學(xué)術(shù)英語(yǔ)-綜合-第二單元（經(jīng)典實(shí)用）

1、College English 學(xué)術(shù)英語(yǔ)學(xué)術(shù)英語(yǔ) Academic English College English Unit 2 Business Ethics Text A Striking the Right Balance College English Free enterprise Free enterprise refers to the system of business in which individuals are free to decide what to produce, how to produce it, and at what price to sell it

2、. 自由企業(yè)制度，就是確保企業(yè)能夠擁有在產(chǎn)權(quán)受法律保護(hù)的基礎(chǔ)上所 享有的自由創(chuàng)業(yè)權(quán)、自由經(jīng)營(yíng)權(quán)、自由交易權(quán)以及自由支配或處置財(cái) 產(chǎn)權(quán)等一系列的制度安排。它包括產(chǎn)權(quán)制度、進(jìn)入退出制度、公平競(jìng) 爭(zhēng)制度、平等合約制度、平等交易制度以及平等獲取信息服務(wù)制度等。 Unit 2 Business Ethics Text A Background information College English Do you agree or not? Profit maximization is the right goal for a business- Adam Smith College English 20

3、16年年315晚會(huì)：共筑消費(fèi)新生態(tài)晚會(huì)：共筑消費(fèi)新生態(tài) 【曝光曝光】“餓了么餓了么”驚現(xiàn)黑心作坊驚現(xiàn)黑心作坊 看完你還會(huì)餓看完你還會(huì)餓 么？么？ 【曝光曝光】制造用廢鋼料制造用廢鋼料 這樣的假牙你敢戴嗎？這樣的假牙你敢戴嗎？ 【權(quán)威發(fā)布權(quán)威發(fā)布】跨境電商進(jìn)口兒童用品超三成不合跨境電商進(jìn)口兒童用品超三成不合 格格 【消費(fèi)預(yù)警消費(fèi)預(yù)警】你買(mǎi)的人參可能一半是白糖！你買(mǎi)的人參可能一半是白糖！ Balance profit and business ethics College English 6 Business Ethics Business ethics means written and unw

4、ritten codes of moral standards that are critical to the current activities and future aspirations of a business organization. They can differ from one company to another because of differences in cultural perspectives, operational structures and strategic orientations. The guiding framework of busi

5、ness ethics exists all levels of the organization. It is about having the wisdom to determine the difference between right actions and wrong decisions. In simpler terms, business ethics provides the morality standards and behavioral patterns expected of individuals and the business as a whole. These

6、 moral standards can be perceived in terms of the microenvironment and macro environment of the business. College English Stakeholder VS Shareholder There are two schools of thought regarding how companies should approach a definition for business ethics: the shareholder perspective and the stakehol

7、der perspective. College English Stakeholder VS Shareholder Shareholder Perspective Those who approach ethical decision making from a shareholder perspective focus on making decisions that are in the owners best interest. Decisions are guided by a need to maximize return on investment for the organi

8、zations shareholders. Individuals who approach ethics from this perspective feel that ethical business practices are ones that make the most money. College English Stakeholder VS Shareholder Stakeholder Perspective The phrase corporate social responsibility is often used in discussions of business e

9、thics. The idea behind this concept is the belief that companies should consider the needs and interests of multiple stakeholder groups, not just those with a direct financial stake in the organizations profits and losses. Organizations that approach business ethics from a stakeholder perspective co

10、nsider how decisions impact those inside and outside the organization. Stakeholders may include: employees, suppliers, customers, competitors, government agencies, the news media, community residents and others. The idea behind stakeholder based ethical decision making is to make sound business deci

11、sions that work for the good of all affected parties. College English Importance of Ethical Business Decisions Companies and people who behave in a socially responsible manner are much more likely to enjoy ultimate success than those whose actions are motivated solely by profits. Knowing the differe

12、nce between right and wrong and choosing what is right is the foundation for ethical decision making. In many cases, doing the right thing often leads to the greatest financial, social, and personal rewards in the long run. College English 11 Corporate Social Responsibility Definitions Corporate soc

13、ial responsibility (CSR) is about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to a business practice that involves participating in activities that benefit society. College English 12 Pyramid of Social Resp

14、onsibility (Carroll 1991) College English Text A Striking the Right Balance Para 1 In 1776, Adam Smith described how an “invisible hand” guides companies as they strive for profits, and that hand leads them to decisions that benefit society. Smiths insights led him to conclude that profit maximizati

15、on is the right goal for a business and that the free enterprise system is best for society. College English Text A Striking the Right Balance But the world has changed since 1776. Firms today are much larger, they operated globally, they have thousands of employees, and they are owned by millions o

16、f stockholders. This make us wonder if the “invisible hand” still provides reliable guidance. Should companies still try to maximize profits, or should they take broader view and take more balanced actions designed to benefit customers, employees, suppliers, and society as a whole? College English P

