Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 21

Business Ethics - Essay Example To that effect, the image of Shell has been falling down worldwide. In order for Shell to counter this negative publicity that has tarnished its image, it should operate in an ethical manner. It should adopt the utilitarian view of ethics whose goal is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. The Ogoni people in this case constitute the greatest number of people who have been negatively affected by the operations of Shell so they deserve to get better treatment from this company. The management of Shell should also ensure that their actions do not violate the rights of the local people such as the right to live in a clean and safe environment. It has been observed that the company’s failure to uphold ethical principles has impacted negatively on its operations. Therefore, the company’s goals and objectives should be shaped by different ethical principles in order to fulfill the interests of the stakeholders who may be affected by its operations. 2. There are various implications to Shell and its stakeholders (Interest of conflict between the foreign owners and the local citizens) that need to be considered in order for it to operate ethically. Whilst Shell may argue that it is primarily concerned with generating profits that would benefit the stakeholders, there is a conflict of interest where it can be observed that its actions negatively impact on the local communities. In order to operate ethically, Shell should try to create a fine balance between its profit needs as well as fulfilling the needs and interests of the members of the local community. Enlightened companies encourage their managers to be socially responsible and try to seek ways to protect the long run interests of their stakeholders and the environment (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). Essentially, all companies operate within a certain environment and it is their obligation to protect that same environment. In case of Shell, it