Business Ethics and the Internet: A Critical Discussion - Essay Example

Critical Discussion of Business Ethics and the Internet Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Critically Evaluate Ethical /CSR Models in Relation to Business Use of SNS 3 Businesses Use Facebook for Targeting Children 7 7 Conclusion and Recommendations 9 References 11 Introduction The social networking sites (SNSs) are socio-technical tools that are used with the aim of developing social relationship with people. SNSs are seemed to be used in widespread manner for various purposes which include communication, marketing as well as advertising and developing social relationship. SNSs comprise different sites that include MySpace, Facebook, Linked In, YouTube, 4Square and Twitter, which are used on a global context (AASW, 2013). Presently, millions of people for business communication and interaction purposes use social media technologies. SNSs are also identified as medium assisting people and businesses in creating, exchanging as well as sharing information in an effective manner. The increased use of SNSs has raised the issue of business ethics in the present scenario owing to different implications that SNSs pose towards culture, society and politics, which seems to influence behaviour as well as opinions of people especially of children in tremendous manner. In this regard, businesses adopts different business ethics or ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) policy with the aim of ensuring that privacy and identity of individuals are protected. Additionally, business ethics are adopted with the aim of minimising cybercrime, scams and gambling, which might adversely affect the attitudes of children (Guffey & Loewy, 2013; Jurisova, 2013). Critically Evaluate Ethical /CSR Models in Relation to Business Use of SNS In the present business scenario, business ethics play an effective role in ensuring that business operations are conducted in a socially responsible manner. Business ethics are standards along with principles adopted with the intention of ensuring that business operations are performed in adherence with acceptable conducts. Business organisations use SNSs as an effective medium of communicating with customers and other stakeholders successfully. Businesses are identified to adopt stockholders theories in seeking that resources are used with better social responsibility in order to accomplish desired business profitability successfully (Smith & et. al., 2011; Fernanda, 2009). Businesses with the assistance of SNSs are facilitated in conducting business operations with better profit maximization objectives. Businesses are recognised to adopt SNSs with the intention of conducting advertising as well as sales operations in worldwide market segments for obtaining large customer base and supporting their profit earning capabilities. Currently, children are recognised to use to SNSs in an immense manner for gaming, communication and making online friends. In this regard, businesses targeting children for achieving profit motives might raise ethical issues relating to interest conflicts amid business personnel, unfair business practices, internet gambling and miscommunication among others. In this regard, children engaged with the usage of SNSs services are seemed to affect their social relationship, monetary resources and time, which might influence their future academic growth and career objectives (Bonchi & et. al., 2011; Gainsbury & Wood, 2011; Clark & Roberts, 2010). Presently, businesses use social media technologies for communication as well as promotional activities with the aim of targeting a larger customer base. Businesses performing online services can be identified to engage in online gambling activities (Bolotaeva & Cata, 2011; Lenhart & et. al., 2010). In this respect, children accessing SNSs are seemed to be inclined towards internet gambling. Internet gambling has augmented to a large extent due to its addictive nature. Children viewing promotions related to gambling games and other gambling activities are attracted towards such activities which result engrossing addictive nature in them. Subsequently, the children develop an addictive behaviour along with attitude towards gambling games, which increase criminal activity in relation to money laundering, fraudulent practices and unauthorised use of credit cards. Moreover, the addictive behaviour of the children towards internet gambling activities might adversely affect the social well-being of the children due to social isolation (Dowdell & et. al., 2011). Businesses conducting gambling activities are required to ensure that marketing and promotional activities are made with due consideration of ethical standards for better sustainable business performances (Olason & et. al., 2011; Braverman & Shaffer, 2010). In the present business scenario, business organisations are required to perform business operations in a socially responsible manner for sustainable performance and well-being of society. Consequently, businesses adopt CSR policies with the aim of ascertaining that business operations are conducted successfully. Businesses adopt different CSR models in order to ascertain that objectives relating to environmental protection, developing relationship with local communities, human resource management, health as well as safety provisions and building relationship with customers along with suppliers are accomplished successfully. In this regard, businesses with the assistance of CSR models are obliged in meeting the needs of society by its engagement with different promotional activities, which might benefit society (Hardwig, 2010). Businesses targeting children through advertisements as well as sales activities adopts CSR policies in ascertaining that information is communicated in a transparent, integrated and coherent manner. Contextually, both private as well as public sectors adopt CSR models with the aim of managing privacy and surveillance while conducting their operations for better business sustainability. CRS models are adopted by business organisations in targeting children, as they are susceptible as well as inexperience and in this regard, they might possess misleading perceptions about deferment aspects. Correspondingly, children possessing misconception ideas might negatively influence their attitudes along with behaviours (Snyder, 2011). Contextually, in accordance with the present business scenario requirements, business organisations should adopt CSR models based on different strategy that include altruistic strategy, citizenship strategy, shareholder strategy and reciprocal strategy with the intention of conducting business operations in an integrated and comprehensive manner. The CSR models ensure that businesses targeting children with their promotional as well as marketing strategies are able to conduct business operations in accordance with the needs of stakeholders. In this respect, the models aid business organisations in meeting the expectations of stakeholders. The models are identified to be effective in ascertaining that businesses are able to conduct operations with better values in relation to transparency, social responsibility, accountability and sustainability. Subsequently, businesses using SNSs for targeting children with the assistance of CSR models will be able to develop effective corporate governance strategies. In this respect, marketing and promotional activities over the SNSs will be able to address different factors that include social, economic and environmental objectives, which are essential for the growth along with development of children. Thus, the models will aid in developing effective strategies based on ethical standards for the development of the society