Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Essay Example Restaurants should apply ethics in their food delivery, pricing, and internal environment. The fast food industry is part of the restaurant industry. There are ethical issues associated with the way fast food chain treat their employees. These workers are paid low wages, but are expected to do a lot of work. Restaurants should be responsible in their selection of suppliers. Corporate social responsibility can be used by restaurants to improve the quality of life of its stakeholders. Introduction People expect business enterprises to behave in a socially responsible manner and to apply the highest standards of ethics. Ethics can be defined as the study and evaluation of human conduct in the light of moral principles (Credo Reference). It involves making decisions between right and wrong. Business enterprises in all industries are faced with ethical dilemmas. It is important for companies to behave in a proper manner to resolve these types of issues. Corporations today have become the target of society due to the fact that their behavior affects the community. One of the largest industries in the United States in terms of locations is the restaurant industry. ... Going out to a restaurant is a good way for families to spend some quality time together. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very important towards satisfying the customer. Sometimes restaurant owners want to capitalize on the wall space of the restaurant by renting advertising space to other businesses. This may be a nice way to increase income, but it may be an unethical practice. The customers of a restaurant are looking to eat in a quiet environment. Seeing a bunch of ads on the walls can be perceived as an undesirable practice. People are bombarded with advertisement everywhere they go. They do not need the added hassle of viewing them while eating at a restaurant. A factor in the restaurant industry that can lead to ethical discussion is the pricing of the restaurant. It is common business knowledge that businesses have to price their goods or services at a level that will allow the company to make a profit. A particular attribute of the restaurant industry is that any meal se rved by the restaurant can be replicated by the consumer at their own home at a fraction of the cost. Some restaurants do not care about cost and they charge exuberant prices for their meals. This action can be viewed by many as an unethical action. Some restaurants charge their customers over $100 a plate for a meal. Their cost for that meal is likely to be less than 20% of the sales price. This implies that that restaurant would have made a nice profit at a lower price point such as $50, but many restaurants continue to charge their clients exorbitant prices. This type of ethical dilemma is more likely to occur in the high-end of the restaurant marketplace. An ethical dilemma faced by all restaurants is how much food to serve its