Business Ethics

M1 Assess How A Selected Business [Ben and Jerry’s] Could Improve the ethics of their operations.

Exam Board Guidance

• M1 links to P1 and P2, enabling learners to consider how the selected business could improve its operational activities to be more ethical and identify the important factors that would have a positive impact on operations.

What!!

• You have to say: – Give real examples of how Ben and Jerry’s currently operates ethically.

– Then HOW it could IMPROVE to be more ethical in what it does.

– What the impact (results) would be of making these improvements.

• Upon Ben and Jerry’s • Ben and Jerry’s stakeholders.

Ethical Activities

• Ben & Jerry’s have a broad agenda that focuses on making positive contributions to the community.

– Describe and explain at least 4 of these.

– Use the following links to help you.

• http://www.benjerry.co.uk/ourvalues/ • http://www.benjerry.com/activism/peace-and-justice/ • • http://www.benjerry.com/activism/mission-statement/ http://www.benandjerrysfoundation.org/what-we-do.html

• Now come up with ideas on how Ben and Jerry’s can improve upon these activities.

– E.g. Give examples of actions it could promote in the community by offering finance and its employees’ time.

• Now explain what the positive impact of these improvements would be.

Business Values

• Read through Ben and Jerry’s Mission statement.

• Write about the Mission Statement and what positive values it communicates.

– Within your writing explain whether you think the statement reflects what the public is actually wanting from a modern day business.

• Now come up with some suggests of how the mission statement could be improve so that Ben and Jerry’s is seen to be more ethical and up to date.

• Now explain what the positive impact of these improvements would be.

Professional/ Individual Ethics

Does the Code of Conduct set ethical standards of behaviour for staff?

• Is it clear how staff should behave who work for Ben & Jerry’s -

When was the Code last updated?

• Look at the website details and see when they were last updated

How can it be improved?

• e.g. Is it too long and complicated so the meaning is lost?

Corporate Governance

• Read about each of the directors and what they stand for.

• Write about whether the Board of Directors are managing the business well from an ethical standpoint. – Look at them both individually and as a whole.

• Now come up with ways in which corporate governance at Ben and Jerry’s could be improved?

– I.e. – How directors decide to be socially responsible.

– measures they could put in place to be ethical – having important people with clear knowledge and commitment to the ethical issues be offered seats on the Board – e.g. environmentalists and human rights campaigners?

• Now explain what the positive impact of these improvements would be.