Corporate Responsibility and Society

The topic that I would expect in this course is: How can corporations ensure that proper management structures are in place so that long term strategic objectives are met without jeopardizing ethical standards?

In terms of corporate responsibility, companies face a lot of dilemmas because they have an obligation not only to shareholders but also to employees, customers and communities among others. Therefore, to keep the business afloat they constantly have to keep a healthy relationship with all of the above parties; this is through providing returns for shareholders, a healthy work environment for employees and reliable products for customers. What keeps it interesting is finding the right mix, as improving conditions for one party could be to the detriment of one or both of the others. Key motivations and goals of different types of companies and how those influence ethical behavior would be an interesting topic to explore in this class.Whereas, business ethics teach us how to deal with moral complexity when making business decisions. In my opinion we learn right from wrong as children, however a business environment can complicate this as other pressures influence us, whether it be bosses, coworkers, or customers. Looking at cases such as Bernie Madoff, the biggest influence when it comes to staying ethical seems to be the inclination of seeking the almighty dollar.