- "Business ethics (also known as corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics, that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment."
This subfield focuses on the ethical responsibilities of businesses in regards to their impact on human rights, including labor rights, privacy rights, and consumers' rights.
Conceptual frameworks: This involves understanding the basic concepts and frameworks that underpin the field of business and human rights, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, international human rights law, corporate social responsibility, etc.
Corporate social responsibility: This involves understanding the concept of corporate responsibility towards society and how businesses can integrate social, environmental, and economic considerations into their operations.
Human rights due diligence: This involves understanding the process and importance of human rights due diligence, which is a systematic process for identifying, assessing, and mitigating human rights risks in business operations.
Stakeholder engagement: This involves understanding the importance of engaging with stakeholders, including employees, communities, NGOs, and governments, to strengthen respect for human rights in business operations.
Supply chain management: This involves understanding the importance of supply chain management in ensuring that human rights are respected throughout the supply chain.
Labour rights: This involves understanding the various human rights issues that arise in the context of employment, such as minimum wage, working conditions, etc.
Environmental and social impact: This involves understanding how businesses can minimize and mitigate environmental and social impacts associated with their operations.
Impact assessment: This involves understanding the importance of conducting impact assessments to identify, assess, and manage the potential impacts of business operations on human rights.
Human trafficking and modern slavery: This involves understanding the human rights impacts of human trafficking and modern slavery, and how businesses can prevent and address these issues.
Corruption and bribery: This involves understanding the human rights implications of corruption and bribery in business operations, and strategies for preventing such practices.
Data privacy and security: This involves understanding the importance of protecting data privacy and security, and the human rights implications of data breaches and cyberattacks.
Conflict minerals: This involves understanding the human rights issues associated with the mining and trade of conflict minerals, and strategies for preventing and addressing these issues.
Indigenous peoples and traditional communities: This involves understanding the human rights issues faced by indigenous peoples and traditional communities, and how businesses can respect their rights.
Children’s rights: This involves understanding the human rights issues faced by children, and strategies for preventing and addressing child labour and exploitation.
Reporting and transparency: This involves understanding the importance of reporting and transparency, and the role of businesses in promoting greater accountability and visibility around human rights practices.
Environmental Ethics: It is concerned with the ethical implications of human interaction with nature and the environment. This type of business ethics focuses on minimizing the company's environmental impact.
Social Responsibility: This type of business ethics refers to a company's obligation to act in the best interests of society, including its customers, employees, and the broader community.
Corporate Governance: This type of business ethics refers to the policies, processes, and practices that a company employs to govern itself effectively.
Employee Rights: This type of business ethics deals with the treatment of employees within a company. It covers discrimination, harassment, fair pay, and safe working conditions.
Supply Chain Ethics: It is concerned with the ethical implications of a company's supply chain. This type of business ethics ensures that suppliers and vendors comply with laws and regulations regarding human rights, labor practices, and environmental standards.
Economic Ethics: This type of business ethics is focused on business practices that contribute to a just and sustainable economy. It deals with issues like corporate social responsibility, fair competition, and the distribution of wealth.
Professional Ethics: This type of business ethics refers to the ethical conduct of professionals, such as lawyers, doctors, and accountants.
Environmental Justice: This type of business ethics focuses on the ethical implications of environmental harm, particularly on marginalized communities that are disproportionately affected.
International Business Ethics: This type of business ethics deals with the ethical implications of doing business globally. It covers issues like international trade, global labor practices, and cultural differences.
Ethical Leadership: This type of business ethics is concerned with the ethical conduct of leaders within a company. It covers issues like transparency, accountability, and values-driven leadership.
- "It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations."
- "These ethics originate from individuals, organizational statements or the legal system."
- "These norms, values, ethical, and unethical practices are the principles that guide a business."
- "Business ethics have two dimensions, normative business ethics or descriptive business ethics."
- "Academics attempting to understand business behavior employ descriptive methods."
- "The range and quantity of business ethical issues reflects the interaction of profit-maximizing behavior with non-economic concerns."
- "Interest in business ethics accelerated dramatically during the 1980s and 1990s."
- "Most major corporations today promote their commitment to non-economic values under headings such as ethics codes and social responsibility charters."
- "Adam Smith said in 1776, 'People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.'"
- "Governments use laws and regulations to point business behavior in what they perceive to be beneficial directions."
- "Ethics implicitly regulates areas and details of behavior that lie beyond governmental control."
- "The emergence of large corporations with limited relationships and sensitivity to the communities in which they operate accelerated the development of formal ethics regimes."
- "Maintaining an ethical status is the responsibility of the manager of the business."
- "According to a 1990 article in the Journal of Business Ethics, 'Managing ethical behavior is one of the most pervasive and complex problems facing business organizations today.'" (Note: There were not enough specific quotes to address additional questions beyond this point.)