BUSN119
Business Ethics & GCE Assignment – marks, worth 15%
Prof. Shanker (Shanks)Seetharam
Name of student
Student ID
CENTENNIAL COLLEGE | BUSN 119-001 for the review of Professor Shanker Seetharam
0
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Introduction
The essay below moves along a path of examining a story, relating it to Ethics, our dilemmas
as Global Citizen , the rights of a consumer, Prof. Shanks lecture points on GC& E, Equity
issues and finally our understanding of this complex set of issues.
Management, Stakeholders & Ethics
There are many dilemmas that arise in the realm of business. As enterprise grew it quickly began
to divide in application based off the core values of its players. What players you may ask?
People.
In the Story of Stuff (Priggen, 2009) video the host Annie Leonard explains how the model of
business currently works off an unsustainable linear model. Leonard (Priggen, 2009) takes on a
journey through the lifespan of a product, from collect materials to build the product to the point
that it is disposed of it. Along the way exposing different difficulties that arise because of the
application of the philosophy.
The Story of Stuff (Priggen, 2009) opens the viewer to many dilemmas that can occur in the
business world. Through a web of connections that affect every stakeholder. The owners’ group
seeks to be profitable quarter over quarter, but with a linear model the resources of the countries
and their governments can not continue to provide without affecting the well being of the
communities and planet. It is difficult to make people want to put up capital in your company
and help it grow if you have low margins or high production cost. To increase margins, venture
capitalist pressure businesses to move your production overseas to gain larger returns and take
your business from small business to MNC, but by removing the employment you may struggle
to have a market to sell your now margin rich product to. Owning groups must understand that
resources are limited and that to be effective global citizens they must find ways to balance
growth expectation and using sustainable and renewable sources.
A great dilemma exists between being profitable and giving your workforce a living wage. Over
coming by outsourcing to gain cheaper labour cost to the owners will then affect your workforce
because they will eventually not be able to afford you products. You also don’t build loyalty.
So how do you retain talent? Do you offer them better wages and focus your marketing to be
able to afford them, or do you adhere to their code of ethics and hope they stay because of the
employee’s values and morals? Perhaps be seen as a morally socially responsible company?
The Dilemma as a Global citizen : As a global citizen an understanding that not only are
workforce your stakeholders, but they are also a resource, your clients, and your community.
Always reaching for profit over equity can only lead to a collapse of the system. You cannot sell
to people who do not have their fair share.
If all Business-to-Business operation continues to cheapen their products in order to entice other
business to buy from them, then we will continue to overuse our natural resources. This was
highlighted by the radio example Leonard (Priggen, 2009) uses in the Story of Stuff, where she
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educates the viewer on how a radio costs more than the retail price, but through levels of
shortcutting stakeholders the product can be sold below cost.
By adjusting the system so that each member in the chain of a product pays a price equal to the
proper process or manufacturing cost, then even though products will be more expensive, the
consumer will have made enough salary to pay for it. Adopting a system where we pay for what
we get will ensure we are global citizens that care for ourselves and our fellow man.
Consumer issues:
What about when you are trying to take care of your consumer, but are harming them at the same
time? Leonard (Priggen, 2009) points out in the Story of Stuff where a safety standard, a
chemical that makes things like pillows flame resistant, but the chemical is toxic to humans.
What is more important, safety in a fire at the cost of a health issue that might arise through
continued exposure? One of the hardest dilemmas to overcome is one that has equal negative
aspects on both sides of the argument. This topic can be furthered, like how does a firm keep
their products from expiring or wearing too quickly? they add chemical preservatives and
coatings. Now the product last longer, but the chemicals can negatively affect the customers and
environment in the long run. We as global citizens can continuously strive to overcome
dilemmas found in Leonard’s (Priggen, 2009) pillow example by not always accepting norms,
once the flame-resistant chemicals are found to be toxic, shifting to find new solution. It’s our
duty to find a balance, but focusing on favoring the natural and human resources over profits and
margins.
