LEG 500 – Law, Ethics, & Corp. Governance
Strayer University
Dr. Mary Myers-Nelson
Augusta 12, 2014
Ethics and Corporate Responsibility in the Workplace
Introduction
Pharma CARE is the most successful pharmaceutical company in the world. They have a workplace environment that is caring, ethical, and well operated. The company offers programs to assist low income customers and many educational programs. Pharma CARE has a pledge in place to help keep a clean environment. Pharm Care has a location here in the US, but maintain its largest facility in the country of Africa. The company uses the Africa location for cheap labor. Its products include pain medication, vitamins, cough and cold medicines, laxatives, medicine for indigestion, and aids to help people quit smoking and lose weight. Aspen Pharma care also led the way in developing the first anti-retroviral medication in South Africa for AIDS treatment.
Many companies in the world have a code of conduct which are rules that describes how employees and employers are to behave inside the workplace. Companies give all new employees a copy of the code of conduct book which requires a signature that they will abide by all rules. Employees should have access to the code of conduct at all times. “Aspen endorses the ethical marketing of medicines and subscribes to the rigorous application of the Marketing Code of Practice of the Pharmaceutical Industry Association of South Africa” (Argandoña, 1998). Receiving of gifts exceeding USD100 is unethical at Pharma Care. Rules such as participating in any type of political parties is prohibited at Pharma Care. “Employees are free to participate in the political process in their private capacity provided it does not constitute a breach of the principles set out in the Code of Conduct and/or the relevant employee’s obligations to Aspen under contracts of employment and does not negatively influence their productivity or the credibility of the Group”( Halbert & Injulli, 2012). Pharma CARE demonstrated that their organization was operating with limited or no ethics policy in place which cause problems later for the company. Pharma CARE have zero tolerance for unethical behavior inside the workplace.
Characteristics of a Stakeholder
Stakeholder’s ae those people involved with the starting of any company or who vested an interest in the business. Stakeholders include people living with disease or illness, scientific and clinical experts representing Better Pharma care Coalition member organizations. In any project all stakeholders contributes to the success of any effort from start to finish. These stakeholders could be the owners, consultants, builders, any contributing effort to the project. “In order to gain stakeholder participation and support, it’s important to understand not only who potential stakeholders are, but the nature of their interest in the effort” (Argandoña, 1998). Stakeholders are involved in making decision of the business. Taking a look at the case with Pharma Care there are multiple issues that have affected this business. Stakeholders are persons or parties that have a vested interest in the business of the organization. Three are three types of stakeholders, primary, secondary and key stakeholders. Primary stakeholders are individuals are parties who stand to be directly affected whether good or bad by the actions of the organizations. Secondary stakeholders are those who may be indirectly affected by the actions of the group of organization and Key stakeholders are those individuals who can have a positive or negative affect, these stakeholders are key decision makers in the organization and their decision. Pharma Care quality of its products it shows that they are not using many of its funds on such expenses. The significant aspect is that the business is ignoring its reputation so as to maintain high profits and please the