Internet Exercises

1. Examining a Company's Commitment to Ethics and Social Responsibility

Instructions

Follow the links to examine each company's commitment to business ethics and social responsibility.

Lockheed Martin http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

Sears, Roebuck & Co. http://www.sears.com

Levi Strauss http://www.levistrauss.com

Answer the following questions for each company:

1. Does the company have a code of ethics or code of conduct on its Web site? What steps did you complete in order to find the code?

2. Does the company provide guidance on ethical issues, such as conflict of interest, fairness, and honesty? If so, what examples and advice are given?

3. What information is available on the company's social responsibility plans, such as consumer relations, environmental impact, and community involvement?

4. The Council on Economic Priorities Accreditation Agency (CEPAA) has created SA8000. Using information from the CEPAA Web site http://www.cepaa.org describe the purpose and framework for SA8000.

2. Current Consumer Issues

Visit the United States Consumer Gateway Web site by following the link below. Explore three important current consumer issues described on the site.

United States Consumer Gateway http://www.consumer.gov

Answer the following questions for each issue:

1. Describe the products and companies involved.

2. Discuss the concerns for consumers. Which of the four components of the Consumer Bill of Rights are possibly violated?

3. Which, if any, regulatory agency is involved with the issue?

4. Describe how you would respond to the issue if you were the chief executive officer of a company involved in the consumer issue.