Organizational Issues and Trends Paper

Essay by rickmartinUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, March 2009

download word file, 10 pages 5.0

This paper will review the ethical and business considerations of operating organizations on a global scale. Ethical considerations include a discussion on human rights, labor, environmental, and corruption issues. Business considerations include a discussion on culture, values and beliefs, environmental issues, governmental policies, competitors, resources, and demand. This paper will then assess the evolutionary trends in organizational behavior and how they might impact organizations with regard to ethical considerations.

Ethical Consideration in Operating on a Global ScaleExamples of ethical considerations in operating an organization on a global scale include human rights, labor, environmental, and corruption issues. The Universal Human Rights Index (2008) notes that the right to life, equality, non-discrimination and the prohibition of slavery are examples of human rights (p. 1). An example of this is if a company's third world branch is using slavery to cut costs in manufacturing. Ethical considerations for labor could include unacceptable or long working conditions.

Is child labor being used to manufacture goods for ones organization? Environmental considerations include ensuring that an organization is aware of any environmental impact this may cause to the area of operation. An example of this is if a company has decided to dump toxic goods in a country where environmental concerns are ignored. This will harm the environment but help the company cut down on costs. Examples of corruption could include bribery or extortion to gain an unethical advantage or profit for ones organization. An example of this is if a company bribed a local decision maker to win a contract. Many organizations are following the UN Global Compact initiative which is the "world's largest corporate citizenship and sustainability initiative…the initiative has grown to more than 6200 participants, including over 4700 businesses in 120 countries around the world" (Unglobalcompact1, 2008, para. 1). The UN Global Compact is...