Ethics business social responsibility values. The Importance of Ethics in Business

10.03.2020

Modern trends in business development have long confirmed the need for a social orientation. Entrepreneurs strive not only to make a profit, but also to provide all possible assistance to society in solving social problems. But there is an important component in this direction, which not everyone takes into account. Any socially oriented event should bring benefits, tangible or intangible, but necessarily beneficial in the future. There are several strategies that allow to achieve this effect, entrepreneurs should know and apply them in practice.

What is the social responsibility of business

The social orientation of doing business involves the implementation of certain measures aimed at the benefit of society, carried out at the expense of the organization. With their help, socially significant programs are implemented to improve the lives of certain segments of the population or for employees of their company. The results of such companies contribute to the growth, improvement of the image, development, increase in the profit of the contractor, that is, the enterprise.

The social action plan has its own distinctive features. It is constantly reviewed and modified in accordance with current trends development of society. Such a plan is adopted by the individual enterprise independently and voluntarily. It may also be coordinated with other project stakeholders. As a result of socially oriented activities, the following goals are achieved:

improving the reputation of the company at the level designated target audience and the entire locality;
improving the company's image;
increase in the volume of manufactured and sold products;
improving the quality of services or goods of the enterprise;
development and strengthening of the corporate brand;
the emergence and strengthening of new partnerships, ties with representatives of business, government, civil associations and organizations.

It should be understood that Social responsibility business is not the same as charity. Also, social responsibility cannot be associated with the following concepts:

PR and self-promotion;
political activity and promotion of the individual;
government projects and programs;
economically oriented state programs.

How social responsibility is assessed

This concept has a clear evaluation structure, it is carried out at several levels.

The first level means compliance with the laws of the Russian Federation, according to which the business performs certain social functions. For example, the registration of employees according to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and the full payment of taxes means the removal of tension in society, guarantees of stability. Also, work at this level means compliance with the laws of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and maintaining economic activity in the legal field.

The second level of social responsibility of business involves conducting activities that make the work of the enterprise attractive for investors and consumers. This is the creation of such a product or service that contributes to the growth of the well-being of citizens, strengthening their health, etc. And the attractiveness of a business for investors means an increase in the image of the whole country.

And the third level of responsibility involves the planning and implementation of such activities that are aimed at relieving social tension, strengthening the image of the enterprise, but at the same time - the lack of profit in monetary terms.

The entrepreneur himself decides at what level he works, but it should be noted that the implementation of the highest level is impossible if the previous one is missing. For example, participation in serious events at the regional level is impossible if your employees receive “black” wages and work illegally, without paying full taxes.

Corporate responsibility models

Corporate responsibility can be implemented in four forms. All of them are aimed at the well-being of the company, therefore they are worthy of attention.

Manipulative model- involves processing public opinion to achieve company goals.

information model- Achievement of the company's goals by constantly informing about the company's intentions in a variety of ways.

Mutual Understanding Model- explanation of the line of behavior of the enterprise and understanding of the line of behavior of employees.

Model of social partnership– study and analysis of the whole social environment and public sentiment.

Each country has its own preferences for corporate partnerships and responsibilities. In Russia, these concepts are still at the stage of formation. Analysts say that positive results and achievements are already visible. It traces the features of the European model (when the state actively participates in shaping the company's strategy) and the British one (with participation in the policy of the enterprise of the voluntary initiative of employees).

Forms of social responsibility

Social responsibility can be hidden and open.

open strategy involves the behavior of the organization, when the enterprise takes responsibility for solving issues of concern to society. This form of social responsibility is chosen independently, behavior and all measures are formed voluntarily.

Hidden the form affects all institutions of the state - official and unofficial. All activities and plans are coordinated with these institutions. The norms, rules of conduct, values and even the mission of the company are formed in full accordance with the interests and objectives of the state, achieving its personal results, such a company works primarily for the goals and objectives of the whole society and the institution of the state. Moreover, the goals are not only social, but also political and economic.

Basic principles of social responsibility marketing strategies

In order for the principles of social responsibility to be unconditionally visible and accepted by society and business partners, certain rules should be followed. The first is to always keep all your promises, to do what you say. Such an attitude, without further ado, demonstrates respect for consumers, partners, impeccable ethics in business circles.

The second principle is honesty in advertising. Never promise in videos and texts what you cannot implement in your products or services. Honesty and lack of exaggeration in this regard, consumers will definitely appreciate and begin to respect your company.