as a whole (Iamandi, 2011). It can be comprehended that business organisations adopting CSR model are facilitated in conducting operations in an ethical manner minimising adverse influence on the behaviour as well as attitudes of the children accessing SNSs. Businesses Use Facebook for Targeting Children In the present contemporary business environment, business organisations are identified to adopt social media technologies such as SNSs which include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube among others with the intention of conducting business operations in an enhanced manner. Presently, Facebook is used in an augmented manner by business organisations due to increased number of online users. Moreover, the SNS is integrated with several applications as well as websites, which aid business organisations in targeting a larger number of customers on a global context. Users of different age groups use Facebook and in this regard, Facebook is used immensely by businesses for their marketing purposes (Cheung & et. al., 2011; Wilson & et. al., 2012). Business organisations adopting Facebook are facilitated with the opportunity of building an effective network based on which business organisations are able to communicate with customers efficiently. Facebook is recognized to be based on four pillars which include collaboration, communication, entertainment and education. These four pillars are considered as important factors for the social media strategy. In this respect, Facebook is adopted with the notion of communicating as well as educating the people of a community with respect to benefits which can be acquired from the products or services offered by a company. Collaboration signifies that with a social media strategy, a business organisation will be able to develop a better relationship as the employees can communicate their wisdom for better development and growth of a company. The entertainment pillar implies that the attributes as well as benefits of products as well as services to be communicated in an entertaining manner. These four pillars assisted business organizations to develop better relationship with customers as well as to enhance business performances. Correspondingly, complaints made by consumers that are obtained through SNSs can be addressed in an effective manner by businesses (Safko & Brake, 2009). In this respect, business organisations with the assistance of Facebook are able to develop an extensive communication network with children in an enhanced manner. Business organisations use Facebook with the objective of conducting market research about the requirements of the children. Correspondingly, business organisations developing an extensive communication network are able to obtain relevant information in relation to the preferences as well as the requirements of customers. Additionally, businesses are able to procure feedbacks from customers on the basis of which products and/or services are offered to customers. Businesses with the assistance of Facebook are facilitated in developing two-way communication services (Patino & et. al., 2012). Contextually, businesses are able to develop an effective relationship with children using SNS i.e. Facebook, which in return aids businesses in building trusts as well as loyalty amid children about the products and/or services offered. Subsequently, businesses presenting entertaining advertisements through their promotional activities are able to target children effectively (Zhou & et. al., 2013; Wang & Zhang, 2012). Respectively, Facebook assist business organisations in communicating messages succinctly with children and promoting their products and services in better lucrative manner, which aid them in targeting children efficiently. The children engaged with SNSs are attracted towards advertisements that are presented by business organisations. Facebook also aids business organisations in ensuring online users that they are able to communicate with better security and protection. However, Facebook is also determined to poses different threats for children that include Facebook depression and privacy issues, which might adversely affect their behaviours along with attitudes (Wang & Zhang, 2012; O’Keeffe & et. al., 2011). Conclusion and Recommendations It can be comprehended from the foregoing discussion that SNSs are important media technologies used with the intention of developing better relationship amid people. SNSs are also used in an immense manner by businesses with the aim of communicating to a large number of audiences. Business organisations with the assistance of SNSs are also able to create, share and exchange information with worldwide customers. SNSs comprise different media technologies such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter among others that are used immensely by general people and businesses in order to develop an extensive social relationship with others on a global context. Additionally, SNSs are used by businesses with the aim of conducting their marketing and promotional activities in an intensive manner. In this respect, businesses are able to promote their products and/or services to a large number of people globally cost effectively. Contextually, businesses using SNSs are required to adopt ethical considerations in order to ensure that the implications that SNSs pose towards behaviour as well as attitudes of the people especially children. SNSs are identified to possess different ethical issues for business organisations which include unethical business practices, miscommunication and interest conflicts among others. In this respect, children possess negative influences with respect to their attitudes as well as behaviours from advertisements that are made through SNSs, as they are inclined towards internet gambling and social isolation among others. In this regard, businesses adopted different CSR models based on citizenship strategy, shareholder strategy and reciprocal strategy among others with the intention of ensuring that business operations are conducted in accordance with stakeholders, societal requirements and environmental requirements. Facebook is seemed to be used in an immense manner by business organisations due to the growing usage of the SNS worldwide. Facebook assists businesses in performing their marketing activities successfully due to effective reach to a large number of customers. In this regard, it can be recommended that Gambling Act should be enacted in an enhanced manner with the aim of ascertaining that internet gambling is regulated successfully. Subsequently, enactment of the Act will aid in ensuring that children are protected from gambling rackets as well as money laundering activities. The Act will ensure that business operations are conducted fairly, so that children are protected from exploitations of gambling activities (Lamont & et. al., 2011). The SNSs service providers are also required to comply with regulations governing the use of internet by children such as ‘Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act’ (COPPA) in a legitimate manner with the aim of protecting children from exploitation, Facebook depression, privacy issues and cyberbullying among others. The Act will ensure that the SNSs are prohibited from obtaining personal information of children under the age of 13 years. Additionally, the prescribed age children are also restricted from signing up in SNSs with the aim of protecting children from getting exploited towards unethical activities (O’Keeffe & et. al., 2011; Thompson & et. al., 2011). References AASW, 2013. Ethics and Practice Guideline – Social Media, Information and Communication Technologies: Part 2. Social Networking, pp. 1-7. 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