Prof Shanks lecture points:
Prof.Shanks talked of Caste system in India as an example of ethics. Of patriarchal local support
in China. Of how powerful leaders have tried to change issues of Equity. Of how some leaders
get extra ordinary powers because of their popularity that leads to abuse of power.
The difference between Equity and Equality. He gave the example of bringing one size blue
colour shoes for all students which is equality but not correct. Vs if he brought different sizes
and different colours shoes for all which is equity but always harder to achieve. He talked of
examples in India on corruption. He showed the Corruption index and talked of how this
goverens imagery about Coountries and their leaders worldwide.
Prof Shanks talked of the Nestle debacle. How this large consumer packaged goods firm talked
to millions of women worldwide assuring them that Nestle Baby foods was a healthy choice
instead of mothers milk. This unethical practise resulted in several thousand children dying. Of
course the company was sued for millions. Besides money the company lost its reputation. I
wonder what it would have meant to be an employee of Nestle in those years of shame!
Or the case of Bridgestone tires that were shredded on roads in Middle east because the rubber in
those tires were not designed to withstand extreme heat and speed. And the cover up by the
company.
Global citizens should conduct business with a commitment to using practices that are healthy
for the local environment, not by increasing profits or pricing with methods that are not
completely ethical, but legal. We should manage profitable businesses that provide a reasonable
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cost to the customer and help to provide tax dollars and community philanthropy funding. We
can find an equilibrium between governments responsibility to its citizens and its responsibility
to attract and retain business investment. We can do this by focusing on tackling dilemmas head
on and putting each other first.
Ethics in Practice
Patagonia truly embodies many of the philosophies needed to ensure sustainability of the
planet’s resources. I discovered the brand Patagonia while I worked as a Warehouse Manager for
SportingLife Inc. I was quite aware of how popular this brand is, I would estimate that Patagonia
took up 10 to 15 percent of our outerwear storage. When the remainder was housing such giants
as Canada Goose, The North Face, and Columbia, I can assure you that this percentage was quite
high real estate for our business. It is shocking to find out Patagonia is such a responsible
company. One can deduce that Patagonia are finding the right balance between quality and social
responsibility. They often overshadowed the demand for less environmentally responsible
competitors like Arc’teryx, Helly Hansen, and Karbon. Since I have left SportingLife Inc., I
noticed that today (Feb 2021) SportingLife Inc. website (SportingLife Inc., 2021) lists Patagonia
as their 3rd most popular brand. So, with that much presence we can deduce that Patagonia is a
global leader in the market for outdoor enthusiast apparel.
Complexities of Patagonia Case
From their own website (Patagonia, Inc., 2021) the first thing you witness is an article bring
awareness to a black bear initiative titled (Wynn-Grant, 2021) Black Bear, Black Liberation
https://www.patagonia.com/stories/black-bears-black-liberation/story-95900.html before any
mention of marketing strategies. Just after the Black Bear article link, we can see a ribbon for
Patagonia’s different lines of products. What is the first line you can choose? Like most apparel
companies, do we see the men’s line link, nope. Patagonia first link is to their Used Gear line
(FYI the next is Women’s and third is Men’s). Patagonia’s link opens a pop-up window to direct
you to a Patagonia initiative called WornWare (Patagonia Inc. (WornWare), 2021)
https://wornwear.patagonia.com/ with a caption (Patagonia, Inc., 2021) “What's Cool About
Used? Buying used extends a garment’s life by about two years, which cuts its combined carbon,
waste and water footprint by 73%”. Patagonia is clearly focused on being a GCE leader. My
breath was taken away when I watched a video at the WornWare (WornWare, 2021) site
explaining how the program works https://youtu.be/cMgfVenLRSI. Patagonia has been the first
company I have ever seen to dismantle the concept of planned or perceived obsolescence.
Through doing so they have been able to overcome the dilemma of how you can make profit for
your owning group and still be conscience toward being sustainable and forthright.
Patagonia is a known member of ImpactSpace (ImpactSpace, 2021), what’s ImpactSpace?
According to ImpactSpace’s website (ImpactSpace, 2021) they state “ImpactSpace tracks
investments in solutions to environmental and social challenges. We are the open database for
the impact investing market.”, which means that members to the site are completely transparent
with their data to investors regarding how they conduct business and the cost of their
philanthropy and environmental initiatives/policies.