The third principle is to demonstrate ethical standards in your products or services. For example, the inscription on the product is very important that it is produced without causing harm. environment. It is also important to honestly indicate the composition, and it is very good if it does not contain harmful substances both for the human body and for nature. Or, for example, many indicate the term for the disposal and decomposition of packaging, methods for its harmless decomposition into components that are safe for nature.

Efficiency of socially responsible business

The chain of business growth that is socially responsible is quite simple. It is not difficult to trace the effect of events that have a social orientation. Positive effects can be seen after some time, an instant effect should not be expected. The first stage in the implementation of such a strategy is the full monitoring of the situation in society, the preparation of the so-called social section. Based on the identification of problems and critical points, an action plan is formed. In the course of its implementation, business tasks are expanding, production is developing. Which ultimately leads to an increase in consumer respect for the enterprise, an increase in sales, and an increase in profits.

Confirmation of the growth of loyalty to socially responsible enterprises according to studies of various organizations:

citizens prefer to buy products of companies that have proven their social responsibility, in the US this figure is 83%;
young professionals prefer to work in companies with a high degree of social responsibility, especially those that are attentive to environmental issues;
three-quarters of working citizens are convinced that if an enterprise deals with issues of social responsibility, then it is certainly interested in their personal development;
The Institute of Business Ethics provided figures that show that companies with a high degree of social responsibility have success rates - 18% higher than those of ordinary companies.

What is the social responsibility of business

Internal responsibility:

creation of conditions for labor safety;
stable payments wages, the level of which is considered acceptable and above the average in the industry;
health care for employees and additional measures keeping out of health;
training and professional development of employees;
providing material assistance to employees who find themselves in difficult living conditions.

External social responsibility:

rendering sponsorship in promotions and programs;
participation in recovery efforts natural resources and environmental protection;
close contact and cooperation with the local community and authorities;
participation in crisis situations of the city;
responsibility to consumers in terms of the quality of a product or service.

Social responsibility quite often takes the form of volunteering. It is expressed in the form of visits to specialized institutions and assistance to them, these are orphanages, nursing homes, hospices, animal shelters.

Interesting forms of responsibility to society are the appointment and payment of special scholarships and bonuses to talented citizens, pensions to deserving people, participation in the formation of funds to support certain areas of society's life (sick children, talented performers, etc.).

Remuneration of socially oriented enterprises by the state is also an expected, but not a mandatory factor in this activity. Sometimes such enterprises are exempted from certain types of local taxes, sometimes they are given priority in competitions and tenders. But such measures are not guaranteed to anyone, they are not an end in themselves for businessmen.

Elena Shchugoreva is a business consultant, trainer in oratory and speech technique, head of the Orator Master online school. She can be contacted at e-mail [email protected] or through a Facebook group

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Perhaps today it is difficult to find more buzzword among domestic entrepreneurs than "business ethics", and most recently the word "social responsibility" has been added to it. In this paragraph, I will try to understand what they mean and how they differ.

As you know, there is a universal ethics as a system of norms of moral behavior of people, their relationship to each other and to society as a whole. But at the same time, in some areas professional activity developed its own specific ethics.

First, let's define the notion business ethics", or "business ethics". Professor P.V. Malinovsky interprets this term in this way:

"Business ethics in a broad sense is a set of ethical principles and norms that should guide the activities of organizations and their members in the field of management and entrepreneurship. It covers phenomena of various orders: ethical assessment of both the internal and foreign policies of the organization as a whole; moral principles of members organizations, i.e. professional morality; moral climate in the organization; patterns of moral behavior; norms of business etiquette - ritualized external norms of behavior ".

Thus, business ethics is one of the types of professional ethics - it is the ethics of people working in the field of entrepreneurship. When they talk about the business ethics of any companies, they mean the ethical foundations of business, implemented through managers. Under the business culture of the company refers to intra-company traditions and rituals; common values shared by its employees; communication system, including informal relations; established methods of business practice and organization of work. The business culture of the company is closely related to the ethical principles of business, which are its integral elements.

Thus, we can conclude that business ethics is a system general principles and rules of behavior of subjects entrepreneurial activity, their communication and style of work, manifested at the micro and macro levels of market relations. The basis of business ethics is the doctrine of the role of morality and morality in business relations, which reflect the material conditions of society.

