Ethics

A3: Conflicts, Ethics and Web Sites:

Part 2David Lomas

d.lomas@salford.ac.uk

Ethics• Are personal

– or social group – or organisational– are shared “value systems”

• Usually unwritten

• Are within the law for the law abiding

• About: mutual respect and fairnessStatement: I am neither an expert on ethics nor ethical behaviour -

I’m just posing the questions

Ethics - Who cares?

• Students– prospective, current, alumni

• Staff– prospective, current

• Business partners and sponsors

• Government(s)

Allegedly Unethical Firms

• Amazon.com (12)

• McDonald’s (12)

• Microsoft (15)

• Monsonta (25)

• Nestle (10)

• Nike (3)

• Walmart (17)See: http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Issues/Business/Allegedly_Unethical_Firms/

An Example - Ethical Banking - The Co-operative Bank

• Human Rights• Arms trade• Trade and Social Involvement• Ecological Impact• Animal Welfare• Customer Consultation

– on their ethical policySee: http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/ethics/ethical_ethics_policy.html

Ethical Banking - The Co-operative Bank - the words

• Human Rights:– We will not invest of provide financial services to:

• any regime or organisation that oppresses the human spirit or takes away the rights of the individual

• manufacturers or torture equipment or other equipment that is used in the violation of human rights

• Arms trade:– We will not invest of provide financial services to:

• manufacture, sale, licenced production, brokerage of armaments to any country which has an oppressive regime

Ethical Retailing: The Body Shop• Profit and Conscience

• Trading charter:“We aim to achieve commercial success by meeting our

customers’ needs the provision of high quality, good value products with exceptional service and relevant information which enables customers to make informed and responsible choices.”

“We aim to ensure that the human and civil rights, ... are respected throughout our business activities.”

See: http://www.bodyshop.co.uk/usa/aboutus/body-charter.html

And there’s more ...

• The “ethical hacker”• The £3.8m award from BAT to a UK University• Quote:

“Evidence is mounting that behaviour and buying power are affected by ethical behaviour ... a recent study says 30 percent - have chosen to boycott because of a companies ethical stance.”

Irene Inskip, Corporate EdgeSource: http://channel4news.co.uk/home/20010501/Story03.htm

So what do you think?• Are ethical policies and statements desirable or

necessary?• We have “disclaimers”, why not have positive

statements?• Are these policies transferable to our environment:

• in HE?

• to our web sites?

• to the sites our users visit?

• should we censor?

• Who would own/enforce such a policy at my HE?