PROFESSIONAL ETHICS &

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Module IV Sustainable Practices

By Dr. Nancy Girdhar

 Course Content

Module 1: Philosophy and Ethics

Module 2: Ethical Issues and Practices at

Workplace

Module 3: Code of Ethics

Module 4: Sustainable Practices

Module 5: Ethics in Different Domain

 Assessment

Internal Assessment
Component Class Test Case Study Minor Home Attendance End
Project Assignment Semester

Weightage 10 10 15 10 5 50
 Professional Skills Development Activities:
1. Students will carry out an industrial survey /interview /focus
group discussion to identify and understand the translation of
professional values and ethics in daily work practices. Students will
compile a minor project report based on it.

2. The students will develop a case study based on any major violation
of professional ethics by studying newspaper articles, policy
documents, discussions paper in parliament media interviews and
documentaries etc (Give presentation in team of 3).

3. The students will carry out a home assignment by writing a review

of literature on ethical issues and practices in his/ her area of study.
 Course Objectives

• To understand the concept of professional ethics.

• To identify ethical issues at workplace.

• To learn to match code of ethics with appropriate

profession.

• To understand theories of ethics.

 Books and References
Text:
• John R Boatright, “Ethics and the Conduct of Business”, Pearson Education,
New Delhi, 2003

• Edmund G Seebauer and Robert L Barry, “Fundametals of Ethics for

Scientists and Engineers”, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001

References:
• Laura P. Hartman and Joe Desjardins, “Business Ethics: Decision Making for
Personal Integrity and Social Responsibility” Mc Graw Hill education, India Pvt.
Ltd. New Delhi 2013.
• A Global Standard for Professional Ethics: Cross-Border Business Concerns By
Allen, Catherine; Bunting, Robert Journal of Accountancy, Vol. 205, No. 5, May
2008
7

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
 Content
• Green Practices
• Ethics to Handle VUCA Environment
• Importance of Sustainability
• Sustainable Business Practices
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Inclusive Development
 Sustainable Practices
• Sustainable practices are the
processes services employ to
maintain the qualities that are
valued in the physical environment.
Living sustainably is about living
within the means of natural systems
(environment) and ensuring that
our lifestyle doesn't harm other
people (society and culture).
 Sustainable Practices
• “The quality of not being
harmful to environment or
depleting natural resources
and thereby supporting long
term ecological balance”
 Example of Sustainable Practices

• Be Intentional about sustainability

• Water and Electric Conservation
• Develop a Recyclic program
• Use of Solar energy
• Chemical Management rotation
• Purchase only Energy Efficient Products
• Develop Sustainability Work policies
 Principles of Sustainable Practices

• Enhance liveability
• Create opportunities for economic
prosperity
• Foster environment responsibility
• Embrace design excellence
• Demonstrate visionary leadership
and strong governance
 Green Ethics

• Green ethics offers a set of standards and principles that

we should systematically apply to nature.
• Green ethics is the study of the ethical basis of
environment or discussion of the ethical basis of
environmental protection.
 Need of Green Ethics

• To overcome the following questions.

1. What are the environment damage produce by the

present generation?

2. What acts must be give up to slow such damage?

 Green / Environmental Damage

• Pollution:
1. Air pollution
2. Water pollution
3. Land pollution

• Resource depletion:
1. Depletion of Species & Habits
2. Depletion of Fossil fuels etc..
 Green Ethics Principles

• We should have profound respect for nature.

• We must maintain a harmonious relation with other
species.
• Everyone should take responsibility for this impact on
nature.
• Local & indigenous environmental knowledge should be
respected.
• We must plan for the long term.
 VUCA Environment

• VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and

ambiguity. It describes the situation of constant,
unpredictable change that is now the norm in certain
industries and areas of the business world.
VUCA Environment Continued…
 Volatility
• Volatility is the rate, amount, and magnitude of change.

• It brings drastic, rapid shifts or can bring about

instability for organizations and leaders, but even the
minor shifts that occur daily, such as new and
“immediate” priorities that disrupt plans, or the
increasing need to “multitask,” are changes that increase
volatility.
 Uncertainty
• Lack of clarity about the challenges
and their current and future
outcomes.

• Uncertainty can result in an over-

reliance on past experiences and
yesterday’s solutions or to analysis
paralysis as we sift through more
and more data.
 Complexity
• The amount of dependency and interactive effect of
multiple factors and drivers.

• Requires to think in more creative, innovative and non-

linear way; to be able to deal with shades of gray (as
opposed to black and white) solutions.
 Ambiguity
• The degree to which information, situations, and events
can be interpreted in multiple ways.

