Ethical Challenges in the Tuna Fish Industry

Introduction

The analysis focuses on the purpose of evaluating the business ethics of the Tuna fish Company. It has been seen in the study that this reveals the ways that the organization works to make their marketing effective and selling process in a more advanced way.

The study would further give a vivid account of the report that the middle managers are facing issues to the senior managers at the Tuna fish Company. The report brings forth a detailed study of the senior managers facing issues while selling their canned tuna fish to the stakeholders. It also gives an idea of the facts and the facets that talk about the major Tuna brand failing to tackle slavery in the pacific supply chain (The Guardian.2020). Moreover, it has been seen in the media that the canned Tuna brand failed to tackle modern slavery in the supply chain. Many issues faced by the tuna brand came up in the online media which raised questions among the stakeholders and affected the sale in a massive way (foodnavigator.com. 2020). The review talks about the stature that the tuna fish company has degraded and the decline of the actions that has brought the name of the organization at stake. The ethical dimension of the issues faced by the firm. The study also brings forth that the food business has gone under the high pressure from both the consumers as well as the government (Foodnavigator.com. 2020). The ethical dimensions of the issues of the company would be addressed as it has been affecting all the stakeholders of the organization.

The tuna fish company supermarkets have been surveyed by the BHRRC that only a percentage of 20 details their supply chain in the pacific region which is about 60 percent of the supply of the whole world (foodnavigator.com.2020). Study would further reveal about the issues of the low profit and demand incurred by the organizations along with the major reasons behind it.

The study would be effective in bringing into limelight the importance of individual and organizational ethical thinking and practice that can be applied in making ethical decisions, it would also talk about the role of business in society and the theories that would be put into practice to keep the ethical values into its place making the organizations run in the most successful way.

1.1 Role of the Business in society.

As opined by Tajeddini et al. (2020), the multilayer working levels in a business sector determines the differentiated role for the smooth running of the company. As seen in the market the crucial role of the trading and the business is to provide service to its customers with proper distribution of its goods and services. The corporate social responsibility looks into the matter of fact that the working is done in a correct procedure. The multilayered CSR brings justification of the service given to the customers and at the same time it also focuses on the working of the state holders and sees that they are getting proper benefit from the business (Everett et al. 2016). Nevertheless, it has been in account that the corporate social responsibility is more than just a trading practice and without this the working of the business would be incomplete. The CSR looks into the exact maintenance of responsibilities that are to be taken care of in any business matter (Lin et al.2019). The Carrolls multilayered model of CSR gives a vivid description where the society, employees and the community get equal priority and at the same time it is taken into account that fair and just responsibilities are maintained among all the members present in the whole business execution team.

According to Awuchi (2019), the fishing industry has undergone a lot of ups and downs where the tuna fish supply chain has been affected adversely. Moreover, it has been seen that to protect the workers the tuna fish companies have taken a lot of steps mainly protecting their workers from getting unemployed. It has been seen that the workers spent a lot of time in the sea to catch fish and on top of that the process of the fishing has been facing a lot of issues as fishermen’s have to stay in the sea to have a good catch for a longer period of time.

1.2 Stakeholders:

Stakeholders are the most important persons involved in the business and they execute their works to bring profit in the organization (Bourne.2016). As seen in the stakeholder theory the business gets another level of importance as the values maximize with the use of resources. The interconnection of the trading and its people who are in the array like the employees, employers, and investors, suppliers, customers and the community play a significant role and brings a different level of business ethics that multiplies its profit percentage to a different level of improvement. The investigation of the stakeholders’ approach brings into focus many important points namely the trust and the sustainable competitions among its competitors.

On the other hand, Hart and Zingales. (2017), have criticized that the companies nowadays maximize profit for the stakeholders rather than focusing on the ethical implications. Stakeholders help in strategic planning of the business mainly focusing on the target goals and keeping precise to the functions that are to be executed to achieve the goal to the fullest. The stakeholders’ theory also keeps into focus that there are no communication gaps between the employees, employers, suppliers, producers and so on. Those who are involved in the business should get equal importance to get interest in execution of the work properly.

It has been seen that the canned tuna has been one of the most crucial business products in the UK and the retail market gains a higher profit every year through this business. The UK tuna market consists of approximately 60% retail sizes. Keeping into focus the impact of the stakeholders’ approach a stakeholders list is presented to have a vivid view of the influence each of them puts into the business (The Guardian. 2020). Each and every stakeholder starting from the owners to the customers are equally important and influential especially on the outcome of the business. As seen the supermarkets of the tuna fish have been drastically affected with the passage of time and they have been somehow threatened to some extent making the business of the tuna fish at stake.

