Annotated bibliography for developing research and analysis skills

Ethics in for-Profit and Not-for-Profit Companies

*****************this assignment*********** Annotated Bibliography

Annotated bibliography:

Ethics in for-profit and not-for profit companies

Barkemeyer, R., Holt, D., Figge, F., & Napolitano, G. (2010). A longitudinal and contextual analysis of media representation of business ethics. European Business Review, 22(4), 377-396.

This article is a survey of the contemporary media's representation of business ethics, encompassing a meta-analysis of 62 international newspapers. Particularly in the U.S., the emphasis was upon 'hot' scandals rather than trends to integrate business ethics in a meaningful fashion into the day-to-day activities of an organization. "There is little apparent use in the media of concepts such as corporate citizenship. The academic community and company ethical codes appear to adopt a wider definition of business ethics more akin to that associated with sustainability, in comparison with the focus taken by the media, especially in the U.S.A." (Barkemeyer et al. 2010).

Bouckaert, L., & Vandenhove, J. (1998). Business ethics and the management of non-profit institutions. Journal of Business Ethics, 17(9), 1073-1081.

The concept of business ethics is based upon an ideal of business profitability and honoring the interests of stakeholders, specifically shareholders, in profiting from firm behavior. "In a profit-making institution, the principal is the general meeting of shareholders and in a nonprofit-making institution it is the organisational authority" (Bouckaert & Vandenhove 1998). While it might be assumed that nonprofits have a higher degree of social responsibility to the community, this is not necessarily the case. "It is of course true that a non-profit institution has a social and selfless purpose as its primary mission. But this social goal is of a very specific nature" and the extent to which a nonprofit should take into consideration other interests beyond that of its original mission and stated intension remains hotly debated amongst ethicists (Bouckaert & Vandenhove 1998).

Chen-Fong, W. (2003). A study of the adjustment of ethical recogntion and ethical decision-making of managers-to-be across the Taiwan Strait before and after receiving a business ethics education. Journal of Business Ethics, 45(4), 291-307

This study surveyed 126 business and management departments in two Taiwanese universities. Students for whom business ethics was included in their coursework showed a significantly greater ability to prioritize ethical values. However, all students, regardless of program, showed deficits in their abilities to evaluate business conflicts and make ethical decisions.

Katrinli, A., Gunay, G., & Biresselioglu, M.E. (2011). The convergence of corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability: Starbucks corporation's practices. The Business Review, Cambridge, 17(1), 164-171.

Starbucks has been notable as a for-profit institution for its focus upon corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability. This article examines the convergence of both principles in Starbucks' relationship with Turkish coffee producers: Starbucks has made a commitment to Fair Trade practices and also works to reduce environmental waste. This benefits both humanity and the environment, and has also proven to be profitable as well as ethical in marketing Starbucks and justifying the price of its coffee beverages to loyal consumers.

Marques, J.F. (2008). Spiritual performance from an organizational perspective: The Starbucks way. Corporate Governance, 8(3), 248-257. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14720700810879141

According to the authors, "spirituality in the workplace is an experience of interconnectedness among those involved in a work process, initiated by authenticity, reciprocity, and personal goodwill; engendered by a deep sense of meaning that is inherent in the organization's work; and resulting in greater motivation and organizational excellence" (Marques 2008). This article takes the form of a case study of the Starbucks organization, which the articles' authors praise as enhancing the spiritual lives of employees by connecting every level of the organization to a larger sense of mission. Rather than viewing ethics as antithetical to profitability as often was the case in the classical conception of the firm, this suggests that ethics can enhance organizational functionality.

Montoya, I.D., & Richard, A.J. (1994). A comparative study of codes of ethics in health care facilities and energy companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 13(9), 713.

This article takes the form of an ethnographic study comparing codes of ethics and compliance outcomes at not-for-profit health care facilities and for-profit energy companies. Despite the touting of the importance of ethics codes in the mass media, particularly for not-for-profits, both entities showed little or no difference in being able to implement ethical standards, nor did explicit ethics codes seem to have much effect.

Richards, C.H., Gilbert, J., & Harris, J.R. (2002). Assessing ethics education needs in the MBA

program. Teaching Business Ethics, 6(4), 447.

One possible way of improving ethical standards in business is to focus on the education of future ethics leaders in MBA programs. This paper compared how ethics was taught and viewed by students in selected MBA (Master of Business Administration) and MPA (Master of Public Administration) candidates. Overall, MBA candidates showed greater tendencies toward egotism and there was an 'ethics gap' between the candidates in both programs; MPAs showed greater ethics awareness and concerns.

Singh, K. (2011). Enhancing ethics at workplace through emotional intelligence: An exploratory

study on business organizations in India. International Journal of Business and Management Science, 4(1), 51-73.

What makes a person ethical and another person morally questionable from a business standpoint? This article suggests that it is less a question of workplace culture and more due to the individual's EI (emotional intelligence), based upon an exploratory study of emerging business organizations in the developing nation of India.