Question

Trade secrets and conflict of interest:

• Factors deciding if the information is protectable

• Kinds of Conflict of Interest

• Managing Conflict of Interest

Privacy:

• Privacy of employee records

• Reasons for collecting employees’ personal information

Discrimination and affirmative action:

• Defining discrimination

• Different types of discrimination

• Affirmative action

Ethics in Global Environment:

• Ethical dilemmas of international business following different standards in different countries

• Bribery

Answer 1

Trade secrets and conflict of interest:

As per the definition of trade secrets can be anything any information, formula, device or pattern that gives an organization an opportunity to be on superior or advantageous position as compared to competitors who lack in it. Factors that decide whether the information is protectable or not are highlighted as follows:

Factors deciding if the information is protectable:

• Nature of work,
• Nature of information,
• Measures taken to protect its confidentiality,
• Uniqueness of information,
• Usage of practice,
• Value of information

Kinds of Conflict of Interest:

Conflict of interest comprises of that personal interest that came into conflict in the interest of the organization. Some of the most common kinds of conflicts of interests are as follows:

• Actual conflict,
• Potential conflict,
• Perceived conflict,
• Violation of confidentiality,
• Biased Judgement,
• Misuse of power and position,
• Competition.

Managing Conflict of Interest:

It is important for organizations to manage conflicts of interests. Some of the measures that can be implemented in order to do so are as follows:

• By declaring the conflict is of what kind,
• Removal of source to mitigate conflict,
• By restricting involvement,
• By recruiting third party for a particular process,
• By controlling authority and power,

Privacy:

It is extremely important for organizations to manage privacy of its employees. It is the responsibility of employer to protect employee records.

Privacy of employee records:

• As per Federal law, there are separate sections that are established in order to maintain privacy of different records provided by employee to employer.
• As per 45 code of Federal regulations Sections 160, and 164, Health Insurance Accountability and portability Act (HIPPA), it is mandatory for employer to protect employee’s health information.

Reasons for collecting employees’ personal information:

• For ensuring that right person is recruited,
• For carrying staff management operations,
• For quality management purpose,
• For Auditing,
• For keeping employees records,
• For health insurance.