Would a listed company want to maximise or minimise dividends? Argue both cases.

The marketing manager of a listed company wants to maximise sales, the finance manager wants to maximise revenue, the CEO wants to maximise profit. Why might these various officers of the firm have different goals?

Tinsel Tin Company, an Australian company, mines tin using cheap, resource-wasteful techniques in a tropical country. The effects of the mining include pollution of freshwater streams from almost their sources to the sea. The local people used to fish, hunt near, get drinking water from and swim in these streams, but now none of these things are possible. Local people now buy canned meat for protein. It is relatively cheap and tends to be very poor quality with a very high fat content. As a result, the local people are much fatter than they used to be and their health is poorer. Tinsel has supplied a fully equipped medical clinic but expects the local people to supply the staff. Discuss each of the following questions.

(a) Has Tinsel contravened, in your view, its ethical responsibilities?

(b) Is it possible to trade off an ethical ‘bad’ with an ethical ‘good’?

(c) Has Tinsel done enough to compensate for the change they have brought about in the local people’s lives?

How has the social contract between business and the community changed in the last few years with regard to the natural environment? Give examples from both secondary and tertiary (service) industries.

Please explain in simple words. Thank you.