M1 Assess how a selected business could improve the ethics of their operations

Every organisation is working on operating in ethical way, some companies, producing products that are not very healthy and will influent human health are more likely to work on ethical way then the others. In this assignment I will be investigating the ethical standards also issues created within BAT.

BAT is created from ethical principles, which are shown on their website and public open materials to read. However not every thins is like it seems to be, in every organisation has to happen staff, which is hidden and not open for any parties that are out of the company, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be cached.

Not encouraging people to smoke and especially kids is part of the Code of Conduct created by BAT, however researches shows different. In Malawi big percentage of young population is not educated, which means they can’t read or understand common points for being healthy and keeping our body safe. This is advantage which BAT use for their own good, the organisation sold tobacco is ethical as they clearly explain on the cigarette packages, the nicotine percentage and bordered in black of the harms that smoking causes. By looking at above two factors BAT clearly using that as an advantage by targeting youth as potential customers...

Other researches prove that children aged 13-15 are staring smoking, which takes them to the addiction without even knowing what will that do to their health. ‘’Smoking is wisdom’’ was said by one of the kids who is potential smoker and this thoughts are not coming to them in natural way.

It was proven that BAT invest into music festivals promoting popular brands of tobacco. This action is attacking the customers mentally, it influence their brains by raising thoughts such as above mentioned. It is well known that music is taking big part of the everyday life of the young kids especially in those countries in where popular performers turns to be big IDOLS for the youth.

BAT is very aware of that, which is why the local branches provide to the performing actors clothes with logo of cigarette brands. Because this is part of the actor’s personality then the followers will love it! This could be one reason for those who like that to take a taste of the smoky pleasure.

Cigarettes are not helping at all, however some people smoke them to reduce anger or calm down, and again the ingredients inside doesn’t have to do anything with the above in direct way. That fact is helping us to understand all that works mentally, our brains can be played and encouraged to do or not to do certain things.

In order BAT to make young people aware of the potential risks of smoking they must use pictures rather than written signs. Also instead investing into big music festivals, the organisation could invest into educational presentations how to stop smoking, what alternatives are out there and what will be the potential risks of smoking.

The big question is does BAT want to reduce smokers?! – Well the answer to that is not. It is not surprising fact as the aim of every organisation is to produce more and more, increase production, staff and customers. What will happen to BAT and all those people who work for that company if globally smoking reduce?!

Every organisation which activities are harmful in a way such as PB, invest into something good to cover people’s eyes but again nothing is what it seems to be!

The other problem for the community but advantage for BAT is that local retailers are not aware of how to control sales referred to age checks. The retailers are also encouraging smoking by offering prices for individual box of cigarettes such as container box for single sticks and chance to play into big tombola for TV, bikes and music players. It is very obvious that the objects are used mostly from youth who are not working and can’t easily afford such items. I am concerned that the BAT is using that sales technique indirectly to attract youth to buy cigarettes.

Instead of the above activity BAT could get their local community to be aware of how to control young smokers, to introduce security sales to the sales assistants and maybe to allow part of winning games for individuals over 18/21 (depending on the laws in certain countries).

Other investigation was showing most of the shops were painted in the colours of certain brands of cigarettes, popular brand of cigarettes. That is welcome for the local shops as they get free refreshment of their shops but that will influent the brains of people remaining them for certain brand. It is well known that different colours get attention and different feeling and behaviour of people. For example the yellow will raise happy and playful feelings into humans. This is another way of encouragement but all those factors can’t be control as they are not criminal activity. Unfortunately all those factors are working mentally, which allows them to fulfil their purpose, sale and then sale more.

The only way to fight those actions did by the BAT is opening the information to public, making people aware of what’s going on and then BAT might work to save their great ethical image by stopping those activities (and thinking of new ways of doing it).

Researches shows that 10 cigarettes per day for 20 years of smoking can cause hard disses or increase the chance for HIV. By breaking down the immune system that can cause many other problems leading to death.

BAT is claiming that they are working on improving there are products by making them less harmful, however I think that’s not the solution to the problem. BAT should work on how prevent people from smoking will be the only way, or at least to get the minimum age of selling tobacco products to be for those aged 18 and over. That will increase the percentage of young people’s death and get the first step to ‘’Building world with less CO2’’.

An owner of the hospital in Malawi disclose the information BAT representatives are offering money to the hospitals to improve their environment. In first view that may seem as very good thing but there could be many other point of views. By investing into hospitals could mean creating better place for people who will die from their doings or even Worst! – creating place to keep people alive for bit longer so they can consume BAT products for a bit longer, making more profit for a little bit longer.

Personally I thing investing into hospitals is good thing first because there are people dieing from other chronic diseases and they need help also if they do not invest the money into that health facilities the money will go somewhere else or in somebody’s pocked, which doesn’t do any good to anyone. Better to invest rather than waste! But again this is very dilemmatic matter so it is really depends on how people who are offered the money will react to the investment.

BAT gets 92% of the global market share and a big percentage of the people against BAT & Philip Morris (Marlboro) for targeting children. However the number one still stays and shining into youth eyes. Nothing could be done about it as smoking is optional and people chose to smoke on their own. – Well, at least this is what it looks like to be if we leave the part in where BAT influence people brains and encourage them to smoke.

The only way of prevention is government to create a programs or voluntary organisations to star making lectures on Health, Wellbeing and Smoke Prevention. Only then the problem will be really controlled. The real problem is that the Governments are corrupted and offered money from BAT to keep quite. This is not official fact but it is very acceptable theory as the company is rich and the money run the world also for the poor countries that’s very good thymol to do what they are told to do!

The positive impact of raising tobacco business is for the local farmers, who grow and sale tobacco leaves. But even they are aware of the causes of smoking and most of them are not using tobacco for anything else but just making money on it.

Reducing the tobacco smokers will reduce the price of the tobacco leave and even increase the competition within the famers. That will leads to another problem such as strikes or just increase the corruption which is going on within the countries and BAT itself.

Advertising of harmful products is forbidden in most African and Asian countries, however there is always a way to advertise beside the rules. BAT creates promotional staff such as tables, umbrellas and bags, which are labelled with the brands of BAT. This indirect promotion is even cheaper for BAT as they do not claim taxes for advertising and nothing can stop them of doing it!

The only solution in this case could be creating an association even non-Governmental to look for such activities and publicise them. That will put in risk the well build reputation of BAT and they will act on preventing it.

I think the International Marketing Standards are not well met by BAT and for that the company has to take the blame and pay sanctions. The sanctions shouldn’t be financial as the company is rich and will easily cover the total. The best way will be to disclose on public what the Company DOES or DID and take down some of their potential customers. Volunteer lectures for well-being and smoking prevention which I recommended above could be supported by disclosing all the bad staff BAT did over the years. That will definitely influent to the giant BAT and reduce lots of their customers.

Opening people’s eyes will be the only way, which can increase smoking globally.