OptiMotors Companys Business Ethics

Table of Contents Introduction Seeing the Ethical Perspective Talking about Ethics Acting against Unethical Practices Review of the Ethical Concept Conclusion Reference List Introduction Business ethics is a very important issue which all enterprises, organisations, and companies need to adhere to in order to be able to enhance their performances. Ethics does not only involve the internal customers who are the workers of an organisation but also extends to cover buyers or customers who purchase goods and services manufactured by the firm (Rutherford et al. 2012, 335).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on OptiMotors Company’s Business Ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, competition in business has forced business entities to try and adopt unethical means of attracting and winning business from customers. While wooing customers through the provision and granting of favours is acceptable, bus inesses occasionally outdo it by employing ethically unacceptable methods so as to appease buyers. This paper particularly addresses the aspect of client entertainment, seeking to analyse the limits beyond which business entities need not exceed in entertaining their clients. Seeing the Ethical Perspective Although business ethics is considered to be universal, the aspect remains to be highly subjective, basing on the surrounding circumstances, the timing, as well as the cultural practices being observed (Albert and Franks 2012, 224). These issues would determine whether a manager would regard practice as unethical or falling within the acceptable standards. When companies seek to entertain their customers or potential customers for purposes of winning business opportunities, their managers must first of all be in a position of noticing whether or not whatever the entertainment being planned meets the ethical thresholds or not. In the case of OptiMotors, the CEO of the company sees and realises that it is ethically impractical for potential clients of the company to be entertained at the Red Ruby Club, a strippers club, in the name of an evening out (Lampe and Crystal 2012, 99). Even though Galen, the sales representative head at the company, insists on the visiting delegation from Kinan Motors being hosted at the strippers club, Bob notices that something is amiss in the whole set-up and plan but feels tied to the aftermath, which is the winning of a lucrative business deal with handsome rewards.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is evident, from Bob’s reactions that his individual position considers strippers club’s patronage to be ethically incorrect and distasteful. Although the sales representative head, Galen, who is the one pursuing on plans to have Kinan Motors sign a business deal with OptiMotors insists that there is nothi ng wrong to have the delegation hosted at the Red Ruby Club, the CEO sticks to his ground to ascertain that the whole plan does not receive the ethical clean bill of health, at least from him as an individual. He cites the activities that take place at the entertainment spot as being morally wrong but Galen responds by pointing out that his old school age is probably to blame for such an observation (Cuilla 2011, 335). The manager sees how morally impractical it is to expect potential clients with the standards of Kinan Motors to be hosted at a strippers club but has no, organisational cultural, basis to dismiss such plans. He is not assertive in asking Galen to back-off from plans to host the delegation at Red Ruby Club. The lack of an organisational culture on morality particularly plays a significant role in explaining why Bob sees the danger but treats it casually. He trusts the sales manager as a good performer who should be given the freedom to perform without any interference . Thus, although the CEO seems to insist on Galen seeking an alternative entertainment spot, he is also quick to note that choice and decision squarely lies with him. In other words, although OptiMotors would wish to appear before its clientele as being ethically responsible in its business activities, the prevailing circumstances matter in the choice of action to be taken by OptiMotors. In this instance, the supposed benefit that will be realised by OptiMotors as a result of closing the Kinan deal makes the management overlook the resultant ethical repercussions that could occur. The company feels that for as long as it achieves its business objectives, there is little worry in trying to ensure that the ethics are adhered to and observed (Rutherford et al. 2012, 335).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on OptiMotors Company’s Business Ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Talking about Ethics Talking ab out ethical practices for managers is closely associated with seeing. In other words, it is only after seeing unethical practices that managers can discuss the same with a view of addressing such malpractices. For ethics to be strictly adhered to within an organisation, managers need to be the kind who see and also talk about what they see (Trevino and Catherine 2010, 33). This would be implying moral discernment and understanding on the part of the managers. OptiMotors, however, is a perfect example of an organization that does not put into action the â€Å"talking† or â€Å"discussion† bit while dealing with ethical issues of concern. The company’s senior manager notices how unethical it would be for the company if Galen, who is the sales manager, would be allowed to