Ethical Business Practices: Case Studies On Toys, Shares, Social Media, Organic Food, And Cotton Production In Uzbekistan (Essay).

Topic 1: Producing Toys; Child’s Play

Topic 1: Producing Toys; Child’s Play

The case study on producing toys and child’s play is based on the business ethics that have been violated in line with the production of cotton in Uzbekistan. To start with, the manager of the toy selling company is more focused on the profits he would make without putting in into consideration the quality of the product as well as the means by which it has been produced and also the effects of production means to the stakeholders (Laborda Castillo & Sotelsek Salem, 2016). The environment conservation agencies seem not to be strong while fighting over environmental conservation as their cases are treated as irrelevant with environmental destruction still continuing. The issue of human rights exploitation through poor pay, forced labor and also child labor are serious effects on the society. Cotton workers work for very long hours with poor pay and are not provided for with incentives as dictated by the business ethics on workers incentives or allowances. Child labor is a serious situation in Uzbekistan as children leave education to go and offer labor at a very poor pay that they also use to provide for their basic needs (Seele, 2016). The owner of the cotton does not use the advancing technology as it should be.

To solve these I would ensure every toy selling company has a common label and advocate for use of machines in the harvesting of cotton. These would ensure that these toys are produced from a common place with better standards and also fight against human and child exploitation by use of these machines.

Topic 2: Who Cares Who Shares?

The case study on who cares who shares describes a situation where a well-established company is accused of product deformity a situation that is threatening to affect the company’s activities if not dealt with immediately (Murrieta Cummings, 2016). The employees together with the leaders have to come up with means and measures that will help resolve the issue at hand. With so many shares but the information should be confidential before it shoots out to other none PCC members. One of the shareholders who happens to be one of the employees at PCC is in a dilemma on whether to pull out by selling his shares to help save the value that could be lost. He is also confused whether to advise his friend who is also a shareholder on the issue that will storm them after some time. Confidentiality has to be enhanced in this case by the member shareholder so that the defective issue can be solved immediately.

Topic 2: Who Cares Who Shares?

Since I have benefited from the company in various ways that have enhanced my personal development, I would concentrate on finding a solution to the prevailing problem in the company rather than worrying too much about the shares. This is because, it’s not guaranteed that there would be no solution to the prevailing problem, also no guarantee that by pulling out, the value of the shares would be the best in any cases. The value might as well drop or increasing depending on the stock exchange season and rate of exchange.

Topic 3: Off Your Face on Facebook

 The case study on off your face on Facebook clearly instigates the abilities of well enhanced, skilled and experienced employee’s with high self-discipline to assist in a pharmaceutical company. The case of the candidates being of the same sex as the company did not specify the sex they wished to have makes it challenging to decide who is to be taken in as only one is required (Karam, Sidani & Showail,  2015). This calls for alternatives on how to narrow down to one employee and the option is social media actively involved person basing on what each one does. Being a social network platform, Facebook members are normally expected to be social but in a relevant manner. This adds marks to the first interviewee but calls her out as she lacks the experience to start with. The second interviewee has a private account that is only accessed by friends and has unappealing social activities as she is expected to handle delicate matters and products of the company that is used by people. This is a call for alarm as the other employees within the company cannot agree to such behaviors as one of their employee’s.

To deal with this, since both are educated they qualify for the job but the unappealing activities in the social platform indicate total irresponsibility making me settle for the first interviewee.  This is business ethics advocates for quality but with an image of business set ethics.

Topic 4: Organic Food- What’s an Organic Label Worth?

Organic food – what’s an organic label worth? Is a case illustrating the challenges of clearly defining the appropriate rating of organic products in the world? The European countries starting with America have a course of establishing organic food in the market but lack adequate support on the same. Fake products are brought to the global market from the organic claim based country’s that are believed to only produce organic commodities. With China invading the market with unreliable but claimed organic products, this calls for the introduction of a reliable confirmatory and auditing sector to enable identification of counterfeits in the name of organic products in the market. In developing countries, forest clearance to create farmland only enhances pollution of the environment enhanced by carbon dioxide produced during burning of the forests.

Topic 3: Off Your Face on Facebook

To deal with this issue of ensuring organic label worth, a clear definition of the qualifications to have the label should be widely elaborated in regards to set business ethics (Acevedo,  2013). This is because all the violations in the organic products by the various companies in Europe and in other developing countries is as a result of lack of strict directions on acquiring the label. This can be done by setting a clear distinction between, the qualifications of acquiring the label, the process of acquiring it and the agreed consequences upon violating the set qualifications, fake labels and lack of organic label standards as it’s defined by business ethics.

Topic 5: “Uzbek Cotton; A New Spin on Responsible Sourcing “

This is a controversial case that illustrates the problems associated with cotton production in Uzbekistan. The rate at which companies in the western countries are against the many problems intends to revive the country. Allegations curbing cotton production activities in the country of Uzbekistan has relevantly called for a need to enhance and revive those that are affected by the issues directly. This an opportunity to protecting human rights as they have been relevantly violated (Schuman,  2017). A boycott is intended to promote or to take signatories from more than 50 companies relevantly to help in solving the issues of human rights violation, child labor as well as destruction. The rate at which children miss schools is overwhelming and requires attention. The only challenge of the boycotting companies is to ensure that none of their products is made up of Uzbekistan products as it sounds like a betrayal. The country is one of the greatest cotton producing agency in the world, but due to poor governance with no democracy and high-level s of human rights violation, it has not registered any rate of development like other cotton growing countries.