17、ara 2 Most academics today subscribe to the following modified version of Adam Smiths theory: A firms principal goal should be to maximize the wealth of its stockholders, which means maximizing the value of its stocks. College English Para 2 Free enterprise is still the best economic system for the

18、country as a whole. Under the free enterprise framework, companies develop products and services that people want and that benefit society. However, some constraints are needed- firms should not be allowed to pollute the air and water, to engage in unfair employment practices, or to create monopolie

19、s that exploit consumers. College English Para 3 These constraints take a number of different forms. Through the political process, society imposes a wide range of regulations that are designed to keep companies from engaging in practices that hurt society. Another set of constraints are the costs t

20、hat are assessed on companies if they take actions that harm society. Properly imposed, these costs fairly transfer value to suffering parties and help create incentives that help prevent similar events from occurring in the future. College English Para 3 Two recent examples dramatically illustrate

21、these points. First, many Wall Street firms engaged in extremely risky activities that pushed the financial system to the brink of collapse in 2007 and 2008. Saving the financial system required a bailout of banks and other financial companies, and that bailout imposed huge costs on the taxpayers, a

22、nd also helped push the economy into a deep recession. College English Para 3 Apart from the huge costs imposed on society, the financial firms also paid a heavy price - a number of leading financial institutions saw a huge drop in their stock price, some failed and went out of business, and many Wa

23、ll Street executives lost their jobs. More recently, in 2010, the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had a terrible environmental and economic impact of the Gulf region. College English Para 3 In the three months following the initial explosion, BPs stock lost half of its value, and no one k

24、new how high its total cost would be and whether the company would survive. The spill has also led the United States and other nations to re-examine their policies regarding deep-water drilling, and that might have a serious adverse effect on long-run oil supplies. College English CREDIT CRISIS Coll

25、ege English background US Federal Reserve lower the interest rates to only % after 911. Investor: low return for 1%, Bank: borrow money from Fed for 1%, cheap credit (低息貸款), go crazy with leverage, earn lots of money, Then investors of Wall Street also wants to earn more money. College English Lever

26、age is borrow money to amplify the outcome of a deal $10,000 College English How did that happen? House buyers Investors Wall street College English How did it work? mortgage College English Bad result sub-prime mortgage crisis College English End College English Para 4 Still, some argue that the co

27、sts imposed on BP are insufficient to cover the damages that were incurred, and that the theory of constrained profit maximization is inadequate. For example, GE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeffrey Immelt believes that just obeying the law is not enough, and that companies should strive to behave

28、ethically and continually operate with societys interests in mind. College English Para 4 Immelt further argues that value and reputation go hand in hand, and that having a good reputation with customers, suppliers, employees and regulators is essential if value is to be maximized. In his words, “Th

29、e reason people come to work for GE is that they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. College English Para 4 They want to work hard, win promotions, and be well-compensated, but they also want to work for a company that makes a difference, a company thats doing great things in the wo

30、rld its up to GE be to a good citizen. Not only is that a nice thing to do, but its good for business and thus the price of our stock.” College English Para 5 GE is not alone. An increasing number of companies see their mission as more than just making money for their shareholders. Googles well-know

31、 corporate motto is “Dont Be Evil.” Consistent with this mission, the company has its own in-house foundation that has made large investments in a wide range of philanthropic ventures worldwide. There are other instances where corporate leaders have donated personal funds. College English Para 6 In

32、2008, Microsoft Corporations Bill Gates gave a speech to the world Economic Forum in which he made the case for a “creative capitalism”. Gates stated that, “such a system would have a twin mission: making profits and also improving lives for those who dont fully benefit from market forces.” College

33、English Para 7 Gates has certainly been true to his word. In 2000, he and his wife established the Bill BP oil spill Argument 2 1) behave ethically; value and reputation 2) Dont be Evil 3) creative capitalism 4) contributed more than $6 billion College English Language building up Task 1-1 1. 無(wú)形的手 2

34、. 自由企業(yè)制度 3. 股東 4. 經(jīng)濟(jì)體制 5. 開(kāi)發(fā)產(chǎn)品和服務(wù) 6. 市場(chǎng)力量 7. 金融機(jī)構(gòu) 8. 嚴(yán)重衰退 9. 破產(chǎn) College English Language building up 10. stock price 11. mission 12. corporate motto 13. assets 14. maximize profits 15. financial system College English Language building up Task 1-2 1. When politicians and economists talk about【 marke

35、t force】, they mean the economic factors that affect the availability of goods and the demands for them, without any help from or control by the government. 2. The dramatic change in business environment makes all industries face drastic completion. This is also happened in the 【financial institutio

36、ns】. College English Language building up Task 1-2 3. A【free enterprise system】can be contrasted with a socialist economic system, which depends heavily on government planning and public ownership of the means of production. 4. The oil price increases pushed the European economy into【deep recession】

