Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo

code of ethics
A set of guidelines prepared by a firm to provide its employees with the knowledge of what the firm expects in terms of their responsibilities and behavior toward fellow employees, customers, and suppliers.
corporate philanthropy
The practice of charitable giving by corporations; includes contributing cash, donating equipment and products, and supporting the volunteer efforts of company employees.
corporate social responsibility (CSR)
The concern of businesses for the welfare of society as a whole; consists of obligations beyond those required by law or contracts.
deontology
A philosophy in which a person will follow his or her obligations to an individual or society because upholding one's duty is what is ethically correct.
ethical issue
A situation where a person must choose from a set of actions that may be ethical or unethical.
ethics
A set of moral standards for judging whether something is right or wrong.
justice
What is considered fair according to the prevailing standards of society; an equitable distribution of the burdens and rewards that society has to offer.
social investing
The practice of limiting investments to securities of companies that behave in accordance with the investor’s beliefs about ethical and social responsibility to encourage businesses to be more socially responsible.
stakeholders
Individuals or groups to whom a business has a responsibility; include employees, customers, the general public, and investors.
strategic giving
The practice of tying philanthropy and corporate social responsibility efforts closely to a company’s mission or goals and targeting donations to the communities where a company does business.
utilitarianism
A philosophy that focuses on the consequences of an action to determine whether it is right or wrong; holds that an action that affects the majority adversely is morally wrong.
Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-introduction
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-introduction
Citation information

© Apr 5, 2023 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.