To engage in these redeeming process of human rights violation, I would ensure all those that are included in violating human rights faces the law. This is important in ensuring the efforts of improving the situation in Uzbekistan are not in futile as others would still follow the same route.

Is a universal Code of Ethics for global businesses needed and is it possible?

Yes, a global code of ethics is needed and it’s possible to implement it.  Business code of ethics clearly states the need for maintaining certain standards in the business sector. The main business stakeholders include the owners of the business who are in most cases the managers or directors, the customers as well as the suppliers of the business products. These various groups of people exist in the society and the level at which business activities and their results affect them is very different. As a result business ethics developed globally should enhance the right means of production that are favorable and impact positively on the stakeholders. Unlike the production of the toys process, the means of production should be in line with the stated ethics and the quality of what is produced should be of good quality.  The means of production should be in a designated and well-developed area to ensure that the products are well developed and the process of production do not affect the stakeholders. This factor should be enhanced in all production areas globally.

Topic 4: Organic Food- What’s an Organic Label Worth?

Human rights are policed that govern the freedom of various people in the business context. Ranging from employers, employees, producers, and suppliers all are governed by an asset of human rights. Violation of these rights may result in conflicts between the various concerned individuals and have an urge of ensuring freedom and rights of the people are relevantly enhanced (Tesfu, 2016). Like in the case of Uzbekistan workers, they should be treated in the right manner as they entitled to a section of human rights as employees and as citizens of the country. Child labor in the contemporary society should be a thing of the past. New education curriculums and technological advancement factors are just but a few of the factors that enhance fight against child labor as they provide knowledge and relevant equipment’s possible in enhancing labor development sector. Those that violate the rights of children under the age of 18 should be able to learn that by doing so they affect our generation and that to come. Rights governing children should be enhanced globally and enhanced in a way their rights are ensured.

Governance in all developing and developed countries should be structured in a way that they enhance democracy, enhance human rights observance as well as the fight against child labor (Ghosh, Ghosh & Zaher, 2011). Unlike in the case of governance in Uzbekistan country, all countries participating in the global market for production, supply and distribution of products should ensure democracy among the citizens, developments activities depending on the available resources, ensure no cases of child labor as this negatively affects development. This can easily be enhanced globally through setting strict rules and consequences of their violation. the reason to why Uzbekistan experienced a very high rate of underdevelopment despite being one of the largest cotton producing country was because of lack of strategic means of development that are enhanced by business ethics.

Corporate associates in the business world are among the factors to why the global market encounters various challenges relating to poor production, incompatible pricing rates as the well inadequate supply of marketing products (Choi,  Kim & Kim, 2010). These are specialized individuals who are believed to have power important in controlling and coordinating business developments at the global level. They can make relevant decisions governing trading systems, pricing alteration rates, labor market requirements as well as the rights of the employees involved in the market. These procedures can be enhanced globally and relatively implemented through the council of corporate associates at the global level. As their many countries are being revolutionized to ensuring the right levels of production, instilled business ethics should be improved to fit all the expected requirements globally. This would enhance development both in the member countries as well as at the global market level.

Topic 5: Uzbek Cotton; A New Spin on Responsible Sourcing

 Advancement in technology has been a key factor in improving the rates of production. This has replaced the rates at which human labor is being used directly especially in the developed countries (Dierksmeier & Celano, 2012). Use of machines, computers and other technical equipment’s in in the production industry has proved relevant in preventing overwork among laborers and at a very low pay. Employers should ensure that they only subject their employees to work they can be able to produce effectively as required and pay them the right amount. They should also ensure they are given incentives to motivate them positively as they deliver. This can be as well enhanced globally by setting policies governing the employers on payment terms and their incentives and can be relatively implemented.

• Strategic management of the business sector will enhance positive enhancement of business ethics in both global and local markets of the member countries.
• Governments should clearly outline the rights of the citizens and also act as an example in respecting them. This can be done by ensuring that all activities involving their citizens are conducted under set policies.
• Technical advancement is a key factor for market development both at the local and global level. Factors of production that have been positively developed through the new technical means should be established and applied to relevantly enhance marketing. Examples are the use of production machines to enhance productivity as well as the use of computers in administration among many other technical factors.
• Child labor rights should be enhanced to ensure every child is protected by her or his rights. This can be enhanced by child rights agencies, the governments, and other institutions.

Conclusion

Business ethics as discussed above are factors that ensure proper development and establishment of the business sector both locally and globally. The set ethics can be enhanced through education in schools, civil education at business places. Need for common global ethics is there and can work if only the responsible bodies can carry out their roles as expected. Both at local and global marketing levels, development should be enhanced by enhancing the business activities through relevant business control and coordination.

 References

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Murrieta Cummings, P 2016, 'Child Labor and Household Composition: Determinants of Child Labor in Mexico', Asian Journal Of Latin American Studies, 29, 3, pp. 29-54, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 7 June 2017.

Schuman, M 2017, 'History of child labor in the United States--part 1: little children working', Monthly Labor Review, pp. 1-19, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 7 June 2017.

Seele, P 2016, 'Business Ethics without Philosophers? Evidence for and Implications of the Shift From Applied Philosophers to Business Scholars on the Editorial Boards of Business Ethics Journals', Metaphilosophy, 47, 1, pp. 75-91, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 7 June 2017.

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