continue with plans to host the delegation from Kinan Motors at a strippers club. Although the CEO expresses dissatisfaction of the plans through his actions, the discussion he holds with his subo rdinate is casual. Bob is not strict in his objection of the plans and instead gives Galen room to decide on which way is perfect. He recognises the fact that Galen is a top performer who needs ample time to decide on what is right for him for as long as the company will be able to close the deal in a satisfactory manner. Bob’s actions towards Galen’s plans are strongly informed by the fact that his subordinate would have easily seen him as being a poor performer when it came to business knowledge and ideas. Although hosting potential business clients in an entertainment spot considered morally wrong could have resulted in OptiMotors losing out on the deal altogether, the CEO appears to be less concerned about the repercussions and instead, he is only concerned with his task of bidding for the clients. There is little indication that the CEO had the obligation of making judgements that concerned the company (Cragg 2012, 16). Had Bob been a manager who recognises the im portance of holding discussions as concerns ethical issues, he would have harboured a strong principle on the impact of communicating, especially to his workers, in a direct and overt manner. In this context, Bob would have given Galen chance to express his position and understanding as concerns his decision to host the delegation at a strippers club.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This would then have given Bob a clear and informed opportunity to discuss the issue and explain to him why the company would not condone such plans in the first place. In other words, communication would have allowed both Bob and Gallen to discuss their moral standings and review the implications to the company (Trevino and Catherine 2010, 45). OptiMotors does not create such an environment where subordinates and their respective supervisors can exhaustively discuss ethical practices. Though Galen is the head of the sales department, employees in his department raise their serious ethical concerns with the CEO instead of facing him over the same. April Hartley, an employee at the company serving in the sales department points it out to tell Bob that her reason for resigning from the company is as a result of unethical practices, which her supervisor, Galen, feels comfortable ordering subordinates in the department to practice. April also informs Bob that another employee from the d epartment, Joan, was on her way out because of the same reasons. This indicates that although the subordinates discuss these issues amongst themselves, they feel helpless because they have no channel of involving their superiors in the discussions (Grace and Cohen 2010, 86). To the workers, the fact that it is their own managers pushing them to indulge in unethical practices, in the name of making business, makes them resigned to believing that OptiMotors has little, if any, concerns for ethics and morality. The company, instead, appears to place more emphasis on money and business irrespective of the moral circumstances. Even after April hints to Bob of the impending resignation from Joan, the CEO does not take the initiative to discuss it out with Galen. Both Joan and April are experienced top performing sales representatives whose resignation should have served as a wakeup call for the management to act on the escalating immorality at the firm. However, the concern for business t akes centre stage in the company’s operations, and the CEO, although is disheartened at the resignations, seems to be contented that the company is performing well in the business front. Bob promises the workers that he is willing to discuss their concerns only after they raise it up with him. He is not unaware of what transpires in the company but wishes that workers need to be less pushy and tolerate the practices for as long as the company remains profitable. This continued action by the management, unfortunately, has created the impression to the workers that the company and its entire management have little considerations for ethics (Trevino and Catherine 2010, 39). The diagram below showcases the ethical decision making process in an organisation. Source: Managing Business A talking manager can hardly condone the culture of leniency on committing mistakes at will (Cuillla 2011, 340). Had Bob spoken out in the strongest words possible against Galen’s plans, it wo uld have enhanced accountability amongst the staff at the firm. Workers are likely to be strict in their operations if they see managers speak with firmness against immoral practices. Had this been the case, Bob as the CEO of the company, would have instead initiated imaginative solutions on how to treat the delegation from Kinan Motors other than allowing them to be hosted at the Red Ruby Club. When the CEO appears to discourage Galen from pursuing his Red Ruby plan, the latter is quick to point out that even when Bob goes out to play golf so as to find clients, it is not because he is immoral but because clients have to be looked out for in all means possible (Sen 2009, 46). Bob does not emerge to set the record straight as concerns the two scenarios but rather keeps quiet in the hope that his silence will interfere less with Galen’s plans of finding a lucrative deal for the company. Acting against Unethical Practices Although holding discussions about ethical concerns is p art of acting for managers, there