1.3 Impact of ethical choices on other companies

The record of the past reveals that there are many big organizations that have made mistakes in their business. The issues that arise likewise may be the minimum wages paid to the employees, communication gap and not providing amusement and holidays to the workers who work day and night for the improvement and the upliftment of the profit scale (Singh.2020). As seen in the business of the tuna retail market in the UK the fishmongers who work day and night to have a good catch of fish get less paid and in turn impacts adversely on the ethical values of the workers. These acts in turn demotivate the suppliers and the processors to dedicatedly and negatively impact the retail chain and work for the organization in the long run bringing challenges.

On the other hand, there are many organizations that keep a keen eye on the needs and the demand of the stakeholders and values their importance following the CSR and helping in the smooth run of the business (Yin and Jamali.2016). It has been seen that good ethical choice and practice helps to retain the staff and makes them work with motivation and encourages them with proper guidance giving them good salary and holidays as they are liable to get. Moreover, proper training and awards give the suppliers and the processors a positive vibe to work with strong desire for the company.

1.4 Recommendations:

The tuna fish retail market of the UK is recommended to update its CSR values regarding the supplying of their best quality canned fish within the market and majorly focusing on the target market through proper positioning and implication by which the business can gain its profit percentage. Unethical practices that can harm the environment of the business and make the workers demotivated are to be completely stopped. On the other hand, to continuously grow and to increase the demand the workers that are treated as slaves should be respected and be given importance as they are the main promoters of the work (Tuna fish Media, 2020). As seen in the retail chain of the tuna fish in the UK business could be adopted in a positive way through the ethical practices of building positive relationships through transparency between the workers. A good communication with appropriate working ethics and proper survey by segmenting, targeting and positioning of the market could be helpful in enhancing the chain.

Additionally, close relationships between the customers, suppliers and the processors can bring a good outcome without harming the business in an adverse way. Proper following of the corporate social responsibilities would eradicate the issues that could arise in the functioning of the supply chain. Another important thing that is to be maintained in the working of the supply chain is that each and every member does have an importance in the organization that is to be respected and at the same time acknowledged (Tuna fish Media.2020).

The retail chain should have a high ethical standard that could maintain a strong bond within the stakeholder minimizing the communication gap and strengthening the internal working environment for the employees and at the same time maintaining a positive ambience for all the stakeholders that would be helpful in the execution of work. At the same time ethical considerations would help the organization to understand the competitions in the market and act according to the need and the requirement of the customers eradicating the issues that could arise in near future.

PART 1B Demonstration of two ethical theories:

According to the concept of the business the ambience and the situations of the company could be disrupted if they do not focus on running an ethical business. Nevertheless, the ethical theories offer the organization to work in a systematic way and aid to minimize the problem that could arise from the stakeholders offering them with some rules and regulations in decision making (Bourne, 2016). For understanding the issues that come up from the work of supply chain and the human rights abuse of the tuna companies that comes forth few ethical theories like the Deontological ethical theory and the Virtue ethics theory comes forth for its help.

Deontological ethical theory:

The ethical theories come forth for helping the organizations to bring the beneficial guidelines for the decision making between the right and the wrongs and bring less harm to the situations that could appear to be problematic for the retail chain (Iphofen.2016). These principles are helpful to bring justice and easy going of the organization. The Deontological ethical theory brings forth that the workers in an organization should abide by the duties that they get engaged into following the rules and the regulations that play ethically and motivating them to present their work in an ethical and biased way. This theory would guide the employee in the firm to focus on his or her own duties in an ethically correct manner and also encourages the other to do the same. The person who follows this theory could keep into focus that the decisions that are taken in any circumstances that bring a positive effect in the organization and the others also behaves in the same way abiding by the set of duties they are imposed into.

On the other hand, it has been seen that with a positive attribute comes few adverse effects that could be harmful in the execution of the duties. One of the negative effects that puts a high impact on the Deontological ethical theory is that there is no philosophical hypothesis on the individual’s duty (Hooker et al. 2018). It has been seen that an individual decides his or her own duty in the business though it may contain some flaws and obligations which are not accepted by the other employees of the organizations.

