Seaport BUS-C110 Chapter 2 and 18 discussions

Assignment: What Is Ethics? Think of a person who did something morally wrong, at least to your way of thinking. What was it? Explain to a classmate—why you think it was wrong. What is the basic principle that forms the basis for your judgment that it was wrong? Post your response.

Background: Few subjects are more contentious or important as the role of business in society, particularly, whether corporations have social responsibilities that are distinct from maximizing shareholder value. While the phrase “business ethics” is not oxymoronic (i.e., a contradiction in terms), there is plenty of evidence that businesspeople and firms seek to look out primarily for themselves. However, business organizations ignore the ethical and social expectations of consumers, employees, the media, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), government officials, and socially responsible investors at their peril. Legal compliance alone no longer serves the long-term interests of many companies, who find that sustainable profitability requires thinking about people and the planet as well as profits.

This chapter has a fairly modest aim: to introduce potential businesspeople to the differences between legal compliance and ethical excellence by reviewing some of the philosophical perspectives that apply to business, businesspeople, and the role of business organizations in society.

Assignment:Introduction to Partnerships -Why or why aren't Partnerships an important part of the development of small business in the United States? Post your response.