Responsibility Of Business Essay Research Paper IntroductionState

Responsibility Of Business Essay, Research Paper

Introduction:

State and describe the ethical issue, defining terms and explaining why this is an ethical problem.

The topic for this paper is the social responsibility of business. There are many different areas of this topic and they are constantly debated as to whether they are ethical or not. The issue that is to be looked at here is whether or not companies should be required to make charitable contributions either externally to society or internally within the company. These two domains are important in understanding and making decisions on the topic. According to George A. Steiner internal social responsibilities are concerned with assuring due process, justice, equality, and morality in employee selection, training, promotion and firing; or, they may relate to improving worker environment . Some of these do not apply to this ethical issue, as they are not making any sort of contribution, but some of them do. Training and improving the workers environment are definite areas of contribution within the company. Steiner explains external responsibilities as actions to hire hard-core unemployed, rebuild ghetto housing, improve the balance of payments, ease racial tensions, stimulate minority entrepreneurship, and so on . These external responsibilities are the ones that deal most directly with the topic of this paper. There are constant arguments over whether these types of contributions should have to be made by companies. Some argue that it is their duty for companies to give something back to the community and others say that all companies should have to do is make a profit. Each side provides valid points to back up their opinion.

DIVIDE the issue into sides and state them:

-SIDE ONE: Yes, companies should be required to make contributions externally to society and internally within the company.

-SIDE TWO: No, companies should not be required to make contributions externally to society and internally within the company.

Body: Give the strongest arguments possible.

A. (1) Major argument on side one.

(2) Explain, in depth, in at least 1+ pages, an ethical theory that supports this argument, using information from the research and the text (where possible).

(3) Then apply it. This the 4th paragraph not included in the 1 + pages.

The argument on side one is one that is for the idea of companies being required to make contributions. Businesses should have to make some contributions to society, but the size of what is done should also be reflected in the size of the company. Massive companies like Molson, which brings in millions of dollars a year should have to contribute or accomplish a lot more than an unknown smaller company. This side of the argument has to be based on the idea that all companies be required to contribute, but some should more than others. Business has to start giving back to the people who supported and allowed them to grow as an institution in the first place. To restrict concepts of corporate responsibility would not be in the best interest for the company, company stockholders or the public. According to Robert J. Mockler in Business and Society, businesses role in society has changed dramatically. It now involves not only being an honest and ethical member of society, but it also has to make attempts at trying to find a solution for the many pressing problems that are present in society. Many people feel that companies should be more responsible because a lot of the problems that society is facing are directly related to business operations. And since companies have contributed significantly to many of them, business is in the best position to solve the problems (Mockler, 1975) . Edward N. Cole, the president of General Motors Corporation agrees with this and has set guidelines for his company to follow. The way he sees it is that companies must alter their own objectives and goals to meet the new demands of the society they serve, while it still remains economically and technologically feasible (Steiner, 1974) . According to William Harris the reason companies need to be more responsible is due to the fact that the needs and goals of a business and the needs and goals of a human being are incompatible. Businesses are run in such a way that they need maximum return, and must grow as a company or die. While on the other hand humans want a wholesome environment to raise kids, justice and to feel safe. He feels that since businesses generally don t have these basic needs that they should adopt them and use them to their own and societies benefit. There is a great need for businesses to be required to make contributions to society because there are many problems and it seems companies are the only place left who can help.

The first ethical theory that will be explained is the Social Contract theory. Many famous philosophers have argued on this topic including Thomas Hobbes, J.J. Rousseau and John Locke. According to James Rachels in The Elements of Moral Philosophy, the Social Contract theory is where in order to escape a state of nature everyone in society must agree to a set of rules to which they must abide by in order to live alongside one another. In order for these rules to be enforced there must be a power- the state- that controls society. Therefor there is an agreement that every person living in