Vocabulary

social responsibility – ответственность перед обществом; социальная

ответственность

pursuit of profit – погоня за прибылью

concern – забота; дело; интерес; участие

ethics - этика

rules of conduct – правила поведения

ethical dilemma – нравственная дилемма

valid – веский, обоснованный

ethical lapse – нравственный проступок; аморальный поступок

falsely inflating prices – намеренно вздутые цены

reinforce commitment to ethics – подкреплять приверженность этическим

нормам

comply – соглашаться, уступать, подчиняться

compliance – согласие; подчинение

defense contractor – военный подрядчик

stakeholder – «стейкхолдер», субъект взаимовлияния,

shortchange – обманывать

fold – свернуться, прекратить существование

quit – бросать работу, увольняться

disregard – пренебрегать, не обращать внимания

clamor – шумно требовать

executive – руководитель, менеджер

respond – отвечать, отзываться, реагировать

environmental protection – защита окружающей среды

national defense – (зд) защита нации

consumerism – защита потребителей

civil rights – гражданские права

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. How do you understand the concept of social responsibility?

2. Why is the ideal relationship between business and society a matter of

debate?

3. What is ethics?

4. Explain the difference between ethical dilemmas and ethical lapses.

5. What does encouraging ethical behavior mean?

6. Identify four stakeholder groups to which business has a responsibility.

7. What acute problems does social responsibility entail?

B. Business and the Environment

Economic progress threatens our air, water, and land because these elements can so easily be tainted by pollution(the contamination or destruction of the natural environment by humans). This problem is pervasive in industrialized and developing nations alike. In fact, the emerging economies of Asia and Latin America have built much of their growth on very loose environmental standards. But Mexico, Malaysia, and other countries are realizing that their prosperity can be sustained only if their citizens can enjoy the quality of life that comes with a clean environment.

Air Pollution. The most noticeable form of air pollution, smog, is produced by the interaction of sunlight and hydrocarbons (gases released when fossil fuels are burnt). Another damaging air pollutant is acid rain, created when emissions from coal-burning factories and electric utility plants react with air. In addition, emissions from factories and cars pollute the air and contribute to global warming through the greenhouse effect, in which heated gases form a layer of unusually warm air around the earth, trapping the sun’s heat and preventing the earth’s surface from cooling. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes over 900 scientists worldwide, recently reported that global warming will cause worldwide temperatures to rise by 1 to 3.5 degrees centigrade in the 21^st century. This is expected to lead to increases in both droughts and floods in some regions and cause the sea level to rise about 50 centimeters by 2100. The report concludes that “the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate”.

Water Pollution. Our air is not the only part of our environment to suffer. Water pollution has damaged many lakes, rivers, streams, harbors, and coastal waters. This pollution comes from a variety of sources: manufacturing facilities, mining and construction sites, farms, and city sewage systems .A serious threat is the careless day-to-day disposal of waters from thousands of individual sources.

Land Pollution. Even if all wastewater were purified before being discharged, our groundwater would still be endangered by leakage from the millions of tons of hazardous substances that have been buried underground or dumped in improper storage sites. Much of this pollution was created years ago by companies that carelessly – but legally – disposed of substances now known to be unhealthy. Cleaning up these wastes is extremely difficult and expensive.

In addition, companies and individuals generate enormous amounts of solid waste – over 200 million tons in the United States each year. Much of this waste ends up in landfills. A large part of the problem is consumer demands for convenience and fashion. These demands lead to creating disposable items, manufacturing products with excess packaging, and discarding useful items that are no longer the hot style or color. Fortunately, recent efforts to conserve and recycle resources are helping to combat the land pollution problem.

Today, over 80 percent of people in the United States consider themselves environmentalists, and many are willing to pay higher prices in order to reduce pollution. Politicians and businesspeople are aware of the change in the public’s concern for the environment, and they’re responding accordingly. The innovative approach to reducing pollution is based on free-market principles. In certain cities, companies can buy and sell pollution rights. Each company is given an allowable “pollution quota” based on such factors as its size and industry. If a company voluntarily reduces pollution below its limit, it can sell its “credits” to another company. This provides an incentive for companies to find efficient ways of reducing pollution. Pioneering companies are reducing the flow of pollutants into the environment – and lowering their cleanup bills – by using alternative materials, changing production techniques, redesigning products, and recycling wastes.

Although many companies do a good job of regulating themselves, it is often public and government pressure that cause businesses to clean up their acts. Companies that pollute excessively not only risk being charged with violating federal laws but also risk being sued by private citizens. For example, Weyerhaeuser, a major forest products company, was sued for $1 billion by landowners who accused the company of releasing dioxin, a suspected carcinogenic chemical, into waterways around its plant in Columbus, Mississippi.