• Ambiguity increases doubt, slows decision-making, and

results in missed opportunities (and threats). It re-
quires that leaders think through and diagnose things
from multiple perspectives.
 Ethics to handle VUCA Environment

• Volatility can be overcome by clear

vision.
• Uncertainty can be overcome by
understanding.
• Complexity can be overcome by
clarity.
• Ambiguity can be overcome by
agility.
Communication in a VUCA Environment
How to overcome communication barriers

• Be ethical.
• Be transparent.
• Be open and honest in all
communication.
• Be relevant.
• Share information and perspectives
that are valuable to workers.
• Personalize and be personable.
• Address negative discussion head –
on.
 Important of Sustainability

• Sustainability maintains the health

and bio capacity of the environment.
• Sustainability supports the well-being
of individuals and communities.
• Sustainability promotes a better
economy
- where there is little waste and
pollution, fewer emissions, there are
more jobs, and a better distribution
of wealth.
 Important of Sustainability Continued…

• Sustainability is important for development-

-because of the passage of time the generation changes and with
this change society wants more and more benefits from the
resources which are present in our nature.
Sustainable Business Practices
A business practice that is economically
viable, socially responsible and
environmentally friendly is usually
regarded as being sustainable.
Corporations that include socially
responsible and environmentally sound
policies as core elements in their growth
strategy very often
create sustainable economic values.
Sustainable Business Practice Examples

• Be Intentional About Sustainability

• Partner with Employees
• Water And Electric Conservation
• Supply Chains
• Develop a Recycling Program
• Chemical Management
• Purchase Only Energy Efficient
Products
• Develop Sustainability Work Policies
Best practices in sustainability: Ford, Starbucks and
more

• Read the story here

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-
business/blog/best-practices-sustainability-us-
corporations-ceres
 Goals
• Cut emissions
• Prevent pollution
• Use sustainable materials
• Lower energy usage
• Use green-certified office products
• Encourage sustainable behavior
• Network with like-minded organizations
Why sustainability is important
• Saving money. Eco-friendly techs and lower waste in
energy/time can bring significant savings.
• Attracting investors. A reputation of an earth-friendly
business is persuasive enough for savvy investors and new
customers to come.
• Retaining employees. A brand supporting sustainable
practices can attract qualified employees who'll perform
better and be more satisfied with their workplaces, saving
resources for the process of recruitment.
• Creating new jobs. The focus on sustainability can
introduce new job titles such as CVO (Customer Value
Officer), wind energy engineers, passive solar building
designers, and more.
What businesses need to become sustainable?

How much waste our organization creates ?

What impact it has on the local community ?

How we outreach to customers ?

How our product helps a certain audience ?

10 strong brand examples of sustainability practices

1. Christy Dawn
2. PepsiCo
3. Brown-Forman
4. Nike
5. Ford Motor Company
6. Bank of America
7. Ben & Jerry’s
8. Xylem
9. General Mills
10. Dell
Top 10 Green Companies of India

1. LG
2. HCL
3. Haier
4. Samsung
5. Tata Consultancy Services
6. Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC)
7. IndusInd Bank
8. ITC
9. Wipro
10. MRF Tyres
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

• Concepts, key issues, context

• Key CSR drivers

• Implications for enterprise

• Implications for development

 CSR Main Concepts
CSR (Carrol, 1979) - Firms have responsibilities to societies including
economic, legal, ethical and discretionary (or philanthropic). See also
DeGeorge (1999) on the “Myth of the Amoral Firm”
Social Contract (Donaldson, 1982; Donaldson and Dunfee, 1999) –
There is a tacit social contract between the firm and society; the
contract bestows certain rights in exchange for certain responsibilities.
Stakeholder Theory (Freeman, 1984) – A stakeholder is “any group or
individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of an
organization’s purpose.” Argues that it is in the company’s strategic
interest to respect the interests of all its stakeholders.

CSR = political economy

The rights and responsibilities assigned to private industry.
 CSR Key Issues
1. Labour rights:
• child labour
• forced labour
• right to organise
• safety and health

2. Environmental conditions
• water & air emissions
• climate change

3. Human rights
• cooperation with paramilitary
forces
• complicity in extra-judicial killings

4. Poverty Alleviation
• job creation
• public revenues
• skills and technology
 Global Context & Key Drivers of CSR
1. Liberalization of markets – reduction of the regulatory approach.
2. Emergence of global giants, consolidation of market share.
3. Development of the ‘embedded firm’ and the global value chain.
4. Development of supplier networks in developing countries.

Key Drivers

Around the world Developing Countries

• NGO Activism • Foreign customers
• Responsible investment • Domestic consumers
• Litigation • FDI
• Gov & IGO initiatives • Government & IGO
Key Drivers : NGO Activism
• Facilitators: IT (esp
Internet), media, low
cost travel

• Boycotts, brand damage,

influence legislation,
domino effect. E.g. Shell
in Nigeria, Exxon in
Cameroon, Sinopec in
Sudan, Apparel Industry
(Nike, Gap), GMO, Wood
Products, etc.
 Inclusive Development
Setting this enabling system requires actions to:

• Ensure the required continuum of services .

• Strengthen the capacities of all actors in the

system according to the role they need to play

Inclusive Community Approches

• Community Based Rehabilitation
• Inclusive Local Development
Interaction b/w Stakeholders of a Service System

Regulate, define strategic

orientations, policies

Evaluate needs, Authorities/ policy

ensure access, makers Regulate, allocate
consult and ensure sufficient means, control,
participation of (National level and evaluate, identify
PwDs in decision- local level ) innovation, replicate
making innovation, guarantee
quality (accreditation)

Ask for services, Supply services, inform

advocate, take part in on needs, take part in
decision-making decision-making

Users Service Providers

(People with disabilities - (private and public)

represented by DPOs)
Use and monitor
Analyse needs,
provide services,
ensure access
Ask for services, Provide quality services
choose services, utilise
services, evaluate the
quality of services
THANK YOU!