is more action needed from managers to ensure that the ethical issues are fully addressed. Before action can be pursued, the unethical practices must be clearly revealed, and alternative solutions sought to address the situation. Organizational cultures and practices form part of the action plan which managers must pursue to address immorality and unethical practices in the organization. It is evident that OptiMotors lacks any internal structures that can effectively address the concept of ethics within its ranks. Bob, although can determine that Galen’s intended action is ethically wrong, he lacks the structural support to reign in the dissenting officer. Even after the two employees resign citing ethical reasons, Bob is in agreement with their concerns, but the lack of existing structural support leaves him without any resolve to act on the matter (Spencer 1998, 210). Ethical action, however, takes place in a process where one activity lead s to the other (Cuillla 2011, 336). It is this reasoning that explains why it becomes difficult for Bob to out rightly act on Galen’s action plan concerning the evening out of potential OptiMotors’ clients at a strippers club. Equally, the manager fails to move in with speed and put on check a situation where highly performing employees are resigning because of being compelled to act in a manner that is ethically unacceptable. The company can wholesomely be regarded as consequentialist in its actions, planning, and reasoning through its insistence that serving customers is the main concern, whether or not the way followed to attain this objective meets the ethical threshold. Review of the Ethical Concept In seeking to operate in an ethically satisfactory manner that is acceptable to both customers and employees as well, organisations and their management must review all ethical issues arising and seek to address them once and for all. Ethical review enables the organis ation to entrench a culture which, apart from seeking to pursue moral uprightness in actions, also seeks to eliminate completely unethical practices and behaviour (Sandel 2009, 23). When reviews on how the company deals with ethics are not conducted on a regular basis, it leaves the company exposed and, thus, putting it in a very tight situation. It is the lack of ethical reviews that leave Bob unsure of what to do when reality finally downs on him that his company is facing a crisis on ethics. Key employees are leaving OptiMotors, but the CEO feels by interrupting he will affect Galen’s productivity, which would in turn translate to losses in the firm (Cragg 2012, 9). Conclusion Ethics is a key ingredient in the performance of any organisation or company. Clients often analyse the ethical stature of a company before deciding on whether or not to do business with a firm. However, it is important that as companies compete to win the trust of customers, they do not over indulge and in the process end up acting immorally. OptiMotors perform particularly well because the company has put its ultimate goal as that of winning customers at whatever cost. Thus, the sales department which has the responsibility of winning clients indulges in immoral acts in the name of entertaining its clients, both potential and existing ones. Although the CEO notices this, he fails to talk about it, and his inaction leads to key employees resigning their positions citing unethical practice. Reference List Albert, Spalding Jr. Franks Rita. 2012. â€Å"Business ethics as an accreditation requirement: a knowledge mapping approach.† Global Conference on Business Finance Proceedings 7, no. 2: 224-236. Cragg, Wesley. 2012. â€Å"Ethics, enlightened self-interest, and the corporate responsibility to respect human rights: A critical look at the justificatory foundations of the UN framework.† Business Ethics Quarterly 22, no. 1: 9-36 Cuillla, Joanne. 2011. â€Å"Is busi ness ethics getting better? A historical perspective.† Business Ethics Quarterly 21, no. 2: 335-343. Grace, Damien, and Cohen Stephen. 1999. Business ethics, 4th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Lampe, Marc, and Crystal Engleman-Lampe. 2012. â€Å"Mindfulness-based business ethics education.† Academy of Educational Leadership Journal 16, no. 3: 99-111 Rutherford, Matthew, Parks Laura, Cavazos David, and White Charles. 2012. â€Å"Business ethics as a required course: Investigating the factors impacting the decision to require ethics in the undergraduate business core curriculum.† Academy of Management Learning Education 11, no. 2: 174-186. Sandel, Michael. 2009. Justice: What’s the right thing to do? New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. Sen, Amartya Kumar. 2009. The idea of justice. Cambridge: The Belknap Press. Spencer, Pickett. 1998. â€Å"Diary of a control freak: The manager’s guide to internal control.† Managerial Auditing Journ al 13, no. 4: 210-232. Trevino, Linda, and Katherine Nelson. 2010. Managing business ethics. Danvers, MA: John Wiley Sons. 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7 Techniques to Turn Your Business Proposal into a Best Seller

