Business Ethics

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             Codes of Conduct .
             Codes of conduct specify actions in the workplace and codes of ethics are general guides to decisions about those actions. Codes of conduct contain examples of appropriate behavior to be meaningful. .
             We will investigate the business ethics of marketing practices, workforce make-up and organizational diversity. These are very complex topics but it is our hope that we will be able to broaden your understanding of the issues faced by organizations and what decisions they face in order to remain competitive in an increasingly global market. .
             Marketing and Ethics (United Colors of Benetton) .
             Marketing issues, as they relate to business ethics, extend across a wide range of business activities that characterize a company's relationship with its customers (product manufacturing and integrity; disclosure, labeling and packaging; marketing and advertising; selling practices; pricing; and distribution). In recent years the scope of marketing issues has expanded, including new problems like an environmental responsibility, a firm's relationship to its competitors etc. Companies now are expected to bear a greater responsibility for the integrity, use and consequences of their products and services. Companies' concerns with satisfying society needs have a very rational explanation: if a company will not care about welfare of society, it may ultimately cease to exist, because it operates by community consent to oblige its requirements. For that reason, firms put a lot of effort in dealing with the issue of corporate social responsibility, recognizing the importance (and po!.
             tential benefits) of doing so. .
             There are plenty of external standards for marketing practices: codes of ethical behavior (e.g. ones established by the American Marketing Association), industry specific guidelines developed by different trade associations and legal standards set forth by national and local governments.