Question Preview:
Kiwi firm among world’s most ethical
By Caitlin Sykes
A small Auckland-based firm has been named among the world’s most ethical companies.
All Good Organics, which launched Fairtrade bananas into the New Zealand market three years ago and also
produces Fairtrade and organic soft drinks, has made the 2013 World’s Most Ethical Companies list
produced by the US-based Ethisphere Institute think-tank.
The company is the only New Zealand firm to have made the cut in the list’s seven-year history. Ethisphere
reviewed companies from more than 100 countries and 36 industr...
View Complete Question >>
Question Preview:
Kiwi firm among world’s most ethical
By Caitlin Sykes
A small Auckland-based firm has been named among the world’s most ethical companies.
All Good Organics, which launched Fairtrade bananas into the New Zealand market three years ago and also
produces Fairtrade and organic soft drinks, has made the 2013 World’s Most Ethical Companies list
produced by the US-based Ethisphere Institute think-tank.
The company is the only New Zealand firm to have made the cut in the list’s seven-year history. Ethisphere
reviewed companies from more than 100 countries and 36 industries when compiling this year’s list.
Chris Morrison, who founded All Good with his brother Matt Morrison and former 42-Below marketing
director Simon Coley, says an ethical approach is woven into all aspects of the company’s business —
although it hasn’t been an easy journey.
“But being recognised like this helps to cement that we’re on the right track,” says Morrison. “New Zealand
has a whole range of emerging small ethical businesses that show you can have [an] ethical, sustainable
approach and be financially successful too.”
The process for compiling the list includes reviewing companies’ codes of ethics, evaluating their investment
in innovation and sustainable business practices and looking activities designed to improved corporate
citizenship.
Article is retrieved from: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/unlimited/8384626/Kiwi-firm-among-world-smost-ethical
Question 1 (Learning Outcome 1)
Using four views of ethical behaviour, discuss what may constitute as ethical behaviour that had
enabled All Good Organics to be listed as one of world’s most ethical companies. Support your answers
with relevant academic resources such as journal articles and books.
(4 views X 3 marks each = 12 marks)
Question 2 (Learning Outcome 1)
Discuss how culture could influence ethical behaviour in All Good Organics and suggest three
strategies that can be used to manage issues that may occur due to cultural differences. Support your
answers with relevant academic resources such as journal articles and books.
(3 strategies X 2 marks each = 6 marks)
Question 3 (Learning Outcome 1)
Discuss the influence of a probable social structure within All Good Organics on ethical behaviour of
the organisation. Support your answers with relevant academic resources such as journal articles and
books.
(2 marks)
Question 4 (Learning Outcome 2)
Recommend five strategies to manage unprofessional behaviour in All Good Organics in order for the
organisation to remain as one of the world’s most ethical companies.
(5 strategies X 2 marks each = 10 marks)
New Zealand Diploma in Business Management (Level 6)
Instructions: Read the following case study and answer Question 5.
Introduction
RELX Group is a leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries. The
company helps scientists make new discoveries, lawyers win cases, doctors save lives, and executives forge
commercial relationships with their clients. The company helps insurance groups offer customers lower prices
by assessing risk better, and save taxpayers and consumers money by helping governments and financial
groups detect fraud.
RELX Group has a worldwide customer base in more than 180 countries working in many fields, including
science, research and the law, as well as in public and academic libraries and commercial organisations. This
includes around 11 million scientists who access information directly from RELX Group’s Science Direct
database – the world’s largest online library of full-text research papers. It has 28,200 employees in more
than 250 locations in 34 countries around the world. Its annual revenues for 2014 were £5.77bn with 86% of
revenue being generated from electronic or face-to-face formats.
RELX Group’s internal stakeholders have a range of interests in the different parts of the company and its
activities. On the other hand, external stakeholders are those individuals or groups outside a business. RELX
Group differentiates itself from competitors by highlighting its CR performance to external stakeholders.
Some of RELX’s stakeholders are its customers, suppliers, partners, communities and societies.
Potential stakeholder conflict
It is important for a business to balance the interest of its various stakeholders. Different stakeholder groups
have different priorities, for example: Shareholders expect the business to make a profit and receive a return on their investment. Employees require good working conditions if they are to be retained. Investors may want to see evidence of how a company responds to environmental issues before
committing money to the business.
Stakeholder conflict arises when the needs of some stakeholder groups compromise the expectations of
others. A business has to make choices which some stakeholders might not like. For example, the cheapest
supplier goods, which can help keep prices down for customers, must not come at the expense of ethical
practice by suppliers.
Some activities may not give immediate financial return on investment but support the business’ ethical
standards. Such policies need to be communicated and explained to all stakeholders involved, so they
understand the longer-term value they provide. For example, investment in ‘green’ energy (such as solar
power) may be more expensive but can help the company reduce its environmental footprint.
Supporting employees may also lead to trade-offs. RELX Group employees are offered development
opportunities so that they can reach their potential. RELX Group has to justify this investment against the
opportunity cost of using the time and resources for other purposes. It also has to assess the potential
downside of not training its employees. This could include losing good people to other organisations or
mistakes happening through lack of training.
Case Study is adapted from: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk
Question 5 (Learning Outcome 3)
Recommend two most suitable conflict management strategies to manage the conflict among
stakeholders in RELX Group. Support your answers with evidence or points from the case study as well
as with relevant academic resources such as journal articles and books.
(2 strategies X 5 marks each = 10 marks)
New Zealand Diploma in Business Management (Level 6)
Instructions: Read the following case study and answer Question 6.
ANZ Case Study: External Influences
The technology explosion that has taken place over the last 20 years has enabled banks to make significant
changes in their operations to allow, among other things, customers access to their money 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. These innovations have enabled money to move around the world rapidly, and
international banks to forge mutually beneficial relationships with one another. The outcome has led to an
exponential growth in world trade (trade has tripled since 1980, 15 times greater than it was in 1950), which
has been highly beneficial to all countries.
The growing importance of Asian economies to New Zealand has also continued to increase. Nine of New
Zealand’s 15 largest trading partners are Asian – a reflection that the Bank believes indicates their future is
inextricably linked to Asia.
As New Zealand becomes increasingly connected to the greater Asian region, we will see ourselves selling
more to Asia and buying more from them. We can already see the increasing interest from Asia in terms of
investment, tourism, and education (foreign students), and this in turn gives New Zealand banks clear
advantages. As this connectivity increases our linkages become even stronger.
Case Study is adapted from: http://asia-knowledge.tki.org.nz/Business-case-studies/Case-study-2-
ANZ/Influences
Question 6 (Learning Outcome 5)
As the Operations Director of ANZ, strategically manage the impact of five elements from the external
environment in ensuring a positive organisational performance. Support your answers with evidence
or points from the case study as well as with relevant academic resources such as journal articles and
books.
View Less >>