7 Techniques to Turn Your Business Proposal into a Best Seller Summertime is when a lot of people grab a book, plop down in a lawn or beach chair and blissfully enter a vivid world that some novelist created. You may think that the way a novelist weaves the web of story is different from the way you write a business proposal, but maybe you should think again. After all, novelists have to solicit business (convince you to read the whole book), state the problem (present the main story conflict), present a solution (resolve the conflict) and show credibility (create a convincing world). Isn’t that what a proposal does? Here are 7 tips from novelists that will help you write a best-selling proposal: #1: KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS Novelists will often write character studies, making lists of attributes for each main character. They include things like what kind of clothing the character wears, how much they eat, what music they listen to and what they love or hate in their relationships. Most of this detail will not make it into the finished novel, but a deep understanding of each character allows the novelist to write the story in a way that has readers empathizing with these fictional people. So, too, will a successful business proposal show the depth of knowledge you have of the target company, their industry and the challenges they face. Do your homework on the client before sitting down to write the proposal. A good business proposal focuses fully on client needs and wants. It's not about you. #2: REMEMBER WHO THE MAIN CHARACTER IS Have you ever started a novel that focuses on one character, only to find out later that he or she has a bit part in the overall plot? That is a failing on the part of the novelist, who should make it clear right up front who the star of the story is. The equivalent of this mistake is when a proposal starts with an â€Å"About Us† segment that describes your company, the services you offer and the great projects you have completed. Your company is not the main character in this drama- the client is. Your best-selling business proposal focuses on the client, their problem and how you propose to solve it. Your qualifications come later and are supplemental to the main plot of the proposal. #3: HOOK ‘EM FAST â€Å"Start the piece where the trouble starts.† - Adair Lara Novelists are prodded to go straight to the conflict at the heart of the story. This is referred to as In medias res- Latin for â€Å"in the middle of things.† A reader wants to get right to the action with no throat clearing or long set-ups. Your proposal also should waste no time in getting to the action. Capture your reader’s attention by moving quickly to a statement of the client’s problem, and how you propose to solve it. #4: SLOW DOWN AT THE POINT OF GREATEST COMPLEXITY Have you ever read a novel where the author rushed through a scene right at the height of the action? Or worse- did he use the â€Å"old fade to black† routine? What was your reaction? You probably felt cheated and clapped the book shut. The same thing will happen if you use fuzzy language or rush the reader of your business proposal through the â€Å"How We Will Help You Solve Your Problem† section of the document. This is the "action scene" where you slow down and give the reader a lot of detail. Clearly explain exactly how you will help the client. Do not use over worked terms such as value-added, optimize, best practice, or leverage. Avoid industry jargon or acronyms your potential client might not understand. #5: CHOOSE THE RIGHT LANGUAGE â€Å"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. - Mark Twain Language is the tool in a novel that sets scene, portrays emotion, creates mood and brings the story alive in the reader’s mind. Successful proposals contain the right language for the client: specific to their industry, free of jargon, and above all, clear. For help with this step, review our Guide to Clarity in Business Writing. #6: MAKE EVERY WORD MATTER â€Å"Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.† - Elmore Leonard You know you’ve done it- jumped ahead in a novel to get to the good parts, skipping long descriptions, redundant characterizations, etc. Your clients are also good at skimming. They have to be in order to save their time and sanity because so many business documents are long and convoluted. Take a cue from the writers of page-turning novels and make each word of your proposal crucial. Set a quick pace in your narrative, provide headings for ease of reading and leave plenty of white space. #7: FIND A REALLY GOOD EDITOR â€Å"Writing can be like folding a banquet-sized tablecloth; you can do it yourself, but it’s a lot easier when you can find somebody to help.† - Ted Kooser Good novels are the result of collaboration. The successful novelist has received both instruction and critique to hone his writing skills. He also takes advantage of the services of a good editor to make sure the novel is ready for publication. Writing a proposal is often a team effort. Information and data are pulled together from various sources. The proposal goes through several drafts and different people look through the document before it is ready to send off to the client. If you are the sole person writing and reviewing the proposal, be certain to let it sit for 24 hours before you edit it. You're too familiar with the material and format to objectively improve upon it, so let a little time pass so you can view it with fresh eyes. Review ourproposal writing course. This is a practicum course with individual coaching, which guides you through an actual work proposal: Your instructor will review key incremental exercises, guiding you to a perfect final proposal. Learn the planning and writing process required to write a proposal that wins business. Receive coaching on the organization, sequencing, and language of your proposal. And, receive one-on-one live proposal coaching, via WebEx, to ensure all of the proposals you write win business.

