Examples Of Ethical Issues In Walmart

1809 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ethical issues in business environment

Task 1
a)
Business ethics is described by means of studying how terms are connected with ethics used in relation to business. So business ethics invites us to take into consideration what right and wrong consist of in relation to business activity; about your goodness and badness associated with specific business situations; concerning the rights, responsibilities, obligations and duties that have to govern business relationships; in what a fair distribution from the benefits and burdens associated with business activity might contain; and about what takes its virtuous business or a virtuous business person (Fryer, 2015).
Most importantly there two types of ethical approaches in a business that are Deontological (Non-consequentialist) and …show more content…

Operational activities are linked to a business’s basic activities one example is producing, distributing, promoting, and selling a products or services. Ethical issues affect operational activities of an business. It can result in low sales, little production and profitability, bad popularity, low employee morale and many others. For every business, ethical can be fair trading, deceptive advertising, corruption, environmental issue and human rights.
Ethical issues in Walmart
There are two examples discussed below by which Walmart has been seen as an unethical …show more content…

In 2003, Wal-Mart associates made $8. 23 an hour, amounting to $13, 861 per year, almost $1, 000 below the federal poverty line for a family of three. On the other hand, by 2008, the common hourly wage for full-time workers had increased to $10. 83 and it is even higher in more urban areas. But, in spite from the increased wages, there have been an increasing number involving lawsuits against Wal-Mart regarding managers forcing employees to operate off the clock, needing associates to skip meal and short breaks, and tampering after some time and wage records. Wal-Mart has also been criticized regarding gender discrimination against women of all ages associates. Women were being compensated unfairly as opposed to their male counterparts (Briones,

Show More
Related

  • The Ethics of Shopping at Wal-Mart

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, I agree with the noted shortcomings of Wal-Mart. But, I don't think people can argue that it's unethical to shop at Wal-Mart, that anyone who shops at Wal-Mart is unethical or believe it is ethical to point the figure at those who do shop at Wal-Mart. I suggest everyone first check their values and then their investments, and they'll discover they probably are supporting Wal-Mart, a company they believe is evil, via 401Ks or mutual funds.

    Read More

  • Wal-Mart and Corporate Social Responsibility

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    Corporation has is to increase profits for its stockholders. Through a utilitarian perspective, we can see that Wal-Mart is acts in a way to product the greatest possible balance of good over dissatisfaction for their stockholders. Wal-Mart upholds the fiduciary duties to their stockholders by not increasing wages of their employees, instead they take the sum of money and return it back to their stockholders and shareholders such as customers and suppliers. Wal-Mart creates the happiness for the amount of people who invest in the company. Ethics is about the consequences of an action and the consequence of Wal-Mart’s actions creates the greatest amount of good for the people who are the primary stockholders of the corporation.

    Read More

  • Is Walmart Good Or Bad For Health And Social Care?

    1724 Words  | 4 Pages

    Today Wal-mart has a higher GDP than the entire country of Switzerland, but don’t worry they’re pretty neutral about it. But there has also been news about how they treat there employees. In 2004 an article was released entitled Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay for Wal-Mart, and soon after Washington got involved. The bad publicity took a toll on Wal-mart and in fact is still today, Maryland passed a law in January, 2006, that said larger employers, such as Wal-mart, must spend at least 8% of their payroll on health benefits for their employees, and now many other states have followed suit. The bad publicity also made it so 8% of customers shop elsewhere because of what they’ve heard, this has caused lower expected sales around the holidays during 2004, and 2005. Some things they’ve done is in 2006 they paid employees on average 9.36 dollars, while other major retailers like Target and Sears pay on average 11.08 dollars. While this can be easily denied by Wal-mart, another way they have gained bad publicity is from something called off-the-clock work. If they had not finished their job they had to clock out and then still finish their job, meaning they wouldn’t get paid for

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Wal-Mart

    1454 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wal-Mart has been the center of employee wages exploitation and for years they have been practicing the same labor abuse throughout the nation in order to save their labor expenses and maintain profit. Weldon Rich Olson, a former W...

    Read More

  • Lack of Ethical Behavior in the Cases of Bernie Madoff and Enron

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, & Langvardt, 2010) Business ethics is when ethical behavior is applied in a business environment, or by a business. There are many situations that can arise in which a person is experiencing an ethical dilemma. They have to choose between standing by their own personal ethical standards or complying with their companies ethical standards. In some instances, some have to choose whether to serve their own personal interests, or the interests of the company.

    Read More

  • Ethics And Ethics In Healthcare

    735 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ethics is a social, religious, or civil code of behavior considered appropriate, especially that of a specific group, profession, or individual. Business ethics is the analyzation of moral and social accountability in reference to procedures and the making of decisions in a company (Merriam, 2015). While every individual has their own value system in regards to ethics, there is a type

    Read More

  • Wal-Mart's Argumentative Essay

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    Few companies create as much controversy as Wal-Mart has done with its approach to maintaining high profits with low costs. Individuals either love or hate Wal-Mart. There are consumers who like the low prices and convenience of shopping at Wal-Mart. Supporters of Wal-Mart also laud the fact that the company creates multiple jobs for not just the individuals who are employed within the stores but also those who create the products that are sold in the stores. Critics of Wal-Mart have issues with the treatment of those individuals who work at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has a poor track record when it comes to Fair Labor Practices by giving low wages, bad healthcare coverage, and treats employees. Low wages, no benefits, irregular schedules, and unreliable hours are just some of the horrible working conditions most Walmart workers have to endure.