Business ethics is also a system of knowledge about labor and professional morality, its history and practice. This is a system of knowledge about how people are used to their work, what meaning they give to it, what place it occupies in their lives, how relationships develop between people in the process of work, how people's inclinations and ideals ensure effective work, and which ones hinder to him.

Business ethics regulates, inspires and at the same time limits the actions of business entities, minimizing intra-group contradictions, subordinating individual interests to group ones.

There are several related concepts. For example, economic ethics (or entrepreneurial ethics) deals with the question of what moral norms or ideals might be relevant to entrepreneurs in a modern market economy.

Entrepreneurial Ethics themes the relationship of morality and profit in the management of entrepreneurs and deals with the question of how moral norms and ideals can be implemented by entrepreneurs in a modern economy.

The purpose of entrepreneurial activity is profit maximization.

The principles of ethics in business relations are a generalized expression of moral requirements developed in the moral consciousness of society, which indicate the necessary behavior of participants in business relations.

In general, business ethics can be defined as the scientific discipline that studies the application of ethical principles to business situations. The most pressing issue in business ethics is the question of the relationship between corporate and universal ethics, the social responsibility of business, the application of general ethical principles to specific situations.

Business ethics, in the part that considers the question of the compliance of the entrepreneur's activity with the framework order or the problem of perfection of the framework order itself, the degree of responsibility of the entrepreneur to society, etc., can be considered as part of social ethics.

Business ethics, in the part that discusses the practical issues of the behavior of leaders and managers, relations between company employees, consumer rights, moral standards and value conflicts, is one of the types of professional ethics.

At the macro level, business ethics refers to the ethics of the social order.

At the micro level, it is the doctrine of the goals, values and rules of entrepreneurial activity.

So, modern business ethics is based on the mutual agreement of three major provisions:

1. Creation of material values in all variety of forms is considered as an initially important process.

This is what every business is for.

2. Profit and other incomes are considered as the result of the achievement of various socially significant goals.
3. Priority in resolving problems arising in the business world should be given to the interests of interpersonal relationships, and not to production.

In turn, De George identifies the following levels of analysis of business ethics:

1. If we consider business ethics in an American context, it focuses on the macro level mainly on moral evaluation economic system American free enterprise and its possible alternatives and modifications.
2. The second level of ethical analysis - and today it attracts the closest attention - is the study of business within the American free enterprise system.
3. The moral assessment of individuals and their actions in economic and commercial transactions within the framework of an organized corporate activities forms the third level of business ethics research.
4. Finally, as business becomes more and more international and global, the fourth level of analysis of its ethics is international in nature and considers the activities of American and other transnational corporations.

Thus, I came to the final conclusion that business ethics encompasses five activities:

The first is the application of the principles of general ethics to specific situations or business practices.

The second type of her studies is metaethics, which deals with the consistency of ethical concepts.

The third area of business ethics research is formed by the analysis of its initial premises - both moral ones proper and premises based on moral positions.

Fourth, wedged external issues sometimes force researchers of business ethics to go beyond ethics and turn to other branches of philosophy and other branches of science, for example, to economics or organization theory.

The fifth is to characterize morally laudable and exemplary actions, both of individual business people and specific firms.

In conclusion, I would like to outline the importance of business ethics in modern world. So, business ethics can help people:

ethics business social responsibility

consider moral issues in business in a systematic and more reliable way than they could do it without using our science;

it can help them see problems that they would not notice in their daily practice;

it can also encourage them to make changes that they wouldn't have thought to make without it.

In my opinion, it is very important that the concept of "business ethics" is applicable both to an individual manager or entrepreneur, and to the company as a whole. And if for a businessman she means him professional ethics, then for the company it is a kind of code of honor that underlies its activities. The main principles of business ethics include, first of all, such traditional values developed over the long history of global business as respect for the law, honesty, loyalty to the word and the concluded contract, reliability and mutual trust. A relatively new principle of modern business ethics is the principle of social responsibility, which began to be seriously thought about in the West only a couple of decades ago, and in Russia not so long ago at all. All these principles should underlie all types of business relationships.

In order for the company's behavior to be recognized as socially responsible, i.e. ethical in the modern sense, it is not enough just to comply with the law or be honest with consumers or business partners. If legal responsibility is the norms and rules of behavior defined by law, then social responsibility (also called corporate social responsibility, responsible business and corporate social opportunities) means following the spirit, not the letter of the law, or the implementation of such norms that have not yet been included the law or exceed the requirements of the law.

