Ethical Responsibilities: An Empirical Analysis Of The Ethical Codes Of The Top 100 Companies In The United Kingdom

In response to ethical dilemmas faced by companies around the globe, companies are developing or refining their ethical codes.  Many of these companies communicate these codes to their stakeholders through the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) report.  This paper examines the ethics’ codes of the top 100 companies (based on market capitalization) in the United Kingdom.  A sample of CSR reports for these companies is examined to determine if the company includes its ethical code in the CSR report, if it reports its ethical code in a separate document, or if it does not disclose the code.

Does A Strong Ethical Commitment Create A Strategic Human Resource Competitive Advantage?

This paper empirically examined whether a comprehensive corporate ethical commitment by firms can create and enhance their competitive advantage by attracting and retaining the highest caliber of employees. The study examined the ethical commitment of the most desirable companies to work for in the United Kingdom by using a sample from The Times ranking of The 100 Best Firms to Work For In the UK.  The results of the study showed that a majority of the firms that were desirable to work for also had a code of ethics, a commitment to corporate social responsibility, a commitment to serve the needs of their stakeholders, a commitment to be environmentally proactive and a commitment to establish a positive work environment for their employee

Using The Internet To Communicate Environmental Sustainability Issues To Stakeholders: An Italian Perspective

This study examined how Italian firms use information technology to communicate with stakeholders. The results of the study indicate that a majority of the firms in the sample communicated traditional sustainability disclosures. The communication of transformational and proactive sustainability disclosures were based, in part, on the financial performance level of the firms. The study also found that Italian firms had similar disclosure patterns to firms from other countries

Qwest Communications: A Case Study Of Fraud And Greed

This case study examines the unethical and illegal activities that occurred at Qwest Communications.  Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, top level managers at Qwest fraudulently manipulated the firm’s financial reports in order to artificially inflate Qwest’s revenue and profit levels. Former Qwest CEO, Joseph Nacchio, was charged and convicted of insider trading by selling Qwest stock during the time period when the fraud occurred within the company. In March 2008, Joseph Nacchio’s conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court

The management of foreign direct investment risk by three Norwegian firms in the 1960s and 1970s

This thesis investigates the internationalisation and risk management strategies of three Norwegian manufacturing firms that first commenced Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The three firms are: Dyno Industrier; Norcem; and Elkem-Spigerverket. Dyno invested in West Germany, England, Singapore, Denmark and Finland; Norcem invested in Ghana, Liberia, the Philippines, and Ras al-Khaimah; and Elkem-Spigerverket invested in the United Kingdom. The three firms were relatively early to invest abroad in comparison to the majority of Norwegian firms. For all three firms, risk and risk management was an important factor in their investment decisions. This research examines why the three firms decided to invest abroad, the context of their investment decision, how they viewed the risk involved with the investments, and which strategies they implemented to manage the risks. A comparison between the three firms is drawn in order to identify similarities and differences in their risk-management strategies and investment decisions. The thesis also investigates the extent to which modern risk management was practised by the three firms in the 1960s and the 1970s. The research was carried out using historical methods, primarily based on company archives, company magazines, government archives, and newspaper articles, which are used to highlight the firms' investments, the contexts to those, and their risk management strategies. Oral history interviews were conducted with four former senior managers and decision-makers in the three selected firms. The investments made by the three firms are described and discussed in individual chapters, followed by a comparison and discussion of the three firms' risk management strategies. The research finds that several risk management strategies were used by the three firms when they invested abroad. State guarantees, shared ownership, and networking/relationships with local governments were particularly important as risk management strategies.This thesis investigates the internationalisation and risk management strategies of three Norwegian manufacturing firms that first commenced Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The three firms are: Dyno Industrier; Norcem; and Elkem-Spigerverket. Dyno invested in West Germany, England, Singapore, Denmark and Finland; Norcem invested in Ghana, Liberia, the Philippines, and Ras al-Khaimah; and Elkem-Spigerverket invested in the United Kingdom. The three firms were relatively early to invest abroad in comparison to the majority of Norwegian firms. For all three firms, risk and risk management was an important factor in their investment decisions. This research examines why the three firms decided to invest abroad, the context of their investment decision, how they viewed the risk involved with the investments, and which strategies they implemented to manage the risks. A comparison between the three firms is drawn in order to identify similarities and differences in their risk-management strategies and investment decisions. The thesis also investigates the extent to which modern risk management was practised by the three firms in the 1960s and the 1970s. The research was carried out using historical methods, primarily based on company archives, company magazines, government archives, and newspaper articles, which are used to highlight the firms' investments, the contexts to those, and their risk management strategies. Oral history interviews were conducted with four former senior managers and decision-makers in the three selected firms. The investments made by the three firms are described and discussed in individual chapters, followed by a comparison and discussion of the three firms' risk management strategies. The research finds that several risk management strategies were used by the three firms when they invested abroad. State guarantees, shared ownership, and networking/relationships with local governments were particularly important as risk management strategies

Corporate Governance: Is It Time For Global Standards?

Financial markets depend on the integrity of the financial information generated by management. In order for that integrity to be ensured, an effective corporate governance system must be in place by the corporation. While the United States has been the initial focal point on the effectiveness of corporate governance through the actions at Enron and WorldCom, European companies such as Ahold, Parmalat and Adecco have also demonstrated that the European Union faces challenges pertaining to corporate governance. The purpose of this paper is to compare how the United States and the European Union address the issue of corporate governance. The paper will examine and compare the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the United States, the European Commission’s Action Plan on corporate governance and the new corporate governance guidelines issues by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The paper will conclude with a discussion on whether global corporate governance standards are necessary to ensure the stability of global financial markets. The author will argue that certain core standards are universal in nature. However, flexibility is still warranted in some areas due to specific cultural beliefs and established business standards

Integrating Environmental Issues Into The Business Curriculum

Over the past several years, the reporting environment has changed for companies reporting environmental information.  This change comes primarily from stakeholder interest in protecting the environment.  This paper addresses the topic of integrating environmental issues into accounting and business courses.  Background information on environmental issues is provided.  In addition, suggested classroom assignments and resources that can be used to enhance the learning environment for business students are provided