What it takes to be a Successful Enterpreneur Essay

What it takes to be a Successful Enterpreneur - Essay Example According to authors Stevenson and Amabile, the origin of the term entrepreneur, literarily defined as â€Å"’undertaker’—has been around for over two centuries, having been introduced in the early eighteenth century by the Parisian banker Richard Cantillon† (Stevenson and Amabile par. 1). In this regard, the essay aims to proffer crucial information that would describe entrepreneurial behavior and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. The discourse would be presented through an initial discussion of diverse definitions of the term entrepreneurship from secondary sources, prior to delving into one’s personal contention and point of view. In addition, the common traits or characteristics of successful entrepreneurs would likewise be determined and expounded. Finally, the remarkable experiences of some of the most successful entrepreneurs would be perused. A concluding portion would highlight the relevant points discussed through the paper. D efinition of Entrepreneur According to Endres and Woods, an entrepreneurial behavior exemplifies manifestation of â€Å"the motives and acts enabling entrepreneurs to reach decisions in their roles as creators of profitable opportunities and as exploiters of those opportunities† (Endres and Woods 2-3). New Combinations, a website devoted to social studies of entrepreneurship has complied definitions of the term from The Handbook of Economic Sociology by Smelser and Swedberg, where Howard E. Aldrich has been cited to provide an effective and concise summary of various definitions of entrepreneurship, to wit: (1) the setting up of high-growth and high-capitalisation firms (as opposed to low-growth and low-capitalisation ‘lifestyle’ businesses); (2) innovation and innovativeness leading to new products and new markets (the Schumpeterian tradition); (3) opportunity recognition (the Kirznerian tradition); and (4) the creation of new organisations (New Combinations par . 1). From among these definitions, one observed that for an activity to be categorized as entrepreneurial, the endeavor must be innovative, leading to a discovery of something new (products, services, markets or organizations), and entails the use of vast resources to achieve high returns. Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs In a study conducted by Acharyaa, Rajanb, and Schoarc, they identified that the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs are actually categorized according to: (1) psychological traits (achievement motivation, locus of control, meta-cognitive activity, need for dominance, passion for work, and self efficacy); and (2) cognitive reflection (IQ), risk aversion and time preference (Acharyaa, Rajanb and Schoarc). These authors’ findings indicate that successful entrepreneurs exhibit achievement-motivated behaviors where achievable goals are clearly set and strategies effectively designed to attain them. They are manifest internal locus of controls, described as â€Å"they personally are in control of their destiny and that luck and fate have only a modest influence on the outcome of events. For internals, personal destiny comes from within and therefore they tend to be self-reliant and independent† (Acharyaa, Rajanb and Schoarc 5). In addition, successful entrepreneurs were deemed to be good meta-cognitive skills learners, defined as â€Å"taking conscious control of learning, planning and selecting strategies, monitoring the progress of learning, correcting errors, analyzing the effectiveness of learning strategies and changing learning behaviors and strategies when necessary† (Ridley et al. 1992; cited in Acharyaa, Rajanb a