Business Ethics

What the page covers

Most of what you will find here is mind maps. They tackle the purpose of business ethics, including the three ethical arguments, where the first says that only activities which raise profit are justified. Others look at the difference between being ethical and legal, and at the benefits and possible drawbacks of behaving ethically.

Where to start

Begin with the Business Ethics mind maps for the core ideas. Then open the Social Responsibility map, which sets out duties to investors, employees, suppliers, customers, government and local communities, along with advantages such as increased sales and reduced costs. The map on corporate social responsibility lists other names for the idea, such as corporate citizenship and sustainable business.

Company case studies

Real companies bring the theory to life. Look at the Adidas' 4 Pillars of Sustainability map, which sets out people, product, planet and partnership. The Ethics - Primark map looks at ethics as the way people expect a business to trade. The Amway (CSR) map covers a direct-sales firm working with UNICEF. Business and Globalisation adds the United Nations Global Compact and its rules on human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz on the same theme, such as The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility or the two on stakeholder theory. Note the questions you miss and go back to the matching map branch. Flashcard decks such as Business Ethics - Chapter 5 - Managing Business Ethics suit short, repeated recall. Some resources mention GCSE Business, A-level Business and GCSE Business Studies, so school students can find material to match.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the strand Ethics, Governance, Risk and Society, within Business administration and management (incl. project management). Choose one map, test yourself with a quiz, and then build your own flashcards on the points that still feel shaky.