Case Studies on Business Ethics and CSR Initiatives

Business Ethics relates to value-based and ethical business practices. Business ethics defines “how a company integrates core values – such as honesty, trust, respect, and fairness ¬- into its policies, practices, and decision making. Business ethics also involves a company’s compliance with legal standards and adherence to internal rules and regulations”. The last decade has witnessed extensive awareness among companies of their responsibilities toward the communities they impact on, which has evolved into the concept of CSR and allied notions such as ‘corporate sustainability’. Many companies have grown globally and are adopting ethical practices to preserve a sustainable business. If a company’s main purpose is to maximize the returns to its shareholders, is it unethical for a company to consider the interests and rights of anyone else? The book attempts to be an eye-opener to the business firms’ sensitivity to the society and environment. It analyses the issues faced in this dilemma of business vs. ethics. This case book discusses opportunities and constraints in engaging the private sector in demand-driven community development programs. The book aims to provide readers with a critical analysis of CSR to question the underlying assumption that companies, as currently constituted, can be part of a shift to a more sustainable and socially just society. The book hopes to provide a meaningful edge to the debate around CSR. As such, while it does not claim to have all the answers, it hopes to serve as an eye-opener to these issues.