During the fourth quarter, Patagonia Bikes decided to increase the number of sales and service people. In the prior quarter, there were ten sales and service people. This number was increased to 12 in the fourth quarter. The increase in the number of sales and service people would have several ethical implications for a real business. First, it would contribute to the well-being of employees. Workplace well-being relates to all aspects of the work environment, including workers’ safety and the climate at work. It is a key factor in determining a business’s long-term effectiveness (Bryson et al., 2017). Firms and organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of ensuring the well-being of their workers. Most organizations are doing so because they appreciate the fact that human resources are the most vital resources. Other organizations are addressing worker’s well-being since the lack of commitment to their needs may result in workplace problems.
Overwork is a major ethical issue related to the well-being of workers. Workers need to take some time to reflect on their lives (Bryson et al., 2017). Workers are not machines. They should be viewed as human beings and not as automatons. Even with the increasing demand for a business’s products, it is still unethical to overload workers. They need some time off. Failure to do so can burn workers out and damage both relationships in the business and the business’s long term success. Due to the increased demand for bikes, Patagonia had to increase its production efforts and sell more bikes. Increasing the number of workers was, therefore, an excellent decision to ensure that workers were not overworked and that their well-being was guaranteed. If this was a real business, it would have motivated the workers to perform better and remain loyal to the business. Also, increasing the number of workers can increase diversity in the workplace. Diversity in the workplace means that a business employs workers with different characteristics (Guillaume et al., 2017). Diversity in the workplace means that a business employs people from different races, genders, and cultural backgrounds, among other characteristics (Guillaume et al., 2017). Businesses with diversity perform better than their competitors.
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In the fifth quarter, Patagonia Bikes introduce a special training program for its employees. Through this decision, the business was being socially responsible to its employees. Socially responsible businesses are not only focused on profit but also focused on developing positive relationships with society (Wang et al., 2016). Real businesses can attain social responsibility by training and educating their employees.
Society now believes that education is the key to success. Therefore, it seeks people with virtues such as education to solve global problems. A business’s effort to be socially responsible by training and educating employees remains vital to ensuring that its business model is sustainable (Wang et al., 2016). By pursuing corporate development and learning, a business can also tap into the social asset of employees being socially responsible. A business should not only act responsibly with who they hire and how it treats employees, but also promote a culture that supports social responsibility. Responsible businesses should ensure that no employee is alienated through proactive training in current skill-sets and sensitivity. Businesses that foster social responsibility through employee training programs are more likely to successfully involve and engage everyone.
Besides fostering social responsibility, employee education and training programs are also a way of improving their well-being. There is a likelihood for businesses to introduce new procedures and equipment. Requiring the employees to deliver without adequate training on how to carry out the new procedures or use new equipment would only be unethical (Wang et al., 2016). It would only result in unnecessary strain. Therefore, companies that train and educate their employees contribute to their well-being.
References
Bryson, A., Forth, J., & Stokes, L. (2017). Does employees’ subjective well-being affect workplace performance? Human Relations , 70 (8), 1017-1037.
Guillaume, Y. R., Dawson, J. F., Otaye‐Ebede, L., Woods, S. A., & West, M. A. (2017). Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace diversity? Journal of Organizational Behavior , 38 (2), 276-303.
Wang, H., Tong, L., Takeuchi, R., & George, G. (2016). Corporate social responsibility: An overview and new research directions: Thematic issue on corporate social responsibility.