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This combination of sustainable practices, using recycled and eco-friendly textiles aligned with a
commitment to manufacturing (weather
that is making new clothes or offering a
Philanthropic
laundry/repair service to have worn
Ethical
clothing made suitable for reuse/resale),
Legal
lastly providing transparency to
Economic
stakeholders on the practices has made
Patagonia’s use of Carroll’s pyramid
resemble more of a trapezoid shape. Weighing each level more equally important.
Before looking into the Patagonia business model, I honestly thought that you could not be an
industry leader and be highly ethical. In my time of managing a Patagonia resellers warehouse, I
thought that Patagonia were just like any other outerwear brand. Seeing how much Patagonia
weighs social responsibility while giving equal part being profitable has raised my standards.
I honestly do not think I can just shrug my shoulders when I hear of a company that just keeps
reaping resources and exploiting its stakeholders, specifically the workers and communities. This
project has really made me want to hold corporations accountable by not investing, whether that
is by not purchasing their products, by not working for corporation that do not hold my values, or
by challenging government officials do increase sustainable and fairness standards. By
recognizing that if a corporation has the product made in another country, that they should treat
the employees fairly and give them a living wage, and if a corporation collects resources from
another country then researching them to see if they are doing so responsibly and ethically. If I
do not change and support businesses like Patagonia, then how can I expect any change from
consumers and corporations. I think a big portion of the problem is that corporations are only
reflections of societies values, if we strengthen our values, then corporations will do as they have
always done and produce products that align with our values. My first step is to go to WornWear
(Patagonia Inc. (WornWare), 2021) and shop, corporate thrift is such a great idea toward
sustainability.
Reflection on Ethics
Is it our Moral compass?
In the Chapter on Ethics, Prof. Shanks used this phrase quite often. It becomes relevant in here
In our era where time is limited, we often support companies that make our lives easier, even if
they are not practicing completely ethically. We often can just bury our heads in the sand and
justify our decisions by attributing the gained time to spend with our families and personal
interests. We need to understand that we can no longer just accept that we must work too hard
just to consume more. I have learned that adhering to the norms is not the only way for society to
function. Corporations can act responsibly, but we must change our approach and recognize how
who we work for, the products we buy, and our critical processing of messages are what has got
us to where we are today. It will be us, future businesspeople that will be the paradigm shift
needed to break the parasitic approach to how we manage the world resources. We have already
started to see a shift in corporations, as a result of the age of information a company can no
longer be successful and grow without having a strategy for philanthropy. Even the idea of being
a global citizen is relatively new concept that was birthed from the impending crisis on humanity
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and nature. I am reminded of UK rapper The Streets (Skinner, 2008) Lyric from the song The
Way Of The Dodo “It's not earth that's in trouble, It's the people that live on it, no no, Earth'll be
here long after we've all gone the way of the dodo” (0:25-0:36). Corporations and stakeholders
are made up of people and it is people’s responsibility to take care of the planet and each other,
without global citizenship centered around equity and sustainability as the basis of our future, we
will become extinct.
What are your responsibilities to being a Global Citizen?
So, either you are a part of the problem or you are part of the solution. As a future
businessperson and global citizen, I will commit to creating a strong set of values that is rooted
in utilizing sustainable practices and a strong desire for human equity. After taking The Story of
Stuff Projects quiz, I was introduced to notion that I am a “Builder”. It is my responsibility to
create, whether that is building eco-friendly community spaces in my part of the world or finding
ways to design collectives to spread knowledge to every level from local to global. I will
recognize that each role from within any organization I am part of I can apply entrepreneurial,
philanthropic, and empathetic mindsets to combined success and humanity. Being a builder is
part leadership, part commitment. My skills are not only for me, they are most rewarding when
used to help others.
Do my homework before I shop
I will personally focus more on supporting those who are transparent with their business and
reflect the values I hold dearest. I will take the time to research the companies I shop with, I will
reward those who have made a positive impact on my community, my country, and my world. I
will reject the companies, mighty and small, who exploit our resources, both natural and human.
