Ethical Issues Facing Uber

Ethical Issues Facing Uber Introduction This report deals with UBER’s company profile, ethical dilemmas or issues facing the company and suggestions or recommendations from how to overcome these issues. This report also deals with how the company is becoming a safety hazard for the society, despite the increase in demand for their services as well as the accusations it is facing from all sides of society.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"UBER Technologies Inc. is an American multinational online transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It develops markets and operates the UBER mobile app, which allows consumers with Smartphone’s to submit a trip request which is then routed to UBER drivers who use their own cars. As of May 28, 2015, the service was available in 58 countries and 300 cities worldwide. Since UBERs launch, several other companies have copied its business model, a trend that has come to be referred to as UBERification.†[1] Despite its increase in demand for the services, UBER is facing many law suits and protests all over the world. UBER has been avoiding its responsibility towards society by neglecting its code of conduct and ethical code by participating in unethical practices. Its main goal is to expand and increase its market share and ignoring its corporate responsibility. UBER has been subjected to many law suits and ethical issues. The following are few of the ethical issues which are highlighted: Ethical issues Passenger Safety: According to New York Times, many UBER drivers have been convicted with sexual harassment and sexually assaulting of the passengers.   One of the reasons for this is improper background checks of the UBER drivers. Also, there are no proper set criteria for the requirements to become a driver and for the vehicle to be used by drivers. Many cases have been filled against UBER drivers involving in unethical practices such as sexual harassment, rapes and sexual assaults and so on with the passengers.   Other cases against drunk drivers driving UBER and misbehaving with passengers have also been registered in recent times. Some of the recent incidents are as following: A passenger in Chicago accused an UBER driver of sexually assaulting her.In Jan 2016, another case was filed in Chicago where an UBER driver was arrested for being suspect of kidnapping a drunken passenger and then taking her to a hotel for sexual assault. In London, a case had been registered against a UBER driver who sexually harassed a woman and ask her to perform oral sex. Security of Drivers: Recently many cases have been filed against the security of UBER’s drivers from passengers which include beating up of drivers, misbehaving with drivers and assaults of drivers etc. UBER is not taking proper actions for the security of its drivers. Many times, an UBER driver’s vehicle has been damaged by passengers but no proper responsibility has been taken by UBER for the protection of drivers. Some of the recent incidents relating to this are: On Nov 3, 2015, a drunken passenger in California assaults UBER driver over the weekend. Although the passenger lost his job as corporate manager at Taco Bell after the video was publicly released, UBER did not take any action to stop this kind of incident.Another recent incident happened on Jan 1, 2016 in Miami, when a Doctor in Florida aggressively attacked UBER driver. Some recorded the video of the incident and video got viral. Doctor was placed on administrative leave from hospital but nothing has been done from UBER’s side. Privacy Recently, UBER has been accused of keeping track of their customers with the help of smart phone app. The tracking system which the company is using to keep a track on its customers is called as ‘God View’, with which they can access the customer’s contacts and send an advertisement about their services. One can argue that the people are monitored by police departments too. But there is a moral difference. Police departments keep on track in order to maintain peace in the society whereas UBER is trying to expand its market range or business interests. In June 2015, EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), a non-profit organization headquartered at Washington D.C filed an official complaint on UBER about its misuse of customer’s privacy terms.[2]   Recruitment and Unethical Conduct of Employees: UBER is accused of following unethical recruitment and unethical behavior of its employees. UBER has hired some employees as brand ambassadors and provided them with credit cards in order to create a duplicate account with its competitors and to lure their drivers. This program is termed as SLOG (Supplying Long-term Operations Growth) by UBER.[3] UBER has also been accused of unethical behavior of its employees. In UBER, employees are encouraged to book the competitor services and cancel the order once they get the confirmation for the ride. The main competitor Lyft which is identifiable with pink mustaches has released information that the UBER employees have booked and cancelled approximately 5000 rides in time range of few months. Here the competitor has to face double losses of less number of customers and unnecessary expenses on going to the pick-up, place only to turn back with no customer. Here the question of unethical behavior as well as violation of fair competition laws arises.[4] Unethical leadership at UBER: First, CEO of UBER, Travis Kalanick admits to trying to torpedo funding efforts of his biggest rival, Lyft. He was also quoted admitting that his company tried to talk investors out of raising money for Lyft. Second, CEO Kalanick has also referred to his company as â€Å"Boob-er† by which he meant that running UBER has helped him meet girls. Bloomberg was quoted by talking about the CEO as â€Å"He can behave, gleefully, like a feral frat boy dreamed up by Ayn Rand; his mission statement runs to some variation of â€Å"you know, push a button and get around San Francisco like ballers.†[5] Finally I would like to conclude by saying that if ethics start at the top, then tone at the top certainly matters a great deal. Kalanick clearly needs some help with what it means to be an ethical leader, setting an example for his growing empire. UBER Poaching Competitors Drivers: â€Å"Independent contractors for UBER apparently use burner phones tied to dummy accounts, with instructions to vary the locations from which they order car rides from their main competitor, Lyft. Once in the car, the contractors apparently try to figure out whether drivers can be persuaded to switch loyalties to UBER, and in some markets can apparently offer them a sign-up kit on the spot. The latest documents shed new light on practices that Lyft has been complaining about it for some time, including in a CNN Money report this month in which the company claimed that 177 UBER workers had ordered and canceled more than 5,000 rides. That and other reports have framed those canceled rides as a form of sabotage. If someone orders a ride and then cancels it, it costs the driver the time, money and aggravation of going to the pick-up location to meet a rider who isn’t there.†[6] Recommendations: Passenger’s Safety As there are dozens of law suits filled over UBER’s passenger safety regarding the number of sexual harassments attempts over the passengers higher authorities in UBER should think of installing a new app that once opened in the time of emergency during any assaults in the transit time that will send calls and messages directly to the police control room or the any five relatives or the friends of the passengers as a signal of some assaults taking place at that very time. Security of Drivers Lots of incidents have been reported about assaults over drivers like beating up of drivers, abusing and misbehaving etc. However the company failed to take any measure to ensure the security of the drivers. UBER should take necessary actions for the assaults happening over the drivers like they should ask the driver to install security cameras and a disclaimer is sent via messages to the customers when they book rides saying â€Å"we value our customers, Assaults are public offenses, Violators will be prosecuted† and in case something wrong happens with the drivers UBER should take strict actions. Privacy Issues Firstly, There should be certain laws over the UBER so that the company is limited to the type of data that it collects for example payment information which is required by the company as a part of travel information but beyond these categories the company should be able to show or prove rights and reasonable comments over the collection of personal data. Secondly, UBER is required to delete all the records of the customer that it requires at the time customers uses the UBER services. For obvious reasons that once the ride is completed it should delete the customer’s information. UBER should really hire third party associates in order to verify the driver’s background check in order to ensure that further there are no more assaults from the drivers over the customers. Unethical conduct of employees For UBER to sustain for longer term and to be in the competition they should think of practicing and implementing new strategies to increase the business not by making fake accounts and to order fake rides from other competitors to decrease their business to make their own business more profitable. Such steps could be very harmful for long term business of a company as these cases will increase the business risk in terms of customer’s royalty.   Ã‚   References http://wtnh.com/2016/01/22/florida-UBER-driver-attack-caught-on-camera/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/after-attacking-UBER-driver-passenger-sues-him-for-5m/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-rising-safety-issues-that-could-throttle-UBER/ http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/the-complicated-politics-UBER http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/21/technology/UBER-ethics-oped/ http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/18/technology/UBER-unethical-peter-thiel/ http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/UBER_Rising_Valuations_Amidst_Ethical_Woes-Excerpts.htm http://www.consciouscompanymagazine.com/blogs/press/22766337-the-missing-link-at-UBER-ethics-innovation-conscious-capitalism https://www.tnwinc.com/9334/UBER-needs-business-ethics-training/ http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=16035 [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBER_(company) [2] http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=16035 [3]http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/UBER_Rising_Valuations_Amidst_Ethical_Woes-Excerpts.htm [4] https://www.tnwinc.com/9334/UBER-needs-business-ethics-training/ [5] http://www.ethical-leadership.co.uk/UBER/ [6] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/upshot/UBERs-secret-agents-was-poaching-from-lyft-unethical.html?_r=0

Bass Pro Shops

Prepare a S. W. O. T. analysis for Bass Pro Shops. What types of strategies do you recommend based on your analysis? Strengths (company’s internal factors from resources and capabilities)- Bass Pro Shops have a competitive advantage, which in the text is defined as â€Å"a firm has a marketing mix that the target market sees as better than a competitor’s mix† (Perreault et al, 2011 p. 47). The way that Bass Pro Shops has this competitive advantage is that its stores have become a tourist attraction making customers want to go into their stores to experience the unique environment that incorporates attractions and learning opportunities.In addition, Bass Pro Shops have gained recognition for their outstanding customer service. The people that they employ have been trained and have the expertise in the departments that they are assigned to. Bass Pro Shops is different from other competitors because it offers educational workshops on hobbies and sporting activities. Additionally, Bass Pro Shops are much larger than traditional outdoor outfitters, which allow them to offer a broader range of inventory and merchandise.By allowing the customer to use an indoor fishing pond or the shooting range to try out certain products before making a decision, Bass Pro Shops can eliminate the tension called dissonance that many shoppers feel after making a purchase (p. 164). Weaknesses (company’s resources and capabilities)- Bass Pro Shop could face weaknesses if they are unable to hire the experienced people with the great customer service that they require. Sometimes it could be hard to find both qualities in a person.If they are unable to locate customer service representatives with the high level of experience they desire, they could overcome this problem through a structured training program. The other problem they could face is high prices. Because they are a higher quality store with a larger and higher-paid staff, their prices are obviously goi ng to be higher than other similar sporting good stores. Customers knowing beforehand of the higher prices might avoid a visit to a Bass Pro Shop altogether to avoid purchasing over-priced merchandise.In addition, an experienced shopper may know exactly what they need for their activity of choice and may realize that the item can be purchased at a common retail store such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gander Mountain, or even Wal-Mart. Lastly, with the store being as large as it is, some shoppers may view it as a burden to pick up just a few things because they don’t want to spend all day in the store. Customers may find it easier to go to a local sporting good store to purchase sporting goods rather than travel to Bass Pro Shop and make a whole day event.Bass Pro can overcome this by advertising its online store as a convenience to customers. Opportunities (emerge from external environment, customers and competitors) The opportunities that Bass Pro Shop has include  "getting the customers in the door† because they are considered a family-friendly tourist attraction. Bass Pro Shops have activities, themed restaurants, and entertainment, which can provide something that will appeal to each member of a family.The money that they put into their stores to make them different from others makes them more attractive to customers. It would be important for Bass Pro Shops to advertise in a great distance from the store to try and reach out to travelers that might stop by the store on a road trip. Bass Pro Shops offer the education experience as well as the shopping experience may help a customer to decide to visit their store instead of the competitors because its a one-stop shop.Lastly, having skilled and highly-trained employees to assist the customers allows for new products to reach the attention of consumers; for example, if a family enters the store with the intention to purchase camping gear, an experienced camping enthusiast, the employee, may recommend additional products based on his or her camping experiences, which will generate more sales. Threats (emerge from external environment, customers and competitors) A major threat for Bass Pro Shops is the economy.With the economy in a downturn it makes it a lot more difficult for people to justify spending the money on things that they really do not need. And since these stores are not everywhere you go it causes people to travel long distances in order to visit, which means they have to spend additional money on fuel to get there. The gas prices have been increasing to amounts that have put a damper on a lot of peoples travel plans. With all of the economic problems some customers are going to go somewhere that is more local and better in their price range.In addition, Bass Pro Shops face threats from traditional and specialty sporting stores, mass-merchandisers, and catalog and Internet-based retailers. These merchandise providers are everywhere and the 50 Bass Pro Sh ops that are currently in the United States and Canada can be quite a distance for the outdoor enthusiast that already knows what he or she may need. Furthermore, the consumer who enters a store with the intention to only touch and / or play with an item that he or she ultimately plans to purchase online threatens all retail stores.We would recommend that Bass Pro Shops continue to make their stores unique; however, making a few â€Å"smaller† stores with some of the same features, lower prices, and closer to large shopping centers would allow customers to experience the environment, which may entice them to visit the larger stores. I think that since they are such a popular store people would visit the smaller stores, purchase merchandise, and take some of the classes that were offered. . Can you think of retailers in other categories that might successfully emulate the format and execution of Bass Pro Shops? As the video case states, â€Å"the marriage between retailing an d entertainment is here to stay† (p. 635). Although there are not other