Ethical Responsibilities of CSR (Annotation 2)

    The business ethics are considered as the higher spirit than the laws. Whether actions and practices of business correspond with ethics or not is judged by the public. Although there are no standards for ethics, the judgment is in accordance with what you do. One of the important foundations for companies is the reputation, which is associated with the business ethics. A successful company is widespread with the good reputation. Therefore, entrepreneurs need to retain an excellent reputation for their companies by having ethical responsibilities.

       

    In 2010, Josephson’s study of ethical principles showed that the business executive success is related to these 12 principles: “honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, loyalty, fairness, concern for others, respect for others, law abiding, commitment to excellence, leadership, reputation and morale, and accountability.” I think that they are the important elements for managing companies and being responsible for the society.

        

    “Fairness is concerned with actions, processes, and consequences, that are morally right honorable, and equitable” (Josephson, 2010). If we apply the fairness on the business, it means that what you get is equal to what you give. For instance, you sell products with higher prices to customers, and you have to assure the better quality. That is to say, entrepreneurs cannot get extra improper profits from customers. Also, entrepreneurs cannot use the power to exploit employees or workers, which causes the inappropriate existence of “sweatshop,” and they need to give employees or workers what they ought to be paid. On the other hand, the behavior or decisions entrepreneurs do can be openly examined by the public.

       

    The deal should be established on the trust, so the integrity is significant for companies. If a company has a broken credit or the worse reputation, no one would like to make a deal with it. Entrepreneurs cannot sacrifice the integrity for temporary benefits because it is worthless. Managing a company is an everlasting thing, and entrepreneurs need to develop an eternal relationship with sincerity in the society.

In the fiercely competitive market, entrepreneurs want to be in the domination of the field, and strive for their own benefits. Under this condition, the integrity is obviously what makes you different from other companies.

    Having ethical responsibilities has been considered as an important and meaningful issue by more and more people in the recent years. The business ethics is following good intention in your heart, and do what is right. The justice is in everyone’s heart, but the importance is whether your deeds are in correspondence with it. As an entrepreneur, if you have the greater customer or employee loyalty, you can get the increasing revenues. Ultimately, what you gain is from what you are devoted. 

Source:

1.  Josephson, M. (2010). Business ethics & leadership: 12 ethical principles for business executives. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from Free Management Library Web site: http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/blog/2010/12/12-ethical-principles-for-business-executives/

2. Josephson, M. (2010). Business ethics & leadership: Fairness. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from Free Management Library Web site: 
http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/blog/2010/12/fairness/

Transcript 1

Vivien: Umm…our topic is “Are Entrepreneurs responsible for Taiwan’s Society?”

And…according to Europe Union, the definition of corporate social responsibility is the concept of combining entrepreneurs’ concern to the society and environment to their company’s commercial activities and the relationships with their shareholders.

And…according to Carroll’s theory, he divided corporate social responsibility into four levels. The first level is economic responsibilities.

Lisa: The company has to be profitable.

Vivien: And the second level is legal responsibilities.

Lisa: The company has to obey the law.

Vivien: The third level is ethical responsibilities.

Lisa: The company has to be ethical.

Vivien: The fourth level is philanthropic responsibilities.

Lisa: The company has to be a good corporate citizen.

Vivien: And today we will focus on the economic responsibilities.

Lisa: From the book, Business & Society, the definition of economic responsibilities is: “An institution whose objective is to produce goods and services that society wants and to sell them at fair prices­─prices that society thinks represent the true value of the goods and services delivered and that provide business with profits adequate to ensues its survival and growth and reward its investors.” And we think that there are three kinds of people in the society playing the important roles in the economic responsibilities of corporate social responsibility. First, I want to talk about the investors. They are closely related to the business. The major purpose is to gain profit from the successful companies. Therefore, the entrepreneurs’ responsibility to them is maintaining the regular function of the companies, and making them keep getting the adequate returns on their investments. If investors are not benefited from the business, the society will be in a state of chaos. The failure on business causes the collapse of the com…the economy, which also males the public feel afraid.

Vivien: Umm…yes, I think entrepreneurs’ goal is to maximize sales and minimize costs. But…of course entrepreneurs will do their best to…to promote growth rate and let their company gain profit. But…in the corporate social responsibility’s point of view, businessmen make their effort to let their investors gain profit. But I think not only businessmen but also most of the people in the world care about our own profit. But…umm…and so under the realistic circumstances, entrepreneurs make money for themselves, not for the investors.