Analyzing the facts and the facets of the major tuna brands in the UK that fail to tackle the supply chain in the pacific is only the reason of the lacking of the Deontological ethical theory as the fishmongers is treated as slaves which demotivate them to work in a positive way though they try to bring out their best by trolling in the sea for many hours and implement their best effect in the business (Dignum, 2017). The others in the supply chain, especially the wholesalers, retailers, and customers do not give the exact respects that are expected to be given to the trollers. It has been seen in many cases that the workers get trapped on the fishing vessels for many days to bring forth the best catch though their work is not respected which makes them more vibrant and take unethical steps that distorts the ambience of the organization. The issues could be eradicated or minimized by considering the work of all the stakeholders as important and respecting them all the time they provide with their dedicated work and encourage them to provide the best that is feasible.

Virtue ethical theory:

In accordance with the Virtual ethical theory, one could be judged through his or her character. Moreover, the actions that they provide in any situation are not countable in this kind of theory (Dignum.2017). In this theory the person’s upstanding prominence and character are taken into account rather than the behavior that one inherits which is considered to be unethical. The judgment is done through the character that an individual plays rather than the effort they put forth for making the business a profitable one. For instance, the retail supply chain of the tuna companies that provide the UK with the best canned tuna fish has a number of stakeholders who work day and night to make the business run smoothly. Moreover, it has been seen that all the workers of the supply chain are not given equal respect as their work is not given focused on only the character that each play are taken into account.

In terms of promoting the business of the tuna fish retail market UK has faced many issues basically the workers face issues of human right abuses including the forced labor where they are forcefully put into work, slavery where they are not paid enough for the work provided by them, human trafficking and child labor, which makes the supply chain complex and full of flaws. These issues have challenged the largest tuna fisheries of the UK to be in a worse situation. According to the media a few horrendous situations about the tortured workers are brought forth where they are not paid properly which brings the whole business of the industry at stake (Tuna fish Media.2020).

Consequently, it could be addressed that proper justice to the supply chain and the workers could eradicate and placing the abuses that comes forth from the people and proper implication of the Virtual ethical theory could bring the situation of the fish retail market in a more balanced position which could be helpful for the industry to stay in a safer zone and progress their work. Both theories help to evolve the ethical issues and application of them in the case or help them to take proper decisions in regard to the organization.

Part 2 Ethical Leadership Management

It has been seen that ethical leadership could help in the proper execution of management and at the same time help to control the actions in regard to morals of the management.

2.1 Ethical leadership (Moral leader Vs Moral Manager)

According to Walumbwa et al. (2017), an ethical leadership enhances group learning behaviour as well as knowledge development in between leaders and managers within a workplace culture and environment. Following an ethical behavior is to keep in mind to follow the proper way by which the organization could be benefitted by focusing on the execution of certain ethical rules and regulations that are to be followed by all the stakeholders in the supply chain (Duska et al.2018). In this respect, it means leadership skills in an ethical leader would be able to take every decision on the basis of moralities, authenticity and when it comes on traits. Similarly, this ethical behavior includes doing things on the right track with a fair intension. For being an ethical leader, the person has to be logical and morally correct in conscience that would bring commitment with an organization automatically.

On the contrary, an ethical manager/moral manager is someone who needs to be a dedicated follower of the principles of the ethical leaders’ footsteps and ideologies (Kaptein, 2019). Following a trustworthy relationship in the organization makes people involved in supply chain get a pragmatic vibe of focusing in the business in the correct way.

2.2 Unethical leadership:(Destructive state of mind)

Compared to the above principles of ethical leadership behavior, leaders having greed of power and position in terms of exploitation in any form is usually regarded as an unethical leader. Moutousi and May (2018), stated that unethical leaders generally intend to be incompetent in dealing with social problems or an organizational problem. Rather, they are involved in hypocrisy, lust of financial benefit as well as engagement in unethical practices destruction to a society as well as in the business itself. For example, if employees in an organization follow unethical way to execute the business, it may only bring forth adverse effect in the business and the ambience in the work gets distorted by the workers that demotivate them to grow in the business in the mere future.

2.3 Code of practice and compliance approach.

In the present-day business inherit the code of practice where the proper ethical practice is taken into consideration (Fletcher et al.2016). It would help the business organization to grow in a positive way motivating their workers at every step. However, as per Bond et al. (2017), compliance approaches in organizations creates barriers to the staffs in terms of managing a job role ethically under observation and security. It determines that depending on the legislation policies and regulations itself, people involved in the code of practices need to be abide by the law of ethics.