The generally accepted definition of social responsibility of business in international practice does not exist, which gives reason to understand the term "social responsibility of business" to each in his own way.

The social responsibility of business means charity, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, social marketing programs, sponsorship, philanthropy, etc.

Summarizing, we can say that the social responsibility of business is the impact of business on society, the responsibility of those who make business decisions to those who are directly or indirectly affected by these decisions.

This definition of the social responsibility of business is rather ideal, and cannot be fully translated into reality, if only because it is simply impossible to calculate all the consequences of one decision. But, in my opinion, the social responsibility of business is not a rule, but an ethical principle that should be involved in the decision-making process.

Thus, we can conclude that the concepts of "business ethics" and "social responsibility" correlate as general ethical grounds private business.

At the beginning of the twentieth century. the first attempts to show social responsibility in business can be called charitable activities. For example, John D. Rockefeller donated $550 million to various charitable causes and founded the Rockefeller Foundation. The head of the American corporation Sears Robert E. Wood in 1936. talked about social obligations that cannot be expressed mathematically, but can be considered, nevertheless, of paramount importance. He was referring to the influence that society has on an organization that operates in market economy. One of the first Western entrepreneurs, Sears acknowledged the "multi-layered general public" that the company serves, highlighting not only the group of shareholders, with whom relations have traditionally been important for any company, but also consumers, employees themselves and local communities. He was also a supporter of solving social problems not only by the state, but also by the management of corporations. However, Sears acknowledged that it was difficult to quantify the costs and benefits of corporate social responsibility to society. His views did not receive wide support, in particular, because in the 30s. 20th century - the years of the Great Depression - all sectors of society faced the urgent issue of survival, and business was expected above all to profit.

The controversial motives associated with the concept of social responsibility of business will be discussed in the second chapter of my work.

So, some entrepreneurs believed that wealth obliges, i.e. we need to share it with our neighbors, and we spent a lot of money on charity, directed, among other things, to our employees. For example, George Cadbury, the founder of a food production company of the same name, paid various benefits to his employees at the beginning of the last century (for example, according to ability to work). William Lever, the founder of the now world-famous Unilever, did the same.

Entrepreneurs who were engaged in charitable activities, in fact, became the founders of the idea of individual charity and business responsibility.

Introduction

my theme control work: "Social responsibility and business ethics: formation, development, practical application".

Business ethics as an applied field of knowledge was formed in the United States and in Western Europe in the 1970s of the XX century. However, the moral aspects of business attracted researchers already in the 60s. The scientific community and the business world have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to increase the "ethical awareness" of professional businessmen in their business operations, as well as the "responsibility of corporations to society." Particular attention was paid to the increasing cases of corruption, both among the government bureaucracy and among the responsible persons of various corporations. A certain role in the development of business ethics as a scientific discipline was played by the famous "Watergate", which involved the most prominent representatives of President R. Nixon's administration. By the early 1980s, most business schools in the US, as well as some universities, included business ethics in their curricula. Currently, the business ethics course is included in educational plans some universities in Russia.

There are two main points of view on the correlation of universal ethical principles and business ethics: 1) the rules of ordinary morality do not apply to business or apply to a lesser extent .; 2) business ethics is based on universal universal ethical standards (be honest, do no harm, keep one's word, etc.), which are specified taking into account the specific social role of business in society. Theoretically, the second point of view is considered more correct.

The issues of the relationship between ethics and economics have recently begun to be actively discussed in our country.

The purpose of the control work is to consider issues of social responsibility and business ethics.

Tasks: 1) social responsibility formation, development,

practical use.

2) business ethics formation, development, practical

application.

Question number 1. Social responsibility and business ethics: formation, development, practical application

The role of business in society

Social policy is one of the most important areas of state regulation of the economy. It is an organic part of the internal policy of the state, aimed at ensuring the well-being and comprehensive development of its citizens and society as a whole. The significance of social policy is determined by its influence on the processes of reproduction of the labor force, the increase in labor productivity, the educational and qualification level of labor resources, the level of scientific and technological development of the productive forces, and the cultural and spiritual life of society. Social policy aimed at improving working and living conditions, the development of physical culture and sports, reduces the incidence of diseases and thus has a tangible impact on reducing economic losses in production. As a result of the development of such systems in the social sphere as public catering, preschool education, part of the population is freed from the household sphere, and employment in social production is increasing. Science and scientific support, which determine the prospects for the country's economic development, are also part of the social sphere and their development and efficiency are regulated within the framework of social policy. Social sphere not only regulates the processes of employment of the population, but is also directly a place of application of labor and provides jobs for millions of people in the country.

