CH12 - Ethics and Responsibilities in the workplace and marketplace

Question 1

set of values which holds that work is important to members of society

Answer 1

• work influences the qualities or character of individuals
• work is a purposeful activity requiring the expenditure of energy with some sacrifice of leisure
• some gain is involved (money)
• through work, a person contributes to society and becomes a better individual

Question 2

recent work ethic trends

Answer 2

• opting out of labour force (early retirement)
• collecting EI/welfare rather than accepting unattractive jobs
• changing careers
• refusing to work overtime
• felling alienation caused by pressure in the workplace
• questioning traditional authority

Question 3

Gig economy def

Answer 3

persons whose participation in labour force is via short-term, temporary jobs, contracts, and self-employment

Question 4

Contemporary
Implications on the
Work Ethic (+challenges)

Answer 4

• increase in workplace stress
• increasing use of part-time or temporary workers
• moonlighting increase (second job)
  challenges:
  
  • strong work ethic
  • feelings of insecurity and disappointment
• fringe benefits changing to retain employees (elder care, working from home, etc)
• benefits received from health care + pension plans declining (too costly for employers)
• compensation (greater emphasis on pay for performance - cash bonus)
• more concern with work/life balance
• job insecurity increase
• Canada has labour skills shortage

Question 5

how to improve employee loyalty

Answer 5

• managers must communicate persuasive corp image
• employees should be rewarded for loyalty
• must be corp priority and start at the top with CEO
• persons of all levels involved
• token, one-shot efforts avoided
• must distinguish between loyalty to individuals and to corp

Question 6

what is protecting employee privacy

Answer 6

federal government : Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other provincial legislation

Question 7

what is challenging employee privacy

Answer 7

Emergence of electronic tech and social media
- surveillance or monitoring of email and internet usage
- use of cameras

Question 8

discrimination def

Answer 8

preferential (or less preferential) treatment on bases not directly related to qualification of the job or job performance
(race, genre, nationality, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc)

Question 9

legislations to address discrimination

Answer 9

• employment equity act
• Canadian human rights act

Question 10

diversity management def

Answer 10

voluntary initiative beyond what is required by law to eliminate discrimination

Question 11

sexual harassment and management

Answer 11

• management and board of directors must be proactive in addressing sexual harassment and issues involved:
  -> implementing procedures for reporting
  -> establishing independent helplines
  -> increasing training programs and refreshing training material
  -> revising codes of conduct
  -> include more diverse voices in executive and board positions

Question 12

feminist ethics def

Answer 12

diverse set of gender-focused approaches to ethical theory and practice
- objective to develop non-sexist ethical principles, policies, and practices in society
- places emphasis on three concepts that provide better approach to recognizing, evaluating and addressing ethical concerns: relationships, responsibility and experience

Question 13

connection between CSR and employee management

Answer 13

emotional and intellectual commitment of an individual or group to an org that supports building and sustaining business performance
- employers effectively comunication CSR within corporation are more likely to attract and retain employees
- employees who give money or time to social causes are more committed to their employers

Question 14

essential characteristics of consumer sovereignty

Answer 14

• consumers dictate the type, quality and quantity of g&s to be provided
• elements of democracy are present, including the idea of voting through purchase decisions
• consumers free to make their own choices and not unduly influenced by producers or govs
• economic system operates more efficiently when consumers determine production

Question 15

conditions of consumer sovereignty are seldom fulfilled in the marketplace because buyers face…

Answer 15

• high information costs
• offensive and often misleading advertising
• shoddy and unsafe goods

Question 16

consumerism def

Answer 16

social movement seeking to protect and augment the rights and powers of buyers in relation to sellers

Question 17

consumer rights + the responsibilities

Answer 17

safety - follow instructions and take precautions
choose - make independent, informed consumption choices
be heard - make opinions known and to complain in a constructive manner
be informed - search out and use available info
consumer education - take advantage of education opportunities
redress - fight for quality and service expected
healthy environment - minimize environ. damage by careful choice and use of g&s

