Di sney Company’s entry into the international market in Europe and Asia required its use of types of diversity management in operating their products in new cultural environments. Its French subsidiary, the Euro Disney SCA (societe en commandite par actions) formed a limited partnership with the host country. Walt Disney Company’s multinational business operations necessitates the company’s management of a diversity of people from different cultural backgrounds in its workforce (Clarke and Chen, 2012). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate Walt Disney’s management of diversity and related challenges in the organisation. Walt Disney Company’s Diversity Management According to Clarke and Chen (2012), diversity takes into account the differences between individuals. Diversity management requires an adaptation of executive skills and styles for successful outcomes in managing a diverse workforce. Effective diversity management â⠂¬Å"reduces resistance to working with members of another ethnic, racial, or cultural group† (Clarke and Chen, 2012, p.340); it also lowers the risk of miscommunication, and promotes unity among the members of the global multinational giant. Thus, the Walt Disney company is required to be knowledgeable about the behaviour, beliefs and habits of the different cultures of the host countries. At the same time, the culture of the parent company also plays a vital part in diversity management. Although some researchers such as Gerhart and Fang (2005) have opposed the emphasis on national culture and the overlooking of organisational differences in diversity management, multinational companies’ country of origin is acknowledged as an important element, in most research undertaken in this domain, as reiterated by Harzing and Sorge (2003). The broad basis for the conceptual framework for diversification examines key factors such as cultural differences, institutional difference s, organisational differences and their mutual dynamics (Schuler et al, 2002). One of the critical challenges facing multinational companies is balancing the need for global integration and local adaptation. The national origin of MNCs is found to have a crucial impact on this