retailers that have successfully emulated the format and execution of Bass Pro Shops, below is a list of companies that attempt to create a unique experience for the consumer. a.Build-a-Bear Workshops let kids personalize their stuffed animals. b. Mall of America is more than just a shopping mall; it is also a tourist destination. The mall is on the extreme side in that it houses 520 stores, 50 restaurants, and attractions galore, including Nickelodeon Universe, the nation's largest theme park, and the new American Girl store. The Mall of America doesn’t just have stores and restaurants like other malls; it also has a large theme park and an aquarium. . Home Depot and Hobby Lobby have DIY teaching workshops. d. Macy’s cosmetic department and Bare Minerals stores are set up so that products can be tried before they are purchased. e. IKEA stage their products as actual rooms instead of simply g rouping by product f. Abercrombie and Fitch usually have a unique entrance, loud new-age music, and young hip-looking sales associates to attract its target audience

Managing for Organizational Integrity Essay

This article by Lynn Sharp Paine addresses the necessary and often overlooked relationship between business management and ethics. With most managers focused on bottom line results, the concept of ethics is often lost in rushed daily decisions or is not considered at all. But as the article suggests, a clear commitment to integrity-based management can not only avoid unnecessary legal complications in the courts but can strengthen business operations in times of stress and uncertainty, precisely the occasions where ethics are tested by exigent circumstances. Some CEOs and business models concentrate their ethics evaluations on the most obvious parts of the organization, such as departments like compensation committees where individuals with poor integrity can cause great harm. However, greater attention should be placed to all parts of the organization from executive management down to the retail sales floor. As was noted during the analysis of the Beech-Nut apple juice case study, many individuals within the organization knew of substantial problems with the product but were afraid of being considered â€Å"Chicken Littles† if concerns were raised within the firm. The subsequent legal settlements and damage to the reputation of the company only reinforces the rule that ethics should be universally viewed as important within all parts of the organization chain and not merely a quaint or outdated theoretical consideration. The framework of an integrity compliance program cannot merely ask the simple question â€Å"If it’s legal, it’s ethical† and move on. Many professional actions and business procedures are lawful but not in the company’s best interests to perform since they are viewed as either unethical or intentionally negligent. An excellent illustration of this principle in action is the Solomon Brothers case study outlined in the text where four top officials of the firm failed to report wrongdoing by others. There was no law, regulation, or internal company policy that required this disclosure, suggesting that the behavior itself was not considered â€Å"unethical† in any way by society, the legislature, or even the firm’s own ethics committee. Nevertheless, the actions were considered as such by the  investing public and the Wall Street community that penalized the firm for its inaction in the face of misconduct. This case sets a clear standard that relying upon written ethics policies does not provide a clear safe harbor in case of potential misconduct. Put another way, just because an action is not expressly unethical according to some objective guide or measure does not make any specific behavior either ethical or even correct. An ethics compliance plan sounds like a reasonable solution to the problem of business ethics, but the issues are not that simple to solve with merely a board’s review of potential conflicts. Legal compliance, of course, is not the issue since all firms must comply with the law. A standard of ethical compliance suggests there is one ethical standard by which one can comply, a fact that is more true in the exception than the rule. A personal commitment to the highest ethics possible by visible business leaders and managers certainly is a prerequisite to any compliance plan. Another important goal should be the integration of ethics into the daily business model as seamlessly as possible to make these rules a constant reminder, in other words, not some distant academic rule to be avoided if possible but a clear path that guides retail decisions at all levels of the organization. A commitment to ethics management within a firm can reduce internal criminal misconduct and also provide a company with an added boost of public confidence and reliability. Moving away from lawyers making ethics decisions to having them assist in the formation of ethics consistent with legal practice is a superior solution because it changes the scope of the business decision process. By concentrating on ethics instead of legality makes the decision-making process fuzzier and more cumbersome since ethics are subjective and not bright light tested like most statutes which clearly delineate acceptable conduct from illegal ones. But a focus on ethics, especially through a visible and vocally supported ethics compliance program, can broaden the executive decision-making process from what is merely legal to what is morally correct. The public (and all judges and juries) expect business executives to have higher moral considerations that what is legal or what is not prohibited in a company employee handbook.