The main objectives of social policy are:

1. Harmonization of social relations, harmonization of the interests and needs of certain groups of the population with the long-term interests of society, stabilization of the socio-political system.

2. Creation of conditions for ensuring the material well-being of citizens, the formation of economic incentives for participation in social production, ensuring equality of social opportunities to achieve a normal standard of living.

3. Providing social protection for all citizens and their basic state-guaranteed socio-economic rights, including support for low-income and vulnerable groups of the population.

4. Ensuring rational employment in society.

5. reducing the level of criminalization in society.

6. Development of sectors of the social complex, such as education, healthcare, science, culture, housing and communal services, etc.

7. Ensuring the country's environmental safety.

The social responsibility of business is the conduct of business in accordance with the norms and laws adopted in the country where it is located. It's job creation. This is charity and the creation of various funds to help various social strata of society. This is ensuring the protection of the environment of their production, and much more supporting the social status in the country.

Business assumes the functions of the state and this is called social responsibility. This is primarily due to the lack of an appropriate state policy in the field of corporate social responsibility. The state itself cannot determine the model of relations with business.

There are two points of view on how organizations should behave in relation to their social environment in order to be considered socially responsible. According to one of them, an organization is socially responsible when it maximizes profits without violating laws and government regulations. From these positions, the organization should pursue only economic goals. According to another view, an organization, in addition to economic responsibility, must consider the human and social impact of its business activities on employees, consumers and local communities in which it operates, as well as make some positive contribution to solving social problems in general.

The concept of social responsibility is that the organization performs the economic function of producing products and services necessary for a society with a free market economy, while providing work for citizens and maximizing profits and rewards for shareholders. According to this view, organizations have a responsibility to the society in which they operate, beyond and beyond providing efficiency, employment, profits, and not breaking the law. Organizations should therefore direct some of their resources and efforts through social channels. Social responsibility, unlike legal, implies a certain level of voluntary response to social problems on the part of the organization.

The debate about the role of business in society has given rise to arguments for and against social responsibility.

Arguments for social responsibility

Business-friendly long-term prospects. The social activities of enterprises that improve the life of the local community or eliminate the need for government regulation may be in the self-interest of enterprises due to the benefits provided by participation in society. In a society that is more prosperous from a social point of view, conditions are more favorable for business activities. In addition, even if the short-term costs of social action are high, they can drive profits in the long run, as consumers, suppliers, and the local community develop a more attractive image of the enterprise.

Changing needs and expectations of the general public. Business-related social expectations have changed radically since the 1960s. In order to narrow the gap between new expectations and the real response of enterprises, their involvement in solving social problems becomes both expected and necessary.

Availability of resources to assist in solving social problems. Since business has significant human and financial resources, it should transfer some of them to social needs.

A moral obligation to behave socially responsibly. An enterprise is a member of society, so moral standards should also govern its behavior. The enterprise, like individual members of society, must act in a socially responsible manner and contribute to strengthening the moral foundations of society. Moreover, since laws cannot cover every occasion, businesses must act responsibly in order to maintain a society based on order and the rule of law.

Arguments against social responsibility

Violation of the profit maximization principle. The direction of part of the resources for social needs reduces the impact of the principle of profit maximization. The enterprise behaves in the most socially responsible way, focusing only on economic interests and leaving social problems to state institutions and services, charitable institutions and educational organizations.

Social Inclusion Expenses. Funds allocated for social needs are costs for the enterprise. Ultimately, these costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. In addition, firms that compete in international markets with firms in other countries that do not incur social costs are at a competitive disadvantage. As a result, their sales are reduced by international markets, which leads to a deterioration in the US balance of payments in foreign trade.

Insufficient level of reporting to the general public. Because managers are not elected, they are not accountable to the general public. The market system controls the economic performance of enterprises well and poorly controls their social involvement. As long as society does not develop a procedure for direct accountability of enterprises to it, the latter will not participate in social actions for which they do not consider themselves responsible.

Lack of ability to solve social problems. The personnel of any enterprise is best prepared for activities in the fields of economy, market and technology. He is deprived of the experience that allows him to make significant contributions to solving problems of a social nature. The improvement of society should be facilitated by specialists working in the relevant state institutions and charitable organizations.

