BUS2108 - GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Semester 2 2024/25

Java Python BUS2108 - GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Individual Project – International Business Ethics

Semester 2, 2024/25 – Section 1

Project Title:

Ethical issues in international business: An Analysis of Corporate Operations, Policies and Disclosure

Alignment with Learning Goals:

This assignment is intended to contribute to the business Programme Learning Goal 7, “Students are able to demonstrate effective consideration of ethical issues in business situations”

Required:

You required to research, evaluate, and reflect upon the ethical dimensions of the international operations of a firm that produces something you have bought (e.g. laptop, t-shirt, food product). In your answer you should consider and discuss the following questions:

Research

I. Introduce the specific product you bought – what is it made of and where do the components of the product typically originate from?

II. How easily does the firm make it for you, the consumer, to find information related to the brand's suppliers? How does the brand claim to monitor and assess components of its supply chain?

III. Identify, from external sources, issues related to the firm’s operations which may raise ethical issues or concerns.  Focus on the ethical issues covered in class (working conditions, human rights, corruption, environmental concerns) but you can also note other ethical issues if they exist.  These issues can be for the firm’s overall operations and need not specifically be about your particular product.

Evaluate

IV. Does the company have its own internal code of conduct or does it adhere to any industry-wide initiatives governing ethical operations? Give evidence from the code of conduct that indicates whether or not the firm is satisfactorily addressing the ethical issues raised in III above?

V.  Do the policies of the firm reflect a ‘universal’ or a ‘relativist’ ethical approach by the firm?

VI.  What recommendations would you make or what other actions could the firm take to improve its ethical behaviour?

Reflect

VII. With the information you were able to find, would you consider the brand to be ethical?

VIII. Did you consider ethical issues before you purchased the product?  would you continue to purchase from this same firm/brand in future?

Sources of information and choice of product

You can utilise information provided by the firm (websites/ annual reports etc.) in your answers; however, you should NOT RELY ONLY on information from the firm.  Tdai 写BUS2108 - GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Semester 2, 2024/25 ry to make use of your internet search skills to review accreditation bodies, uncover any criticisms of the firm, or look for issues related to suppliers / countries / industries involved in their supply chains.

You can pick absolutely any product that you have bought from any company.  The only exceptions to this are you CANNOT pick products made by either STARBUCKS, UNIQLO, NIKE or APPLE (there is too much, too easily available, information and published resources available on these firms).

Length and format of Report

Your report should be approx 1,500 words in length excluding Appendices.  Please attach copies of relevant news clippings, ethical codes of conduct etc. as necessary.  Please also attach a photo of yourself together with the product you have chosen for the project. As far as possible the report should be written in the format of a conventional business report, rather than that of an essay.  This means dividing the report into sections with appropriate section titles and numbering. 

Date and Place of Submission

Submit a Turnitin version of your report before 17:00 on Saturday March 15th.  Penalties will be assigned for late submission.  No e-mailed submissions will be accepted.

Marking and Return of Reports

The projects will be marked in accordance with the marking rubric attached to this assignment.  Check your finished report against the marking rubric to make sure that you have fulfilled all the criteria of the assignment.  Reports will be marked and returned to you as promptly as possible.

Plagiarism and referencing  issues

This is an individual assignment.  You should not discuss it with your classmates and the work submitted must be all your own.  Selected assignments may be analysed using the Turnitin anti-plagiarism software.  Please refer to and abide by the course policy regarding the use of A.I., software will also check whether or not you have utilized A.I. in your essay.

When making reference to external sources, please make use of in-text references or use of appropriate footnotes, instead of just a listing of sources at the end of your submission.

Questions

Your lecturer will be pleased to answer any specific questions you may have about this assignment.  By e-mail, please make an appointment to speak with your lecturer during his/her assigned office hours, providing an indication of when you would like to meet with the lecturer and a summary of the questions you would like to ask