1. Read this letter and write your own.

Dear Mr Molehill,

I am writing to inform you that I shall be in Winconster on Wednesday 14th July and I think it would be a good idea if we met to discuss the factory implantation further. I should be pleased to visit your factory site in the morning before the meeting at the County Hall. If it were convenient, I would like to suggest that I arrive at your office at Sam for a breakfast meeting, followed by a visit of the site and presentation of the new production and assembly lines.

If this suits you, I shall be arriving on flight № BA 301 at terminal 1 Gatwick, at 18.15 on Tuesday 13th July. Could you possibly book hotel accommodation near your office for two nights? I would also he grateful if you could arrange a meeting with the Quality Manager on Thursday 15th July in the morning, if possible. I should also like to have an appointment with the Marketing Manager.

I look forward to receiving confirmation of these arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

Edward Mountain

Unit 26 Ethics of business communication

1. Listen out for the following expressions in the video. What do you think they mean?

• The bottom line

• Tough decisions

• Ethical compass

• In the long run

• Paying the price

• Veer off course

• Stay on track

Vocabulary

• Whistle blower

• Bribe

• Fraud

• Corruption

• Confidentiality

• Integrity

• Corporate responsibility

• Transparency

• Peer Pressure

• Moral

• Reputation

• Trustworthy

• Law-abiding

• Controversial

• Responsible

• Corrupt

• Ethical

• Regulate

• Offer (a bribe)

• Accept (a bribe)

• Admit (to fraud)

• Deny (wrongdoing)

• Accuse

Conversation Questions

1. What is the purpose of business, in your opinion? Is it just to make money?

2. Are some jobs more ethical than others?

3. How ethical do you think these professions are? (accountant, banker, police officer, lawyer, nurse, dentist, teacher, taxi driver, car sales executive)

4. Why is corruption more common in some countries than in others?

5. What are the consequences of corruption in your opinion?

6. What examples can you give of businesses behaving badly?

7. What ethical issues does the food industry face?

8. What ethical issues does the financial sector experience?

9. What ethical issues affect pharmaceutical companies?

10. Why do you think companies are becoming more interested in corporate responsibility?

11. What can employees do to try to change the behaviour of businesses that are behaving unethically?

12. Do you think child labour should be banned? What about if it puts them into worse poverty?

13. Would you pay more for a product if you knew the company was more ethical than others?

14. What can be done to stop companies behaving unethically?

Discuss this list of unethical activities. In your opinion, which are the worst?

• Avoiding paying tax

• Claiming extra expenses

• Using work facilities for private purposes (e.g. personal phone calls, social networking)

• Accepting praise for someone else’s work

• Selling a defective product

• Using your influence to get jobs for relatives (nepotism)

• Ringing in sick when you are not ill

• Taking extended lunch breaks