ntroduction

The word ethics is derived from the Latin language where it denotes a moral phil
osophy. In the English language, ethics is the study of values and customs gover
ning a given social group. Ethics requires a differentiation between wrong and r
ight, acknowledgment of responsibility and knowing what is good or evil. Ethical
norms assist human beings in the process of judging rightful acts. Consequently
, the concept can be applied in the practices and policies used by large organis
ations. (Walton, 1992)
The company chosen for analysis is Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast food restau
rants.
Ethics at KFC
Constructive aspects of ethics at KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken is very keen about ethical standards both within and with
out the company as asserted by their company representatives. For instance the c
ompany is strict about is vendor engagements. Before a supplier can secure a con
tract with Kentucky Fried Chicken, they have to comply to similar ethical standa
rds as KFC. This means that the supplier must not utilise under age labour to pr
oducer their commodities, they must pay fair wages and must also avoid placing h
armful chemicals in their commodities. These concepts have governed the way KFC
chooses other business partners too; they include contractors and manufacturers.
By doing, this, the company is protecting human rights. (Montgomery, 2003)
The company also looks out for the health and safety of their workers. Since KFC
is a fast food chain, then its workers are very busy, the company s representativ
es affirm that they are always trying to protect their respective employees from
detrimental hazards in the workplace. In line with this, KFC always ensures tha
t their employees work for them voluntarily. This means that the company detests
forced labour. They also believe in according their employees justice in case o
f any eventuality. Their disciplinary measures have always been fair and few emp
loyees complain about how their administration handles such unusual occurrences.
It is a known fact that some employees in the corporate world utilise mental pu
nishment as a way of repressing their employees and keep them subservient. Howev
er, this is not the case with KFC as no cases have been reported in the media.
Kentucky Fried Chicken employment practices are also ethical. This is due to the
fact that the company does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of
race, gender, disability or any other factor. The company s recruitment practices
largely focus on the capabilities of the potential candidate rather than on the
ir respective race, cultural backgrounds etc. In line with these practices, the
company usually offers overtime for employees who decide to work beyond the norm
al working hours. Besides that, the company has created shift arrangements so th
at it can avoid overworking employees at any given time. (Bowie & Beauchamp, 198
3)
The issue of wages is also top on KFC s list. The company believes that workers sh
ould be paid according to their efforts. Consequently, there is an element of fa
irness when it comes to the way the company treats its employees. The company de
picts this attitude in some of its restaurant outlets such as the ones here in t
he UK and also in Canada. The company has exceeded minimum wage by close to eigh
t pounds per hour. Trans fats are those types of fats that are emanated from oil
during the hardening process. The purpose of these trans fats is to prolong she
lf life and to make commodities prepared through baking last longer. Despite the
se good qualities, trans fats can bring about complicated health diseases that m
any people in the UK are fighting, these include;
Obesity
Diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Other disorders
Consequently, companies that take their social responsibility seriously should l
ook for cooking oil that is either very low in trans fats or has no trans fats a
t all. (Zwillich, 2006)If this alternative is not possible, then companies ought
to tell their consumers clearly that they are using trans fats so that consumer
s maker conscious choices. The company under study; KFC has tried adhering to th
ese ethical norms in some outlets but in others, the company still continues coo
king its commodities with these trans fats and has not looked for alternatives.
It should be noted that the UK government has been particularly interested in fi
ghting obesity. Consequently, the government has set up some regulations that ar
e aimed at reducing this problem. Given the interest that trans fats has generat
ed from the public and the governor, it is KFC s duty to comply so as to demonstra
te good corporate citizenry and adherence to ethical principles. The company nee
ds to improve; the simplest way it can do this is by revealing the amount of fat
contained in their products.
There is serious cause for alarm in with regard to the trans fat issue because t
here are hundreds of thousands of people who die annually as result of fast food
related complications. Consequently, KFC is contributing towards poor health in
the UK. If they are not careful, the company could keep loosing a substantial n
umber of their consumers thus loosing business in the end. The company should re
alise that the western world has been taken over by the fast food culture.
Conclusion
As a restaurant operating under the fast food industry, there are some ethical i
ssues that come into play when considering the nature of the industry itself. Th
is is especially since the Health Ministry in the region announced a battle agai
nst obesity. Also, KFC also has to deal with different ethical issues in their c
apacity as a business corporation. Any company worth its salt should have a code
of ethics and must be prepared to stick by it KKC has breached a substantial nu
mber of their ethics codes. However, one must not assume that the ethical issues
facing KFC are one sided. Most times, individuals tend to focus on the negative
aspects of ethics and fail to look at things from another angle. The purpose of
the essay was to provide an in-depth analysis of the fast food industry through
two contrary ideas; the moral and legal obligations that KFC has adhered to and
also the ethical misgivings that the company has engaged in too.