2.4 Own reflection:

According to my perception, an ethical practice can help the organizations grow in a right way encouraging the workers not to follow the wrong path and at the same time be liberal and dedicated to the minimum work provided by them for the growth of the business. As influenced by Kaptein (2019), if an individual is ethically correct from intension, the own working domain would be personified as a significant figure and popular in terms of high values and standards. It tries to demonstrates on the basic concept of being loyal to everyone. I completely agree to these views of the scholar here, as it tries to inculcate and draw attention on the dimension of thinki9ng perception. So, it can be simply summarized that I need be a role model being a manager, as per previous experience I have learned. I too had some drawbacks in terms of inability to solve all kinds of problems and thinks beyond existing concepts. Hence, I was inspired from my senior collegeauge for following some possible ways of practicing ethical values.

Dig deeper into Epistemology Moral Philosophy with our selection of articles.

References

Part 1A

Awuchi, C.G. and Awuchi, C.G., 2019. Impacts of Plastic Pollution on the Sustainability of Seafood Value Chain and Human Health. International Journal of Advanced Academic Research, 5(11), pp.46-138.

Bourne, L., 2016. Stakeholder relationship management: a maturity model for organisational implementation. CRC Press

Duska, R.F., Duska, B.S. and Kury, K.W., 2018. Accounting ethics. John Wiley & Sons. Everett, J.A., Pizarro, D.A. and Crockett, M.J., 2016. Inference of trustworthiness from intuitive moral judgments. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 145(6), p.772.

foodnavigator.com. 2020. Canned Tuna Brands Fail To Tackle Modern Slavery In Supply Chains, Says Human Rights Group. [online] Available at: [Accessed 29 December 2020].

Hart, O. and Zingales, L., 2017. Companies should maximize shareholder welfare not market value. ECGI-Finance Working Paper, (521).

Hooker, J.N. and Kim, T.W.N., 2018, December. Toward non-intuition-based machine and artificial intelligence ethics: A deontological approach based on modal logic. In Proceedings of the 2018 AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society (pp. 130-136).

Lin, W.L., Ho, J.A. and Sambasivan, M., 2019. Impact of corporate political activity on the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance: A dynamic panel data approach. Sustainability, 11(1), p.60.

Singh, K., 2020. Organizational Behaviour Text and Cases.

Tajeddini, K., Martin, E. and Ali, A., 2020. Enhancing hospitality business performance: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and networking ties in a dynamic environment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 90, p.102605.

The Guardian. 2020. Major Tuna Brands Failing To Tackle Slavery In Pacific Supply Chains – Report. [online] Available at: [Accessed 29 December 2020].

Tunafish Media. 2020. Tunafish Media - Award-Winning Creative Content Agency In Manchester. [online] Available at: [Accessed 29 December 2020].

Yin, J. and Jamali, D., 2016. Strategic corporate social responsibility of multinational companies subsidiaries in emerging markets: Evidence from China. Long Range Planning, 49(5), pp.541-558.

Part 1B

Bourne, L., 2016. Stakeholder relationship management: a maturity model for organisational implementation. CRC Press.

Dignum, V., 2017. Responsible autonomy. arXiv preprint arXiv:1706.02513.

Iphofen, R., 2016. Ethical decision making in social research: A practical guide. Springer.

Hooker, J.N. and Kim, T.W.N., 2018, December. Toward non-intuition-based machine and artificial intelligence ethics: A deontological approach based on modal logic. In Proceedings of the 2018 AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society (pp. 130-136).

Tunafish Media. 2020. Tunafish Media - Award-Winning Creative Content Agency In Manchester. [online] Available at: [Accessed 29 December 2020].

Part 2

Bond, A., Fischer, T.B. and Fothergill, J., 2017. Progressing quality control in environmental impact assessment beyond legislative compliance: An evaluation of the IEMA EIA Quality Mark certification scheme. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 63, pp.160-171.

Duska, R.F., Duska, B.S. and Kury, K.W., 2018. Accounting ethics. John Wiley & Sons. Everett, J.A., Pizarro, D.A. and Crockett, M.J., 2016. Inference of trustworthiness from intuitive moral judgments. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 145(6), p.772.

Fletcher, D., De Massis, A. and Nordqvist, M., 2016. Qualitative research practices and family business scholarship: A review and future research agenda. Journal of family business strategy, 7(1), pp.8-25.

Kaptein, M., 2019. The moral entrepreneur: A new component of ethical leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 156(4), pp.1135-1150.

Moutousi, O. and May, D., 2018. How change-related unethical leadership triggers follower resistance to change: A theoretical account and conceptual model. Journal of Change Management, 18(2), pp.142-161.

Walumbwa, F.O., Hartnell, C.A. and Misati, E., 2017. Does ethical leadership enhance group learning behavior? Examining the mediating influence of group ethical conduct, justice climate, and peer justice. Journal of Business Research, 72, pp.14-23.