Ethical Yielding

Customer Profitability Analysis (CPA) is a procedure that provides management with information related to customers that will allow them to manage revenue from a profit perspective. The data attained from CPA will assist with decisions regarding marketing, product development, and capacity management to create a customer mix, which will provide the best profit results. BAR means the best available rate, in which a regular customer is charged in case he has approved to reserve. The various stages of yield management include: 1) grow a profit culture, 2) study the overall demand, 3) create price value relations, 4) form suitable market segments, 5) evaluate the pattern of demand, 6) find the failures and denials, and 7) assess and review the system.

Bribery and Corruption

Bribes are mainly directed at government officials, although they could be directed at the employees and managers of business firms. However, bribery appears to be a self-defined crime. Bribery of small public sector employees is a white-collar crime. However, bribery also exists in high-level decision-making processes, whether political, economic, or corporate situations. These are large-scale bribes, consisting of millions and/or billions of dollars, paid out to executives and public officials in return for construction contracts, oil contracts, telecommunication contracts, etc. Although punishments exist and are implemented, it is up to the individual alone to make the final decision and choose between personal moral value system and personal welfare in opposition to serving the public welfare. This chapter explores bribery.

Nepotism in a Family Business

Nepotism in both its bad and good scopes is not mainly a result of national socio-cultural variances, nor is it the outcome of a global dispersion of morals and standards across nations. Rather it is a culturally driven business practice. Nepotism occurs when traditional forms of interaction are replaced by modern forms without a corresponding modern substitution for traditional social morals. For the successful use of nepotism, family members must meet certain qualifications such as an appropriate educational background and outside work experience. Outside work experience is the most important. In addition, corporations who hire family members should inform them that they will be fired in the case of unethical or illegal behavior no matter how closely related to them they are. This chapter explores nepotism.

Ethics Perception

Education is one of the most consistent and powerful correlates to the development of moral judgment in individuals. Education builds theoretical and some practical basics for making more effective ethical decisions. Educators influence students in their learning about business ethics, but ethics can be considered as continuous knowledge, which could be taught and learned in ways different from teaching traditional sciences. However, teaching of ethics is possible because the aim is to create certain skills and build the basics for promising wise thinking for proper decision making. Building ethical awareness in a diverse society implies building awareness in schools and universities by having ethics as a university requirement. Teaching of ethics must start from early school stages and must engage parents actively. Integration of a code of ethics in the curriculum is brought to life by addressing real life stories of unethical behavior. This chapter explores the learning and teaching of ethics.

Illegal Drugs in Lebanon

Based on utility, Lebanon is pursuing illegal drug trade activities for the monetary value they offer. The ethical dilemma is that Lebanese law prohibits drug plantation, yet the government is implicitly encouraging these activities, thus the contradiction and the corruption dilemma. On a pharmaceutical and economical level, drugs have a positive outcome, but on a recreational and abusive level, drugs can be very harmful and sometimes deadly. They are not dangerous because they are against the law; they are against the law because they are dangerous. Lebanon should legalize some drugs, the ones that have minimal negative effect on consumers. Therefore, Lebanon's economy would still benefit monetarily from this industry, while making the life of the farmers much easier, and maybe give the chance to poor rural areas to offer security and a moderate level of living. This chapter explores illegal drugs in Lebanon.

Real Estate Valuation Fraud

Valuation profession is a link between the borrower and the lender. Fraud is an intentional deliberate deception committed for illegitimate personal gain. There are several forms of real estate fraud, especially when the real estate market is facing a boom. The most widespread types of real estate fraud include the preparation of two sets of settlement statements, property flipping, and fraudulent qualifications. There are mainly three types of valuation to look out for. Valuation may be received from an unauthorized agency. Furthermore, a real valuation may be altered from the original to generate profit. Thirdly, intentional inflation of the value of a property will hide the real market value. It is usually difficult to spot real estate fraudulent activities, so deep investigations and professionalism is needed. This chapter explores real estate fraud.

The Ethics of Social Media and Network Security

A definition of modern social media leads to the characterization of advantages and disadvantages of social media in the workplace. The characteristics of social media are: reach, accessibility, immediacy, and permanence paradox. The extent of media invasion of privacy is discussed in this chapter, and ethical dilemmas are raised. Social networks are regarded as the main reasons for the decrease of productivity and other unanticipated confidential problems, which a company may face. Furthermore, the implications of security alerts lead to a dilemma between individual privacy and common interest. Different types of attacks might interfere with an existing functional network. Relevant current issues in Network Security include: authentication, integrity, confidentiality, non-repudiation, and authorization.

Monopoly Abuse

Monopoly is the case when a firm provides products or services to which there is neither competition nor a near substitute, dictating price and quantity produced. Monopolies raise concerns of unethical business practice because they perform acts of conspiracy and collusion. Consumers will be buying needed products at unfair prices and questionable quality standards. The instrumental approach is when a company performs monopolistic behavior in order to maximize company profits and satisfy corporate shareholders. The social approach is when a company seeks the good of the greater environment, looking beyond the benefit of shareholders. Monopolistic behavior may provide certain positive advantages like helping expand different industries, generating a lot of capital into the business cycle, introducing innovation, and bringing a solution to some major economic problems. Disadvantages of monopolies are mal-distribution of the social product, decreased economic national growth, and increased unemployment levels, blocking competitive markets, and lacking socio-economic efficiency. This chapter explores monopolistic abuses.

Sexual Harassment Laws and Their Impact on the Work Environment

This chapter examines the impact of sexual harassment laws in a work environment. Different contexts are examined with different sexual harassment laws. The most vulnerable individuals are identified. The particular case of Lebanon is inspected where few laws regulate this matter. A comparison is established with the USA. Lebanon and the United States have a different view of sexual harassment. In Lebanon, no clear laws protect women. In addition, Lebanon is more tolerant than the United States. The difference in cultures also contributes in people's willingness to disclose harassment. In the United States, people are used to the concept of right and a judicial system that preserves it. In Lebanon, such a matter is taboo, and people are discouraged from disclosing to preserve their reputation.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is easily differentiated from piracy. Piracy is the sale of qualified but unauthorized copies of a work, an action grudging the author of profit but not credit. Depriving authors of profit that is rightfully theirs is theft, but plagiarism focuses on ownership credit rather than profit. The main worries for plagiarism are its influence on creativity, motivation, and ability to think in alternative ways. These qualities of personality may be negatively impacted by habitual plagiarism. Moreover, the various impacts of plagiarism are lack of information authenticity, fake credit, personality faults, spoiling of professional reputation, and destroying the creative ability of creative professionals. This chapter explores plagiarism.