I might be paying more as a result, but without a commitment for change we can not sustain the
planet. I will not allow governments, including my own, to put people in a position where they
can not have access to the same privileges I have, even if that means losing some. I will respect
the planet by using resources I have until they are worn out, not disposing of them when I feel
the need to “keep up with the Jones’”. I will not reward those with more privilege to continue to
act selfishly and only advance their own interest at the expense of others. I will offer myself to
my community more, replacing media interaction with social interaction. I will not give my time
to organizations that do not recognize a need to give back. I will offer my talents to companies
that have a vested interest in the planet and the community.
Prof. Shanks on Global issues and GC&E Outcomes
Prof. Shanks talked in detail on the Rights of Women and how they evolved over the years and
decades. Education is the key to empower women. The big difference is between Equity and
Equality. You create equal opportunities to both genders in all incomes and after some decades
you build equity between genders, age groups and races. Prof. Shanks mentioned how the Caste
system in India has slowly eroded over the decades because of push back against discrimination
based on birth place and family status.
He also focussed on global issues of hunger, unbalanced distribution of wealth and explotation of
labour in several developing countries.
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Prof. Shanks on Corruption Perceptions Index
On Ethics and global bribery, Prof. Shanks highlighted a global study that highlights the plight of
corruption that dogs the business world in several countries. There are local and government
laws that prevent Canadian firms from being involved in such unethical norms
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an index published annually by Berlin-based
Transparency International since 1995 which ranks countries "by their perceived levels of public
sector corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI is
published by Transparency International, an organization that seeks to stop bribery and other
forms of public corruption. A country's score can range from zero to 100, with zero indicating
high levels of corruption and 100 indicating low levels. Transparency International launched the
index in 1995, and today it scores 176 countries and territories. It is published annually.
The 6 GC&E Outcomes ( Must be expanded and explained as it relates to you for at least
more than a page. Details for each point must be explained based on GCE at Centennial
College, Prof.Shanks explainations, plus your own explainations to these outcomes
It certainly made me aware of the six GC&E Outcomes: Centennial’s distinctive GCEI
educational experience integrates the principles of global citizenship, social justice and equity
into the curriculum and prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace
1. Identify one’s roles and responsibilities as a global citizen in personal and professional life.
2. Identify beliefs, values and behaviours that form individual and community identities and the
basis for respectful relationships.
3. Analyze issues of equity at the personal, professional and global level.
4. Analyze the use of the world’s resources to achieve sustainability and equitable distribution at
the personal, professional and global level.
5. Identify and challenge unjust practices in local and global systems.
6. Support personal and social responsibility initiatives at the local, national or global level
Conclusion :
We must think globally to develop innovative solutions to current world issues. We must
recognize diverse perspectives. Enhanced our capacity to understand and integrate multiple
viewpoints Strategically Communicate and Cooperate and engage effectively in complex
situations across diverse groups. Understand our Personal and Social Responsibility. Understand
one’s role in addressing local and global inequities.
Finally a sense of Empathy and Global Citizenship and responsible citizenship through actions
that advance social change
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.
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References
ImpactSpace. (2021, February 28). Retrieved from ImpactSpace: https://impactspace.com/
Patagonia Inc. (WornWare). (2021, February 28). WornWare. Retrieved from Patagonia:
https://wornwear.patagonia.com/
Patagonia, Inc. (2021, February 28). Retrieved from Patagonia: www.patagonia.com/home/
Priggen, E. (Producer), Leonard, A. (Writer), & Fox, L. (Director). (2009, April 22). The Story of
Stuff [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM
Skinner, M. (2008). The Way of the Dodo. Vice Records.
SportingLife Inc. (2021, February 28). Retrieved from SportingLife: https://www.sportinglife.ca/
WornWare (Director). (2021). How Does Worn Wear Work? [Video].
Wynn-Grant, D. R. (2021, February 28). Black Bears, Black Liberation. Retrieved from Patagonia:
https://www.patagonia.com/stories/black-bears-black-liberation/story-95900.html