    Read More

  • 10 Reasons Why Walmart Is The Worst Company In America

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    From this, it is clear that not everyone is a fan of the company. But where are this perspective coming from? It is just as likely for them to be from a biased outlet as the information they’re presenting being false. However, these perspectives can be easily counteracted by opposing ideas. One of which being the author stating the so-called “investing over $2.7 billion in wages” plan. Which I can confirm is true. In addition, since this plan was introduced in 2015, it has had a positive impact on the companies sales both in stores and online. The 200 training centers opened in 2015 as mentioned by the author, was a positive implementation in order to increase the minimum hourly rate. Before of which, had been a common complaint and issue associated with the company. Not only this, but there were endless complaints made about the company’s employee treatment, but it seems as though Walmart has acknowledged these complaints and in recent times has taken a step in the right direction. The author had not addressed much factual information regarding its suppliers and rather the “goals”

    Read More

  • Baywatch Ethics Case Study

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    The task of business ethics is to make sure business decisions encompass an ethical element, and to make sure that managers take ethical implications of strategic decisions into account before choosing a line of action.

    Read More

  • Business Ethics Issues in the Movie Boiler Room

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ethical issues in business arise because of conflicts between an individuals personal moral philosophies and values and values or attitudes of organization in which a person works and a society in which one lives. Ethical issues can be identified in terms of the major participants and functions of business. Ethical issues related to ownership include conflicts between manager’s duties to the owners and their own interests, also separation of ownership and control of business. Financial issue includes, for example, the accuracy of reported financial documents. Ethical issues can acquire between manages and employees, then employees are asked to carry out assignments they consider unethical. Consumers and marketing issues are related to providing safe desired products for a fear price and not harming people and an environment. Accountants also face ethical dilemma, they have to deal with competition advertising commission. All of this places the accounting profession in situation of ethical risk.

    Read More

  • Walmart Essay

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many employees claim low wages, no benefits, irregular schedules, and unreliable hours as some of the horrible working conditions they have to endure. Walmart employees put together different unions all the time to try and protest or strike about the wages, treatment and anything else that seems to come along with being an employee of Walmart. Walmart does not take well to these unions. Women of Walmart seem to have it the hardest though. As recently as 2013, despite the fact that women account for as much as 57 percent of Walmart’s U.S. workforce, women were paid $1.16 less per hour (Osterndorf). In an article about Walmart and how it treats employees wanting to take sick days, a woman in fear of losing her job at a North Huntingdon Walmart, went back to work even though she had doctors' notes and hospitalization recorded, which were both rejected by her supervisors, to excuse her from work due to a miscarriage. She was worried the she would get fired due to absences so she went back (Abrams). Walmart also does not give out good health care to its employees. There are many claims of Walmart cutting health care for employees or finding the cheapest possible solution for an employee's health care. In 2014, the company cut insurance benefits to its part-time employees (Osterndorf). In a New York Times article about health care called, Walmart to End Health Coverage for 30,000 Part-Time Workers, it stated

    Read More

  • Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices

    1949 Words  | 4 Pages

    Walmart has had a long-standing presence in America society since the middle of the 20th century, seen as a place to get everything done, Walmart has become a fixation in our society. From grocery shopping, to changing your oil and even filing your annual tax returns, Walmart is always there, everyday. Started by Sam Walton in 1962, it began as a small operation catering to a small Arkansas community. It was started on principles very similar to small local businesses in small towns. Today Walmart has gotten a different, darker reputation. On the surface, Walmart may seem like the solution to everyday issues. Low-income families are attracted to the low prices, and people who work odd hours benefit greatly from the 24 hours a day that many Walmarts are open. Lately, Walmart has also managed to be publicly recognized as a store that sells many of today’s green products, including organic food, environmental conscious cleaning products, as well as, paper products made from recycled paper. However, underneath all this, Walmart has a different side. Exploitation of its workers is widespread amongst Walmarts who do not belong to a union, especially in the United States. Wal...

    Read More

  • Ethics In The Workplace

    1936 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethics are the driving force behind good business. Every ethical choice made by a professional can and will have a much different outcome than any unethical choice. Bad ethics can ruin many aspects of a business and as (Gaye-Anderson, 2007) states how quite easily the lives and professional reputation of the employees can even be severally damaged (para. 3). Everything from morale to motivation can be severely affected by poor ethical choices. Customers will take their business elsewhere. Employees will abandon ship. Other, competing businesses reap the benefits of the bad moral choices. Ultimately, the entire business can be brought down by one poor ethical choice.

    Read More

  • Ethical Business Practices

    500 Words  | 1 Pages

    Ethical business practices include assuring that the highest legal and moral standards are observed in your relationships with the people in your business community. This includes the most important person in your business, your customer. Short term profit at the cost of losing a customer is long term death for your business.

    Read More

  • The Characteristics Of Moral And Ethical Reasoning In Business Ethics

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the business world there are many fundamental aspects and situations that can lead to several issues. In order to find an optimal and professional solution, business decision makers need to apply moral and ethical standards. And it is at that moment in which business ethics perform its role. Business ethics, which is in charge of examine how companies and individuals should act in business situations, is very essential in order to reach a common agreement and to work within the laws of business and solve an arisen dilemma. Working of the hand of ethical business companies, employees, investors, directors, and even individual officers can be beneficiated and obtain most favorable outcomes.

    Read More

More about Examples Of Ethical Issues In Walmart

Open Document