The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Essay - 1276 Words

A human right is an ethical choice and moral belief belonging to all humans regardless of traits, status, location, color, gender, or belief system. Making the connection to a universal law, the United Nations Rights High Commissioner explains these rights are, â€Å"guaranteed by law† and protected as â€Å"fundamental freedoms† (OHCHR, 2016). The Cambridge Dictionary defines privilege as â€Å"an advantage that only one person or group of people has† listing examples such as having a high social position or wealth (Cambridge Dictionary, 2016). Those deserving of healthcare, according to the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, should go to all born free and equal. Using universal healthcare systems of other countries as examples, the U.S. should make healthcare a human right and a priority for all citizens. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights lists 30 protected articles with descriptions of each. Citizens of 192 nations under the UN have rights to education, religion, equality, fair trials, marriage, property, asylum, opinion, representation of their country, work, rest, and to live in safe and adequate housing (U.S. Dept. of State, 2008). From these articles, other countries have morally chosen to grant their citizens basic healthcare, or at least affordable rates for most (NY Dept. of Health, 2011). Mainly, â€Å"standard of living† (Article 25) is the article that justifies healthcare as a right, stating health and wellbeing as basic needs of individuals andShow MoreRelatedThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1728 Words   |  7 Pagespeople. Culture can impede progress and leave women, minorities and other sub-sects of a society without the basic human rights that they deserve. Clinging too close to culture can be dangerous. The Foundations of a Universal Declaration The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was drafted shortly after the United Nations was established in 1945. The aim of the Declaration was to ensure that an atrocity such as the mass killings of Jews and other minorities in Nazi Germany would never happenRead MoreThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights1131 Words   |  5 PagesHuman rights are moral principles that set out specific standards of human behavior, and are normally ensured as lawful rights in both national and global law. They are acknowledged to be inalienable, since anybody is characteristically qualified for it essentially on the grounds that they are individuals. Whatever our nationality, sex, shade, religion, dialect, or ethnic source is, we are all just as qualified for our rights without separation or discrimination. All human rights are resolute andRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Essay1368 Words   |  6 Pages The Universal Declaration of Human rights was adopted in the UN gene ral assembly by the 10th December 1948. This is the first time that the world recognized that everyone had the right to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom from fear and want, and many other rights. International human rights come along way; before there was no rights. The idea of having rights that led to the development of international human rights takes time. There are benchmarks developments in internationalRead MoreUniversal Declaration Of Human Rights1263 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a doctrine created to ensure a mutual standard of treatment amongst all humans, every person deserves an equal set of life standards. According to Article 18 of this 30 Article document, â€Å"everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teachingRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1417 Words   |  6 PagesImplemented in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) delineates the basic rights and freedoms entitled to all humans. The freedom of speech and the right to express beliefs freely is a universal human right protected by Article 19 of the UDHR. It declares that â€Å"everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression† and can â€Å"hold opinions without interference†. The regional agreements of Iran, China and Bahrain are in accordance with the Universal Declaration and are fully dedicatedRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights892 Words   |  4 PagesHuman rigths is an essential component of a tolerant and individually satisfied society. They are created to defend people’s dignity, equality and liberty. However, for thousands of years people lived with no garanteed rights, until 1948, when United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But is the Universal Declaration of Human Rigths really universal to all states and humans living in them? I am going to argue if Human Rights should or should not be unically adapted to differentRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights875 Words   |  4 PagesI feel that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) does have a western bias. Many people look to US for guidance, but not many other nations copy our way of life. States can sign treaties, but they cannot be reassured that the other nation will keep its word. The US and the UN should maybe not be engaging in promoting western society, but they should be engaging in promoting the protection of human rights. The UN UDHR fought for minimal rights in 1948 by identifying three types of generationsRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1485 Words   |  6 Pages1003236982 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states â€Å"that human rights are held by all persons equally and universally forever† –hence, they are universal held. This is due to them being the exact same for all human beings anywhere in the world. One cannot acquire human rights because of where they come from, but because they are a member of the human race. Nobody can lose those human rights, nor can they be taken away for whatever the reason may be. Together, we have the right to express ourselvesRead MoreThe Declaration Of Universal Human Rights869 Words   |  4 PagesGeneral Assembly (UNGA) set forth a declaration of universal human rights. The goal was to set a common standard of rights based on â€Å"recognition of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.† It was meant to become the perfect social contract but unfortunately was not upheld even by the signatory nations themselves. Many critics now looking b ack have cited the overreaching ideals as the downfall of the declaration but yet many have responded saying itRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights3323 Words   |  14 Pagesthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the concept of human rights has gradually become one of the most commonly accepted universal norms, referred to in United Nations resolutions, national constitutions and regional and international treaties. Even so, human rights violations occur on an almost daily basis in countries around the world. The term seems to be at the forefront of contemporary political discourses, with its meaning at most times remaining unclear. In theory, human rights