Business Ethics and Ethical Issues Essay

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The Dilemmas Businesses Face are they Ethical or just Normal Business Practices?
Shaunda N. Boulware
Southwestern Community College Author Note
This paper was prepared for Business Ethics 142, Section 501, taught by Professor Corpron.

The Dilemmas Businesses Face are they Unethical or Just Normal Business Practices?

Finding the different ethical issues facing today’s business through different sources has been difficult task. However, my intent is to give a list of various ethical issues that businesses face and provide examples from businesses that were publicly singled out for par-taking in unethical business practices. Using the internet as well as my personal knowledge for my main sources of research to provide pertinent information on millions of ethical issues that many businesses face today but I will focus on ones faced by businesses. Many businesses are faced with various types of ethical issues but equal pay of employees, safety of the employees and consumers, and fraudulent accounting practices. Education is an important factor and should be an advocate for all individuals because we are all involved in the world of business therefore tge exposure of unethical business practices is crucial.
First, with the today’s economy finding a job has become troublesome, however finding a job that pays both men and women based on the same job requirements is all the more challenging. In my research for the National Committee on Pay Equity(NCPE), reported that the gap between men and women’s equal pay has narrowed during the years however, has been stagnant over the last one hundred years. The report emphasizes that a stronger and more appropriate act to today’s time is needed in the revision of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (NCPE, 2014). Dontigney (n.d.) states that “Pay equality represents one of the longest-running ethical issues facing the business community” (Dontigney ,n.d.). The Equal Pay Act became a law in 1963 studies show that “ women earned 58.9 percent of what men earned for full-time work” now “as of 2011, women earned on average only 77 percent of what men earned for full time work (Dontingney, n.d.). These figures show that things have gotten better for women they are still not receiving the equal pay as their male counterparts. Here is an example of a well-known business operating in unethical business practices of pay equality.
“When Heidi Wilson was promoted to manager of the Citicorp service center in 2009, she was upset that she didn't get a raise or a bonus — especially since she knew her male predecessor made more than she did. When she was bypassed for a raise and a bonus again in 2011, she requested a market analysis be done within the company. Her supervisor didn't authorize it. When she was fired in March 2011 without severance pay, she decided to go to court. More than a year later, Wilson will receive a check for almost $340,000 in back pay. She successfully sued Citicorp North America, a subsidiary of Citibank, for violating the Equal Pay Act and failing to pay her the same amount as her male counterparts. In 2009, the year she was promoted, Wilson earned $75,329 to manage the service center in Tampa. The previous service center manager, a man, earned $129,567 in 2008, according to case records” (Behrman, 2012).

Furthermore, looking at the article is a prime example that equal pay still holds to unethical practices in the workplace today.
The second ethical issues businesses are facing today is the safety of their workers and consumers. In my own experience I have faced hazardous working conditions such as working painfully long 8 hour shifts without breaks or sometimes even a lunch. Also, working without the proper safety equipment because of military shortages due to budget cuts. These are only some of the safety issues that I personally encountered which were unprincipled and also against the law. But many business often follow these unethical practices with regard
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