Business ethics and CSR

Ethical behaviour and corporate social responsibility (CSR) can bring significant benefits to a business (Adda & Awuni, 2016). It is important that decisions in Hot House Music LLP are made in line with its CSR policy and government legislation regarding education and safeguarding.     

Corporate social responsibility helps a company to go beyond compliance and engage in actions that appear to further social good, beyond the interests of the company and that which is required by the law (Wright, 2006). As a social enterprise, Hot House Music LLP has a four-point CSR of Employability, Legacy, Access, and Nurture (HHMUSICLLP, 2020).   

The company’s four-point CSR fully covers the social and economic pillars of sustainability. The third, environment, is considered in Hot House Music LLP’ commitment to nurture. The company covers this by introducing its students to real-world work environments that open their eyes to the diverse array of pathways open to them (HHMUSICLLP, 2020). 

The remaining three points of the company’s CSR covers the pillar of society. Collectively they do this by providing all school-age children access to music education in a kind, safe, and inspirational learning environment that also teaches them to be aware of their wider environment.     

One of the points of Hot House Music LLP’s CSR is nurture. Nurture feeds into the lawful obligation that the company has, to safeguard all its pupils and to raise any safeguarding issues appropriately. Hot House Music LLP’s Safeguarding Policy (HHMUSICLLP, 2020) is updated annually and informed by UK government guidance and legislation, such as “Working Together to Safeguard Children” (HM Government, 2018). Safeguarding is paramount at Hot House Music LLP and takes precedence when making decisions that impact its pupils. Any discrepancies with Hot House Music LLP’s safeguarding policy could lead to a negative reputation for the company. It would be ethically immoral and criminally damaging to the company for managers to not comply with proper safeguarding policies. 

As Hot House Music LLP is a privately run school, sustaining a positive reputation within the areas it operates is crucial for long-term sustainability. Therefore, any discrepancies in or failure to meet legislative led policies would result in the termination of the company. The reputation of the company is always a consideration by managers when making any decisions for Hot House Music LLP, such as influencing what strategies to use for marketing and what products to continue delivering to our consumers.   

The managers within Hot House Music LLP are required to behave in a way that mimics the strict guidelines set out within education legislation. There are criminal repercussions for unethical behaviour regarding safeguarding. These consequences have shaped the behavioural actions and the decisions of the managers which is then filtered through all facets of the company.