QUESTION 1 [40 MARKS]

Corruption manifests itself in countries around the globe and many cases of corruption are government related. This is because government officials are bribed to allocate tenders to certain companies, or they allocate tenders to relatives and friends. Further, corruption has a trickledown effect whereby it influences the ways in which companies operate in the private sector. It therefore could be argued that the failure of a state to deal with corruption in the public sector, has a direct impact on the operations of businesses in the private sector.

Task:
Select a case study of your choice and identify a corruption scandal that made the headlines in recent months (or during the past year).

Write a report on this case, in which you:

• Critically examine how this scandal could have been avoided if proper corporate governance measures were in place. (15 marks)

• Critically assess the control measures not adhered to and how that contributed to the incident. (15 marks)

• Make recommendations on measures to create a common set of values within the organisational business ethics framework, to avoid incidents like this in the future. (10 marks)

QUESTION 2 [30 MARKS]

The quintuple bottom line has become an important aspect of corporate governance and business ethics. Leaders drive governance principles, and so a certain breed of leader is ideal for governing corporate organisations.

Scenario:

You have taken on an advisory role at a major corporation. As a student at Regenesys, you have been introduced to the quintuple bottom line principle and have been made aware of the attributes Regenesys wants all its graduates to embrace.

Task:

Write a summary for your company in which you critically analyse how the leadership of the company should adopt the same values as Regenesys, by identifying and applying the graduate attributes and quintuple bottom line. Critically evaluate how Regenesys values can contribute to forming ethical corporate leaders.

QUESTION 3 [30 MARKS]

Good corporate governance practices are essential, especially in developing nations, as they bring about positive change and overall economic advancement. Good corporate governance also promotes disclosure, transparency and accountability, variables which are essential in promoting the affairs of many developing countries. Corporate governance and audit quality are like twins that influence financial reporting processes and the accuracy of the accounting information disclosed.

Scenario

As an MBA student at Regenesys, you know the importance of corporate governance in emerging economies. Write an article for Regenesys Business School International Student Magazine, in which you research the concepts of accountability, responsibility, and various control measures for ethical leadership in corporate governance.

• Critically evaluate the role external audits play as a control measure for upcoming economies and emerging nations.

• Critically examine how ethics affect business and profitability in emerging markets.

Your article should consider the genre of the magazine, which has a target audience mainly of business students and people who work in the corporate environment. The magazine has also attracted many public political figures who enjoy reading it for its insights on issues related to the public sector. The magazine is also widely read by an international audience, especially in South Africa, India, and Nigeria.

Answers to Above Questions on Business Ethics

Answer 1: Corruption is a major problem especially in the government department that makes it difficult for the government projects to succeed. There are many such instances of corruption in the South African context, and one such corruption related case that was in the headlines in recent months was related to the South African state owned electricity company Eskom. The corruption has accounted for an average of $55million extra burden on the company each month and thereby affected the ability of the company to produce enough power in meeting the energy needs of the country.

Get completed answers on the questions above on corruption from the quality South African experts of Student Life Saviour South Africa.