Introduction
The three ethical schools of thought include ethical universalism, ethical relativism, and integrated social contracts. Ethical universalism asserts that a mutual agreement regarding evil or good across different cultures forms the basis for universal moral conduct applicable to all people (Thompson, 2016). Ethical relativism is based on the notion that diverse religious beliefs, customs, values, and practices across cultures give rise to multiple sets of measures concerning what is wrong or right (Thompson, 2016). The integrated social contracts, on the other hand, posits that universal moral standards based on typical perspectives of different cultures combine to form social contracts that should be observed by all people.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) emphasizes an organization’s obligation to consider its customers, shareholders, employees, environs, and communities and to have regard for the environmental and social consequences of their business processes. CSR holds that companies must be good global citizens by balancing their revenue operations with activities deemed beneficial to society on an international, national, or local scale. This conception is crucial for the success of any business strategy. According to Newman et al. (2020), about 53% of consumers in the US incorporate social responsibility values into their purchasing decisions. Therefore, they seek brands that actively enhance values and beliefs aligned with theirs. The study further indicates that 87% of consumers in the US are likely to buy an item because it promotes an issue they care about (Newman et al., 2020). Thus, CSR increases a business’s profitability and customer loyalty.
Ignatian Values
Ignatian values consider a variety of principles, including magis, “Men and Women for and With Others,” and contemplatives in action. Magis emphasizes the need to discern the greater good to serve God better (Reilly, 2017). It does not mean always giving more, but striving for excellence. “Men and Women for and With Others” underscore the obligation to provide service to people in need and support the poor and oppressed. It entails pursuing justice for all people. Contemplatives in action, on the other hand, posits that individuals should not just think about social problems, instead, they should devise ways of resolving them.
Comparison
Magis compares to both ethics and CSR because all these concepts advocate for the need to pursue the greater good by doing what is right. CSR emphasizes the duty of doing the moral thing by considering the consequences of one’s business to the environment and community, while ethics underscores the need to differentiate between evil and good at all times and choose the former. ‘Men and Women for and With Others’ align with ethics because they both highlight a leader’s obligation in doing right by the people; this includes the poor and marginalized. Although they both emphasize the need to do the right thing by providing service to people in need, ‘Men and Women for and With Others’ focus primarily on the needy, while ethics centers on doing right by all people.
‘Men and Women for and With Others’ are different from CSR because the latter focuses on ethical business processes as a strategy for profitability and effectiveness, which is contrary to its precept. According to Riley (2017), Men and Women for and With Others” do not center on a business’s lucrative nature; rather, it emphasizes the need to advocate for the impoverished. ‘Contemplatives in Action’ aligns with both ethics and CSR. The concept advocates for addressing social problems instead of just thinking about them. Similarly, ethics advocates for addressing social issues by always striving to do the right thing. On the other hand, CSR aims to solve social problems by engaging in ethical business activities that align with the communities’ values and beliefs.
Conclusion
The three ethical schools included in the paper, i.e., moral universalism, ethical relativism, and integrated social contracts underscore the principle of good over evil. CSR emphasizes an organization’s obligation to consider the effect of its operations on society and the environment. Ignatian values highlight an individual’s duty to serve others accordingly. An interconnection exists between these conceptions because they both emphasize the need to do good. However, a significant difference is evidenced in the concepts’ ultimate purpose for doing what is right.
References
Newman, C., Rand, J., Tarp, F., & Trifkovic, N. (2020). Corporate social responsibility in a competitive business environment. The Journal of Development Studies, 56(8), 1455–1472. Web.
Reilly, A. H. (2017). Using Ignatian pedagogy to support faculty-student mentoring. Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal, 6(2), 97–107. Web.
Thompson, A. A. (2016). Strategy: Core concepts and analytical approaches (6th ed.). Blue Ridge, IL: McGraw Hill Education.