Research Paper on:
Should Business Be Socially Responsible

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
for the purpose of making a profit. Others argue that a business is a corporate citizen and the responsibility is much greater than simply making a profit, it should not  only include concerns such as environmentalism, but all aspects of a responsibility community life. If we look at the first argument a  major proponent of this school of thought was Milton Freidman; a highly regarded economist and Nobel prize winner. Friedmans argument was that business have only one social responsibility and that  is the responsibility to their shareholders or owners; the increasing of their profits (Chryssides et al, 1999). Milton Friedman was a capitalist and an unwavering supporter of Laissez faire  capitalism, that is freedom form intervention of any sort save that of force in the preservation of freedom anything else would de-stabilise a market and result in failure in the  long run (Chryssides et al, 1999). The effect of this statement is obvious, it denies that there is any further responsibility save  that of the owners of the business (Chryssides et al, 1999, Dobson, 1999). This argument is not quite as simple as it seems. It does not deny the existence of  social responsibility, but places a very specialised perception on it stating that business is not concerned merely with profit (Chryssides et al, 1999). After all a business with no  social considerations will not necessarily be maximising its profits, as many people might object on social or ethical grounds to its behaviour. Therefore, if it is needed to demonstrate a  social conscience in order to gain additional business and maximise the returns then it is permissible (Dobson, 1999). However an altruistic approach is unacceptable as this may be a waste