Lisa: The second part is the general public. The entrepreneurs’ responsibility to the general public is making the products safe and selling them at the fair prices. According to the news in the recent years, there are many tainted foods reported on TV, which makes the general public nervous and scared. The perfect quality of products has to be guaranteed by the businessmen. Besides, the commercials cannot be exaggerated. Although the entrepreneurs want to make a profit, they cannot still deceive the general public and sacrifice the people’s health.

Vivien: Umm…as Lisa has mentioned, uh, company has to sell their pro…sell their products at fair price. But what is actua…what actually is “fair price”? Maybe you’ll say that it is the price a little higher than their costs. And, a definition said that fair price can represent the true value of the goods and services, and let businessmen earn profit simultaneously. But, the price of the goods and services should depend on the invisible hand of the market. Umm…we’re now in an era of capitalism, so…umm…the economic activities should base on supply and demand. So, for example, when the supply can’t meet the demand, the price will get higher, but the quality of the goods or services…umm, won’t become better, and is very likely to become lower. In this situation, how can entrepreneurs meet the corporate social responsibility’s expectation?

Lisa: Umm…not only the investors and the general public, employees are also the important part in the development of the business. They also need cares from entrepreneurs. The company is like a machine, and the employees are like screws, which are necessary in the operation of the machine. The entrepreneurs need employees to work for them, and employees’ living expenses depend on works. When employees are paid good salary, they will devote their hearts to works. The entrepreneurs’ responsibility to employees is giving the steady salary which corresponds with their works. Umm…in conclusion, the…the operation of the business influences the society. The healthy environment of the society is a decisive element of economic development. Therefore, the entrepreneurs have the responsibility to maintain and protect the resource and people of the society. Thank you.

Economic Responsibilities of CSR (Annotation 1)

In the corporate social responsibility, there are four principal parts: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities. In 2006, Carroll and Buchholtz’s study of business and society showed that business should be “an economic institution whose orientation is to produce goods and services that society wants and to sell them at fair prices”. I think that there are three kinds of people in the society─investors, employees, and the general public─playing the important roles in the economic responsibilities of corporate social responsibility.

First, I want to talk about the investors, whom I originally do not think of before I read the book, Business &Society. They are closely related to the business. Their major purpose is to gain profit from the successful companies. Therefore, the entrepreneurs’ responsibility to investors is maintaining the regular function of the companies, and making them keep getting the adequate returns on their investments. When investors are not benefited from the business, which they invested heavily in, the society will be in a state of chaos. The effect of economy is like dominoes, which associate one with others. For instance, the failure on business causes the collapse of the economy, which makes the public afraid.

Second, employees are also the important part in the development of the business. The company is like a machine, and the employees are like screws, which are requisite in the operation of the machine. The entrepreneurs need employees to work for them, and employees’ living expenses depend on works. When employees are paid good salary, their happiness and satisfaction of life are increased. Furthermore, they will devote their hearts to works. The entrepreneurs’ responsibility to employees is giving the steady salary which corresponds with their works. If the employees’ lives are stable, they could pursue not only the material comfort but also the spiritual growth, which can make the society progress.

Final part is essential population of the society: the general public, who is the basically consumptive unit. The entrepreneurs’ responsibility to the general public is making the products safe and selling them at the fair prices. According to the recent news, there are many tainted foods reported on TV, which makes the general public nervous and scared. The perfect satisfaction of products has to be guaranteed to customers by the businessmen. Besides, the commercials cannot be exaggerated. Although the entrepreneurs want to make a profit, they still cannot deceive the general public and sacrifice the people’s heath.

In conclusion, the operation of the business influences the society. The healthy environment of the society is a decisive element of economic development. Therefore, the entrepreneurs have the responsibility to maintain and protect the resource, which is from the society, including people.

Figure 1: The pyramid of corporate social responsibility

Figure 2: The business case for CSR

Figure 3: Top 20 activities/ characteristics of socially
responsible companies

Source of citation and figures: 

Archie B. Carroll & Ann K. Buchholtz (2006). Business, society, and stakeholders: Corporate citizenship: social responsibility, responsiveness, and performance. In Dave Shaut (Ed.), Business & Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management, 6th edition (pp. 29-60). Mason, Ohio: South-Western.