Social responsibility in practice

According to studies on the attitude of executives to corporate social responsibility, there is a clear shift towards its increase. The executives interviewed believe that the pressure to increase corporate social responsibility is real, significant and will continue. Other studies have shown that senior management of firms began to participate in the work of local communities as volunteers.

The biggest stumbling block to developing social responsibility programs is cited by executives as the demands of front-line workers and managers to increase earnings per share on a quarterly basis. The desire to quickly increase profits and incomes makes managers refuse to transfer part of their resources to programs that are driven by social responsibility. Organizations are taking numerous steps in the area of voluntary participation in society.

The basis of modern business ethics is the social contract and social responsibility of the businessman, as well as the entire corporation to society. At the same time, the social contract is an informal agreement between the firm and its external environment about common moral and moral standards behavior. A mandatory component of business ethics is social responsibility, which is understood as the maximum use of its advantages and minimization of negative business processes affecting both market participants and society as a whole(non-causing harm and damage to society, the state, the economy, the environment and other spheres of human life).

For many people, the concept of "business" and "ethics" is not easy to reconcile. As one American journalist put it, "Business and ethics are a clear contradiction as absurd as a giant shrimp." Most executives believe that companies should not follow business ethics at all, why worry about social responsibility, morality and the environment. If society wants companies to bring all this to the forefront, then company managers must reconsider the entire system of management and regulation. Thirty years ago, Milton Friedman, the eminent American economist, said, "There is one and only one social responsibility for business—to use its resources and engage in activities that increase profits."

It is quite difficult for companies to connect ethical principles and the objective need to reproduce profits. There is always a dilemma when money and morality collide and come into conflict as to what decision a company should make.

In the history of the modernization of human societies, the emergence of more complex market systems has often been criticized from an ethical and social perspective. In a world that is becoming more impersonal and characterized by far-reaching mediated social interaction, social relations are increasingly built on a formal, contractual and monetary basis.

Historical development industrial societies for a long time proceeded within relatively well-established normative systems. AT modern society normative and ideological pluralism is manifested, which sometimes appears in the form of permissiveness and irresponsibility.

The first attempts to introduce ethical principles were made in the mid-80s in the United States. In 1985, General Dynamics created a corporate ethics complex because it was subjected to scrutiny for price manipulation. Under pressure from the Department of Defense, an initiative group was organized, including about 60 companies, which initiated the creation of a program of ethical agreements. In 1991, US judges were empowered to reduce fines for companies that encourage ethical behavior. There is now a wide-ranging ethical industry in America. It includes holding consultations and conferences, publishing magazines and establishing the Corporate Conscience Award. Auditing firms offer to conduct an "audit" of the ethical aspect of the company's work. In business ethics, many philosophical and cultural attitudes turned out to be in demand, which, exploring morality and morality at the level of human knowledge, explain the nature of the virtues that underlie ethics. Sometimes modern philosophers act as experts and advise on issues of morality and ethics, however, many issues become most acute from the position of social responsibility.

Issues such as trust and human relationships become intractable when a business intrudes on the privacy of its employees. An example is the dismissal of employees, payroll, these are conflict issues in any enterprise, often considered unethically.

The communications technology revolution has in turn created many dilemmas. As soon as any new technology, business immediately faces the question of the ethical aspect of its use. So, for example, companies are faced with the problems of protecting the information and privacy of their customers. Nowadays, businesses know almost everything about the tastes of their customers, but this raises the question of the ethical or unethical knowledge of this kind.

The process of globalization has given the discussion of corporate ethics an even sharper form. When a company operates abroad, it faces completely new ethical and moral issues. Differences in ethical standards are the biggest problem. different countries. Many companies first encountered the moral dilemma of globalization when they were forced to decide whether to meet local standards if they were significantly lower than in their home countries. This debate came to public attention in connection with the Bhopal disaster in 1984, when an explosion at the Union Carbide plant in India killed 8,000 people. As a result of numerous discussions, global standards on safety, health and the environment were adopted, which subsequently became international in the field of health protection and ethical behavior of personnel.

Another acute problem of business ethics as a social responsibility is corruption and bribery. This phenomenon is condemned not only because it promotes unfair competition, but also because the company, giving bribes, acts only in its own interests and does not take into account the opinion of society. However, often the bribe is hidden. Organizations have to abide by the rules of the country in which they operate, and sometimes it is necessary to provide "support" to the local population, etc. Many tenders require certain social guarantees and obligations that the company must assume in exchange for the right to develop deposits or carry out some kind of project.