Question 18

ethical consumerism

Answer 18

form of activism where consumers buy products, goods and services that are ethically produced and/or not harmful to the environment or society

Question 19

3 factors that motivate consumers to make ethical or socially responsible purchases

Answer 19

• CSR information available
• must be a moral alignment of CSR practices with the consumer on moral values
• products must be considered affordable

Question 20

examples of ethical products

Answer 20

-> food: organic, local, fair trade
-> housing: energy efficient
-> clothing: organic material, eco-friendly design, recycled
-> cosmetics: cruelty-free, natural ingredients
-> energy: clean source of energy, fluorescent lightbulbs
-> transportation: hybrid/electric vehicles, “terror-free gas”

Question 21

what has increased unethical practices

Answer 21

increased competition:
- industrial spying, espionage, sabotage
- copying / counterfeiting products

Question 22

concerns about the concentration of corporate power

Answer 22

• too much influence over the economy
• too much influence over the government

Question 23

Competition Act def

Answer 23

def = establishes basic principles for the conduct of business in Canada so that competition is encouraged and maintained
-> governs business conduct regarding conspiracy, bid-rigging, predatory pricing, mergers, abuse of dominant position

Question 24

factors determining competitive behaviour

Answer 24

• entrepreneurship
• deregulation and privatization
• technology
• decline of natural monopoly
• global trends in trade
• mergers / takeovers

Question 25

how does the Competition Act ensure suppliers do not take advantage of customers

Answer 25

• exclusive dealing, tied selling and market restrictions
• price discrimination
• price maintenance
• refusal to deal

Question 26

supplier diversity def

Answer 26

def = reaching out to groups not traditionally included or underrepresented in the supply chain or within the purchasing process of major corporations or governments

Question 27

purpose of supplier diversity organizations

Answer 27

• provide corps owned by Indigenous people and minority groups an equal opportunity to become suppliers to major corporations and governments
• provide support, guidance, and consultation in approaches to developing and applying effective inclusive procurement policies and practices

Question 28

supply chain def

Answer 28

def = route that a product travels from the procurement of raw materials, the transformation into intermediate goods and then final products, and the delivery to consumers through a distribution system to its ultimate disposal by the consumer
-> planning, scheduling, and controlling the supply chain appropriately = right product, in the right place, at the right time and in the right condition

Question 29

stages in a supply chain

Answer 29

raw materials -> local processing -> transportation -> manufacturing / further processing -> distribution through wholesalers or distributors -> retail outlets -> consumers and consumption -> disposal

Question 30

key sustainability issues in global supply chains (9)

Answer 30

• working conditions
• environment
• CSR
• low wages
• human rights
• child labour
• health and safety
• low wage
• forced labour and sweatshops

Question 31

3 steps to developing sustainable global supply chain

Answer 31

1. identify motivators
2. assess internal and external levers
3. improve practices

Question 32

sustainability purchasing def

Answer 32

def = focus on ethics and responsibility in purchasing (ethical sourcing, trade)
-> selecting goods and services which promote a healthier community and environment
- considering costs + environmental and social impacts of g&s
- through all stages of their lifecycles (development, manufacturing, usage, disposal)

Question 33

extended producer responsibility def

Answer 33

def = environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility, physical and/or financial, for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle
-> product stewardship

Question 34

Life cycle thinking (LCT)

Answer 34

def - going beyond the traditional focus on production site and manufacturing processes to include environmental, social and economic impacts of a product over its entire life cycle (life cycle assessment and social life cycle)

Question 35

fair trade def + criticism

Answer 35

used to identify products that are involved with sustainability purchasing; usually focuses on the beginning of the product chain
criticism:
- little of the extra paid by consumers for fair trade products reaches the producers or farmers
- problems exist with certification; fair trade may actually impoverish farmers
- exploitation of labour still exists
- neglecting farming techniques and pesticide use