business and ethics
职业与道德 

Today I’m going to talk about business and ethics. First I’ll look at what is meant by business ethics. Then I’ll examine the kind of ethical considerations companies need to address, how they can go about doing business in a more ethical way, and look at some examples of ethical business practices.
今天我讲的主题是商业与道德。首先看看如何定义商业道德，接下来是探讨企业需要纳入的伦理考量，如何以更良性的方式经营贸易，以及一些践行道德经营的商业案例。

So what are business ethics and why are they seen as important in today’s business climate? Business ethics relate to how a company conducts its business in order to make a profit. Although the primary goal of the company may be to make money, it also recognises that it has a responsibility towards the society in which it operates. The term Corporate Social Responsibility is often used, and nowadays many companies have strong corporate social responsibility programmes designed to help create a prosperous, inclusive society.
究竟何谓商业道德？为何他们在现今的商业形势中也显得很重要？商业道德，关系到企业如何经营及盈利。尽管“赚钱”是企业最基本的目标，但它也到认识到自身理应承担的社会责任。关于企业社会责任的提法屡见不鲜，现如今，许多企业都制定了有力的公司社会责任企划，以期为创造一个更加繁荣和包容的社会贡献一己之力。

Now I’ll look at some basic ethical considerations that a company needs to address. The first area is how the company treats its employees. All employees should be treated fairly, and with respect. A company that cares for its workers’ welfare will tend to have a happier workforce and a lower turnover of staff. It is also important that workers are recruited on a basis of equal opportunity.
现在看看企业需要引入的几项基本伦理考量。第一个范畴是企业如何对待员工。对所有员工应该要带着敬意地一视同仁。善于体恤员工福利的企业更易于建立更融洽的职工队伍，以及减少人员的流失。在机会均等的基础上录用员工，也同样重要。

The second area is how a company conducts its day-to-day business. In a manufacturing business, this includes how suppliers of raw materials are chosen and treated. A good example of this is the Fair Trade movement. This initiative ensures that small-scale farmers are paid directly and at a fair price for their crops. A company should also look at its policy on paying suppliers, and ensure that payments are made on time.
第二个范畴是企业日常贸易的运作。对于制造业公司来说，这个理念包括怎样选取和对待原料供应商。公平良性贸易运动是一个很好的借鉴。这一社会推动确保了小规模耕种的农户种植的农作物直接得到公平的报酬。企业也应该关注对供应商的支付政策，保证付款及时到位。

Another ethical consideration is the impact the business has on the environment. Manufacturing companies should strive to ensure that production is clean and careful, and look for ways to minimise energy consumption and waste products.
另一项道德考量是贸易对环境的影响。制造业企业应不余遗力的力保生产过程中的清洁性和细节处理，并寻求能耗和废料的最少化。

Finally, a company can also decide to give something back to the community it operates in. This can be in the form of ‘corporate giving’ programmes, where donations are given to community projects, or by initiating schemes to improve the local community and encouraging employees to work on these schemes.
最后，企业可以考虑给予所在社区一些回报。比如以“企业捐赠”项目的形式，将捐赠用于社区项目，或者启动一些帮助改善当地社区的策划案，鼓励员工积极参与到这些项目中。