Why has bribery become the number one business ethics issue? First, due to the growth in the volume of "" international trade and the need for companies to operate globally. Over the past twenty years, world trade has increased 10 times, and investment 20 times. Large companies are forced to adapt to various customs regimes, laws and traditions. Small and medium enterprises are also fighting for their place in the market. Finally, tough competition high degree business regulation leads to the fact that starting a new business "according to the law" is too expensive, it is better to go around. According to the World Bank, in developed countries, bribes reach 20-30 % the amount of contracts. In developing countries, primarily in Latin America and Southeast Asia, they account for 5-30% of all public finance. Secondly, legislation adopted to combat bribery is rarely enforced due to its ineffectiveness. So, in 1977, the United States adopted the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA - Foreign Corrupt Practices Act). This law punishes American companies if they give bribes abroad directly or through intermediaries. Previously, companies were only required to report giving a bribe and were not subject to criminal penalties. However, the law did not work due to the vagueness of its wording and the complexity of formal procedures: it is difficult to prove both the fact of giving a bribe abroad and its amount. But, unfortunately, those companies that voluntarily follow the letter of the law suffer losses In 1993, a study of 336 US exporting companies showed that two-thirds of the firms on this list lost a number of positions in foreign markets due to the fact that competitors from other countries paid bribes.

Corruption and bribery flourish in Russian business both internationally and nationally. According to unofficial data published in the media of the Russian Federation, the lion's share of transactions with foreign countries is carried out through the "pocket" of officials of various ministries and departments.

The problem of the relationship between business ethics and government is directly related to corruption and bribery. In the domestic market, companies defend their interests according to ethical standards, which, however, are not always correct from the point of view of public morality. We are talking about lobbying and political sponsorship carried out by chambers of commerce and industry and various business associations. The essence of the work of such organizations is legal lobbying. The association formulates the interests of its members and, on the grounds that they are important taxpayers and employers, insists that the government fulfill their wishes. As a rule, companies outside such associations cannot influence legislation. Political sponsorship is related to the financing of parties in elections. In most Western countries, either anonymous donations or large one-time contributions from companies to party funds are allowed. In our country, election campaigns in a number of cases testify to bribery, money laundering and other unseemly acts of high-ranking officials.

There are many problems at the legislative level. Especially it concerns modern stage development of the economy and legislation. The beginning of a large-scale redistribution of property in Russia is associated with the privatization of the 1990s, there is no need to describe the facts of the unethical nature of many leaders who seize large profitable production, however, the process did not stop there. A decade later, the redistribution of property continues; falling apart large companies as a result of the consolidation of certain interest groups, which is contrary to business ethics and the law - the interests of small shareholders are violated, deliberately lead to the bankruptcy of an enterprise of state importance with the sole purpose of redistributing property.

Important aspect the study and application of business ethics is an assessment of the behavior of companies from the point of view of the interests of society. Here, researchers proceed from the social responsibility that companies bear to society (in the narrow sense: how useful they are to society when they work in their own interests). They are employers, which means they form employment. In addition, they influence the consumer market, they are customers of the system for training qualified personnel. The budgets of large firms are comparable to the budgets of small states, therefore social aspect business ethics is associated with responsibility for the actions of managers in solving the social policy of not only enterprises, but also entire regions. It is about the impact of the labor market. Layoffs in large companies can "throw" thousands of unemployed people into the market. Taking advantage of this, large companies, for example, Rudgormash OJSC (Voronezh), in difficult periods, ask for state support in the form of government orders or financial assistance Such "blackmail" of the state is considered more acceptable than mass layoffs. Companies take advantage of the fact that politicians and officials are afraid of social unrest, in addition, they need the support of companies in elections and in the implementation of large-scale projects. Companies help politicians and the economy also by trying to support the national workforce. For example, building sector Russia allows the use of foreign labor, but a recent law on emigrants will reduce the influx of foreign labor and provide Russian construction workers with jobs.

The business ethics of companies must necessarily be consistent with economic responsibility. For example, the “brain drain” from domestic enterprises abroad has caused enormous damage Russian economy. The business community is neutral towards such operations. This cannot be approved, "but it is also impossible to condemn, because the former public morality does not affect this problem in any way, and the liberal doctrine, as it were, implies the possibility of such a" overflow ". This example shows that ethics, like morality, only fixes reality, but do not affect business.