37、. College English Language building up Task 1-2 5. Adam Smiths famous【invisible hand】theory has been modified to cater to the current economic situation. 6. An individual or organization that owns stocks in a corporation can be called【stockholder】. College English Language building up Task 1-2 7. In

38、 economics,【profit maximization】is the short-run or long-run process by which a firm determines the price and output level that returns the greatest profit. 8. A socialist market【economic system】has now taken shape, and the basic role played by the market has been improved in the sphere of resource

39、allocation. College English Language building up Task 2 -Signpost language 1. and 2. Another 3. also 4. Not only, but 5. other College English Language building up Task 3- formal English 1. Smiths insights led him to conclude that profit maximization is the right goal for a business and that the fre

40、e enterprise system is best for society. (understanding) 2. Most academics today subscribe to the following modified version of Adam Smiths theory. (agree with) College English Language building up Task 3- formal English 3. Through the political process, society imposes a wide range of regulations t

41、hat are designed to keep companies from engaging in practices that hurt society. (forces to be accepted) 4. and that might have a serious adverse effect on long-run oil supplies. ( bad) College English Language building up Task 3- formal English 5. An increasing number of companies see their mission

42、 as more than just making money for their shareholders. (purpose) 6. Consistent with this mission, the company has its own in-house foundation that has made large investments in a wide range of philanthropic ventures worldwide. (charitable) College English Language building up Task 3- formal English

43、 7. There are other instances where corporate leaders have donated personal funds. (given) 8. It received a notable boost in 2006 when famed investor Warren Buffett announced that he would donate a huge share of his fortune to the Foundation. (famous) College English Text B Two views of social respo

44、nsibility Para 1: Government regulation and public awareness are external forces that have increased the social responsibility of business. But business decisions are made within the firm and there, social responsibility begins with the attitude of management. Two contrasting philosophies, or models

45、, define the range of management attitudes toward social responsibility College English Para 2 The economic model According to the traditional concept of business, a firm exists to produce quality goods and services, earn a reasonable profit and provide jobs. In line with this concept, the economic

46、model of social responsibility holds that society will benefit more when business is left alone to produce and market profitable products that society needs. The economic model has its origins in the 18th century, when businesses were owned primarily by entrepreneurs or owner-managers. Competition w

47、as vigorous among small firms, and short-run profits and survival were the primary concerns. College English Para 3 To the manager who adopts this traditional attitude, social responsibility is someone elses job. After all, stockholders invest in a corporation to earn a return on their investment, n

48、ot because the firm is socially responsible and the firm is legally obligated to act in the economic interest of its stockholders. Moreover, profitable firms pay federal, state, and local taxes that are used to meet the needs of society. Thus, managers who concentrate on profit believe that they ful

49、fill their social responsibility indirectly through taxes paid by their firms. As a result, social responsibility becomes the problem of government, various environmental groups, charitable foundations, and similar organizations. College English Para 4 The socioeconomic model In contrast, some manag

50、ers believe they have the responsibility not only to stockholders, but also to customers, employees, suppliers, and the general public. This broader view is referred to as the socioeconomic model of social responsibility, which places emphasis not only on profits but also on the impact of business d

51、ecisions on society. College English Para 5 Recently, increasing numbers of managers and firms have adopted the socioeconomic model and they have done so for at least three reasons. First, business is dominated by the corporate form of ownership and the corporation is a creation of society. If a cor

52、poration does not perform as a good citizen, society can and will demand changes. Second, many firms are beginning to take pride in their social responsibility records, among them Starbucks Coffee, Hewlett-Packard, Colgate- Palmolive, and Coca-Cola. College English Para 5 Each of these companies is

53、a winner of a Corporate Conscience Award in the areas of environmental concern, responsiveness to employees, equal opportunity, and community involvement. And of course, many other corporations are much more socially responsible today than they were 10 years ago. Third, many business people believe

54、it is in their best interest to take the initiative in this area. The alternative may be legal action brought against the firm by some special interest group; in such a situation, the firm may lose control of its activities. College English Para 6 The pros and cons of social responsibility Business

55、owners, managers, customers, and government officials have debated the pros and cons of the economic and socioeconomic models for years. Each side seems to have four major arguments to reinforce its viewpoint. College English Para 7 Arguments for increased social responsibility Proponents of the soc

56、ioeconomic model maintain that a business must be more than simply seek profits. To support their position, they offer the following arguments: 1.Because business is a part of our society, it cannot ignore social issues. 2.Business has the technical, financial, and managerial resources needed to tac

57、kle todays complex social issues. 3.By helping resolve social issues, business can create a more stable environment for long-term profitability. 4.Socially responsible decision-making by firms can prevent increased government intervention, which would force businesses to do what they fail to do volu

58、ntarily. College English Para 8 These arguments are based on the assumption that a business has a responsibility not only to stockholders but also to customers, employees, suppliers and the general public. Arguments against increased social responsibility College English Para 9 Opponents of the socioeconomic model argue that business should do what