Are Entrepreneurs Responsible for Taiwan's Society? (revised topic)

    Taiwan’s society, in which the people work under the capitalism, is built by many enterprisers with their spirits of adventure and the efforts. The growth of the economy is propelled by the enterprisers, who create the works. The entrepreneurs make the profit for themselves as well as give hope to the society. Accordingly, they are responsible for Taiwan’s society.

    
    Entrepreneurs earn a lot of money from the public, so they have the responsibility for the society, which is called “Corporate Social Responsibility”. Under the system of the market-oriented economy, the enterprisers’ investments and strategic decisions influence the society a lot. The economy of the world is connected by the enterprisers’ commercial behaviors. In the present society, the enterprisers’ work is not only thinking about how to make money, but also how to devote themselves to the society. The enterprisers’ management is important, but the profit they gain is from the society. Therefore, the public is also one of the elements which make the entrepreneurs successful. They cannot deny this truth. On the moral aspect, they are responsible for the society. Bill Gates is one of the good examples for executing the corporate social responsibility.

    
    Bill Gates is successful in his software business. When he was ranked in the list of the world’s wealthiest people, he was not proud of this position. On the contrary, he chose to pursue the higher state by improving the society. He was devoted to the various charitable organizations, and established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife. He paid his attention to the health and education charities, which makes his social position and personal image lofty in the public’s mind. An excellent entrepreneur is not only successful in the career, but also in the people’s mind.

    
    The second point is that the entrepreneurs need to connect with the world. The development of the economy globalizes, and so do the rules of the business. In the recent years, there is a voice promoting the corporate social responsibility around the world, which is gradually blended into the enterprise culture and the realistic operation. The enterprisers can compel the society to progress with the world’s rules, and the Corporate Social Responsibility is one of the world’s rules. Being international is the most important thing for the citizens of the global village, which is the type of the present society. The development of the enterprises cannot be restricted in the local area, and the enterprisers have to demand themselves to take a broad view on the future. Cultivating the talented people and improving the conditions of the society are the solutions to the problems, which are also the emphases in the corporate social responsibility.

Sources:

1.Corporate Social Responsibility. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Wikipedia: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%81%E6%A5%AD%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83%E8%B2%AC%E4%BB%BB

2.Gao, Xi-Jun. (2005). Preach “corporate social responsibility”: make Taiwan entrepreneurs proudly show up on the stage of the world. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Commonwealth Publishing Group Web site: http://www.gvm.com.tw/Boardcontent_10914_1.html

Is the Religion Necessary?

       When the human beings experienced the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution, the beliefs of the traditional religion were challenged. In the process of the development of the historical civilization, people changed the mind from adoring the God to concentrating their attention on the science. Because of the new concepts and discovery, the religion lost its authority and sacredness, and the science became important in humans’ lives. Although the power of the religion is weaker than in the Middle Age, it still has the influence, which cannot be ignored.

At the present, what does the religion mean to the public in this society? Some people may think that the religion is not scientific, so we do not need to believe it. However, most of the races in the world have their own religious beliefs. When human beings are born, they are beginning to face the unknown conditions, which cannot be controlled by human beings. For instance, while undergoing the problems, which cannot be solved by the artificial efforts, people would feel depressed and want to find a reliable support. At that time, the religion becomes the strong strength, which gives the helpless people the confidence to keep confronting the troubles. Instead of the platitude, the religion is the power, which makes the flustered people calm down.

At the ancient time, people used the traditional customs of the religion to prey for the safety and the peace. The religion was added into the mysterious stories in order to strengthen its sacredness. After the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution, the religion is not as important as before, but it still gives people hope. If people need the luck to achieve the destination, they may pray to the God. There are many uncanny conditions around the world, which cannot be explained with the science. No matter what happens, the religion makes people’s mind steady at all times.

Human beings keep pursuing the better life with their ability. The final destination of the life is the sense of the belonging. People would like to find the place or the group they are belonged to. The sense of the belonging can be found from the religion. Existing in the world needs to have the confidence to the life, which cannot be found on the science. When people encounter the oppression, which is caused by the present society, and have the pessimistic attitude to the world, the religion is a proper way to vent the bad emotion. Therefore, the people who have the religious beliefs are healthier. The religion can cultivate people’s mind and spirit. The people’s morality and conduct can be brought up to the better state, and they would have the enthusiastic heart to help others.

         Sources:

1.The people who have the religious beliefs are healthier

(Reference:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI0liWJ_Ehk)

         2.重整宗教信仰的重要性意義
         (Reference:http://www.ttcs.org.tw/~church/27.1/04.pdf)