GGSR LESSON 5 (business ecology)

Ecology

is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment.

Nature

• is the foundation of all economies, yet decisions about using natural resources, both by public institutions and private enterprise, rarely account for the true value of natural capital or ecosystem services.

Ecology

• refers to the study of the relationships between organisms and their environments. The operative term is "interrelationships," implying that an interdependence exists among all entities in the environment.

ecosystem

In speaking about ecological matters,

ecologists frequently use the term ____, which refers to a total ecological community, both living and nonliving. Webs of interdependency structure ecosystems. Predators and prey, producers and consumers, hosts, and parasites are linked together, creating interlocking mechanisms—

checks and balances-that stabilize the system

social problem

A ____ is a condition or a type of behavior that many people believe is harmful.

True

Some conditions clearly hurt people, such as lacking enough money to buy basic food, shelter, and clothing, being unable to find a job, or suffering from the effects of a polluted environment.

However, the extent to which any of these or other conditions or behaviors becomes social problems is based not only on the reality of their existence but on the level of public concern. (Rowen,

2019)

objective Element

1. The _____ is the reality of the conditions of poverty: the reality of insufficient access to food, health services, and education; and high rates of infant mortality, preventable diseases, and illiteracy. The objective elements of a social problem may either be personally experienced or measured in some way. (Rowen, 2019)

subjective Element

1. The ____ of poverty is the level of public concern about these objective conditions, the desire to alleviate them, and the belief that this is possible.

Social structure

• is the expression of relatively stable patterns of social behavior and relationships among people. (Rowen, 2019)

Social structure

• It means how a society is organized. A social institution is a continuing pattern of social relationships intended to

• fulfill

people's basic needs and aspirations and carry out functions essential to the operation of society.

Values

which define what is good, desirable, beautiful, and worth working for, are the goals that culture gives people to strive to achieve in life and, in so doing, feel fulfilled and good about themselves.
People's values can influence whether they view specific conditions or behaviors as social problems (Rowen, 2019)

Culture

provides values for people to strive for, it also provides guidelines for how to behave in society to achieve and maintain them.

Norms

• are shared rules for behavior. The mildest norms, called folkways, are general expectations for behavior in particular social situations, like shaking hands when being introduced to someone new

Laws

are rules for behavior enforced by the government. While laws are often also mores, this is not always the case. (Rowen, 2019)

Beliefs

are another important element of culture. They are the ideas people have about what is true and how things should be.

increased our environmental problems,

free and unlimited good

Several related attitudes, prevalent in our society in general and in business in particular, have let to or _______. One of these is the tendency to view the natural world as "_____"-that is, as something we can exploit, even squander, without regard to the future. (Cooley, 2009)

Environmental ethics

is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its nonhuman contents.

anthropocentric or human-centered

The first of these theories ______. Environmental anthropocentrism is the view that all environmental responsibility is derived from human interests alone. The assumption here is that only human beings are morally significant persons and have a direct moral standing.

animal rights view

A second general approach to environmental responsibility is to base it on the moral consideration that we owe to animals, a position that we will call the ______. In this view, higher animals qualify as morally significant creatures, such as dogs, cats, cows, horses, pigs, dolphins, and chimpanzees.

ecocentrism

The third theory is that of _____, which is that we have direct responsibilities to environmental collections, such as animal species and rain forests, just as we have direct responsibilities to humans.

• Even if there is no direct human consequence of destroying environmental collections, we still have a moral responsibility to those collections anyway. Eco centrists use various terms to express this direct responsibility to the environment. They suggest that the environment has direct rights, that it qualifies for moral personhood, which it is deserving of a direct duty, and that it has inherent worth.

Anthropocentric Perspective

businesses have an obligation not to damage the environment in ways that negatively impact on human life.

Animal Rights Perspective

, businesses have an obligation to avoid harming animals either directly or indirectly. They need to avoid harming animals directly, such as they might do through animal testing or inhumane food production techniques. They need to avoid harming animals indirectly, such as they might do by destroying animal environments.

Ecocentrist Perspective

, businesses have a direct obligation to protect the environment since it is wrong to harm members of the moral community, and the environment is a member of the moral community.

anthropocentric

ecocentrism

animal rights view

Philosophical Theories of Environmental Responsibility

Anthropocentric Perspective

Animal Rights Perspective

Ecocentrist Perspective,

Implications for Businesses

Prohibitions

Requirements,

There are two basic forms of duty prohibitions and requirements.

Prohibitions

specify things we may or should not do. They are "don'ts," as in don't lie, cheat, or steal.

Requirements

, on the other hand, are mandates specifying things we must or should do. The 'dos" include be kind, be fair, and be respectful.

1. Law-Based Moral Obligations

2. Promise-Based Moral Obligations

3. Moral Principle as the Basis of Moral Obligation

Moral obligations arise from three sources: laws, promises, and principles.

(Moral Obligations)

Law-Based Moral Obligations

Good citizens have a moral as well as a legal obligation to abide by laws; it is part of the assumed social contract of a civilized society. In fact, many laws simply codify ethical standards of conduct fundamental to healthy social relations and effective commerce.

Promise-Based Moral Obligations.

The second source of moral obligation is based on a promise or agreement. While not all promises reach the level of an enforceable contract, honorable people and companies recognize and fulfill the moral obligation to do the things they agreed to do, especially if others are counting on them to do SO.

Moral Principle as the Basis of Moral Obligation.

The third source of moral obligation is a moral principle, a standard of conduct that exists irrespective of laws or agreements. Moral principles can be mandated by religious doctrine or derived through rational philosophical reasoning.

True

The foremost responsibility of business enterprises is to ensure that they should not damage the environment, and for this purpose, they should reduce as much as possible air and water pollution by their productive activities.

True

The corporate enterprises should adopt high standards of environmental protection and ensure that they are implemented regardless of enforcement of any environmental laws passed by the government.

True

A sincere commitment by the top management of the business to cultivate, maintain, and develop work culture for environmental protection and pollution prevention.

True

To ensure that the commitment towards environmental protection is shared by all the employees of all the divisions of the business.

True

We are developing clear-cut policies and programs for purchasing good quality raw material, using the latest technology, using scientific techniques of disposal and waste management, and developing the skills of the employees for the purpose of pollution control.

True

To adapt to the laws and regulations passes by the government for the prevention of pollution.

True

Participation in government programs relating to the management of hazardous substances, clearing up of polluted water bodies, plantation of trees, and reducing deforestation.

True

Assessment of pollution control programs in terms of costs and benefits to increase the progress with respect to environmental protection.

True

Also, businesses can arrange workshops and give training material and share technical information and experience with suppliers and customers to get them involved in pollution control programs.

True

It is promoting green energy that reduces the use of fossil fuels.