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Ethical Guidelines: Corporation

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Less than a dozen multinational media corporations control/dictate all aspects of radio, television, film, and book publishing.

Research one of these corporations and review its website.
Find the ethical guidelines for one of these corporations.
Discuss three specific ways the corporation exhibits corporate responsibility in its business endeavors.
Explain the implications on society.

See the attached file.

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Solution Summary

This solution explores the ethical guidelines for one multinational media corporation, and discusses three specific ways the corporation exhibits corporate responsibility in its business endeavors. It discusses the implications on society.

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Please see response attached.

Philosophy, Ethics and Value Theory
Year 4
Less than a dozen multinational media corporations control/dictate all aspects of radio, television, film, and book publishing.

Since you included the VSE Corporation Code of Ethics in an attached file, my understanding is that this is the corporation that you have decided on. However, the question asks you to research a company related to multi-national media controls, so let's go with Walt Disney Company.
Less than a dozen multinational media corporations control/dictate all aspects of radio, television, film, and book publishing.

1. Research one of these corporations and review its website.
I am wondering if you have did any other research, in addition to locating the Code of Ethics for VSE Corporation. See http://www.vsecorp.com/investor/index.asp
As mentioned above, I have researched the VSE corporation (because you attached the code of ethics for this company), but found no link to between VSE and the media, so let's go with one of the seven listed in the next paragraph.
But in few industries has the level of concentration been as stunning as in media. In short order, the global media market has come to be dominated by seven multinational corporations: Disney, AOL-Time Warner, Sony, News Corporation, Viacom, Vivendi, and Bertelsmann. None of these companies existed in their present form as media companies as recently as fifteen years ago; today nearly all of them will rank among the largest 300 non-financial firms in the world for 2001. Of the seven, only three are truly U.S. firms, though all of them have core operations there. Between them, these seven companies own the major U.S. film studios; all but one of the U.S. television networks; the few companies that control 80-85 percent of the global music market; the preponderance of satellite broadcasting worldwide; a significant percentage of book publishing and commercial magazine publishing; all or part of most of the commercial cable TV channels in the U.S. and worldwide; a significant portion of European terrestrial (traditional over-the-air) television; and on and on and on http://www.monthlyreview.org/301rwm.htm
2. Find the ethical guidelines for one of these corporations.

Walt Disney Company
CODE OF ETHICS

Introductory Statement
The Walt Disney Company is committed to conducting business in accordance with the highest standards of business ethics and complying with applicable laws, rules and regulations. In furtherance of this commitment, the Board of Directors (the "Board") promotes ethical behavior, and has adopted this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Directors ("Code").
Every Director must:
(i) represent the interests of the shareholders of The Walt Disney Company;
(ii) exhibit high standards of integrity, commitment and independence of thought and judgment;
(iii) dedicate sufficient time, energy and attention to ensure the diligent performance of his or her duties; and
(iv) comply with every provision of this Code.
Conflicts of Interest
Directors must avoid conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest occurs when an individual's private interest interferes in any way with the interests of the company or any of its subsidiary and affiliated companies (collectively, the "Company"). A conflict of interest may also arise when a Director, or a member of his or her immediate family1, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position in the Company. Directors should also be mindful of, and seek to avoid, conduct which could reasonably be construed as creating an appearance of a conflict of interest.
While the Code does not attempt to describe all possible conflicts of interest that could develop, the following are examples of conflicts of interest:
(i) receiving loans or guarantees of obligations as a result of one's position as a Director;
(ii) engaging in conduct or activity that improperly interferes with the Company's existing or prospective business relations with a third party;
(iii) accepting bribes, kickbacks or any other improper payments for services relating to the conduct of the business of the Company; and
(iv) accepting, or having a member of a Director's immediate family accept, a gift from persons or entities that deal with the Company, in cases where the gift is being made in order to influence the Directors' actions as a member of the Board, or where acceptance of the gift could otherwise reasonably create the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Any question about a Director's actual or potential conflict of interest with the Company should be brought promptly to the attention of the Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Chairman of the Board, who will review the question and determine an appropriate course of action, including whether consideration or action by the full board is necessary. Directors involved in any conflict or potential conflict situations shall recuse themselves from any decision relating thereto.
Business Relationships with Directors
For the purpose of minimizing the risk of conflicts of interest, any monetary arrangement for goods or services between, on the one hand, a Director, or any member of a Director's immediate family, and, on the other hand, either the Company or a member of the Company's senior management shall be subject to approval by the Board of Directors as a whole. Such approval shall not be required where:
(i) the Director's sole interest in the arrangement is by virtue of his or her status as a director, executive officer and/or holder of a less than 10% equity interest (other than a general partnership interest) in an entity with which the ...

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