Greystone Bakery Eth316
A Successful Social Enterprise
ETH/316
A Successful Social Enterprise
Ethical issues can strengthen both people and the community. Businesses in the community will generate a much more loyal following if they behave in an ethical manner with regard to the community. In this paper I will describe the ethical issues and how those issues may be used in organizational and personal issues, and the association between legal and ethical issues shown in the film, Greyston Bakery. The bakery has operated since 1982 and employs convicted felons and homeless people. The company places the profits into a nonprofit foundation that benefits the entire community (CBS News, 2009).
Film Summary The film is about Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, New York, which hires otherwise undesirable employees. The bakery operates a nonprofit foundation that returns the profits to the community in various forms (Greyston Bakery, 2012). The foundation supports daycare, computer classes, a clinic, and many other projects. The biggest item sold are the brownies to Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. They also make cakes and gourmet desserts. The company does not consider itself a business but rather a social enterprise with a two-fold purpose; a social mission, and a profit mission (Liberty Mutual, 2011).
Issues of the Film
Primary Issues The primary issues are the social enterprise approach to business and the hiring process of the company. The company accepts an ethical duty to the community. The business model is called a social enterprise. The company thinks of itself as a mission to the community, not a business (CBS News, 2009). The company has a liberal hiring policy, called open hiring, and puts the profits into a community foundation. Open hiring is a unique approach to ethically helping people in need. This process allows the business to hire people within the community to provide an opportunity of employment regardless of his or her history (Liberty Mutual, 2010). Using
ETH/316
A Successful Social Enterprise
Ethical issues can strengthen both people and the community. Businesses in the community will generate a much more loyal following if they behave in an ethical manner with regard to the community. In this paper I will describe the ethical issues and how those issues may be used in organizational and personal issues, and the association between legal and ethical issues shown in the film, Greyston Bakery. The bakery has operated since 1982 and employs convicted felons and homeless people. The company places the profits into a nonprofit foundation that benefits the entire community (CBS News, 2009).
Film Summary The film is about Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, New York, which hires otherwise undesirable employees. The bakery operates a nonprofit foundation that returns the profits to the community in various forms (Greyston Bakery, 2012). The foundation supports daycare, computer classes, a clinic, and many other projects. The biggest item sold are the brownies to Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. They also make cakes and gourmet desserts. The company does not consider itself a business but rather a social enterprise with a two-fold purpose; a social mission, and a profit mission (Liberty Mutual, 2011).
Issues of the Film
Primary Issues The primary issues are the social enterprise approach to business and the hiring process of the company. The company accepts an ethical duty to the community. The business model is called a social enterprise. The company thinks of itself as a mission to the community, not a business (CBS News, 2009). The company has a liberal hiring policy, called open hiring, and puts the profits into a community foundation. Open hiring is a unique approach to ethically helping people in need. This process allows the business to hire people within the community to provide an opportunity of employment regardless of his or her history (Liberty Mutual, 2010). Using
References: Boylan, M. (2009). Basic Ethics (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. CBS News. (2009). Let 'Em Eat Cake. Retrieved from http://cbsnews/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592382.shtml Greyston Bakery. (2012). Home Page. Retrieved from http://greystonbakery.com Liberty Mutual. (2011). The Responsibility Project, The Greyston Bakery. Retrieved from http://responsibility-project.libertymutual.com/films-greyston-bakery Trevio, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing Business Ethics, Straight Talk About How To Do It Right (4th ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc..