Exam 1: The Business and Society Relationship.

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Students' level of knowledge regarding environmental issues will vary widely. At a minimum, they should recognize that business plays a large role in the creation of the pollution that degrades the environment. With this in mind, they should explore potential conflicts between profits and pollution control efforts, the effects that ecological damage has on various stakeholders, and the implications for future quality of life. Students will disagree on the short-term urgency of the environmental question, but most should recognize that there are long-term sustainability issues that must be dealt with at some point. If they are not, the future of the world is in grave peril.

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Obviously, each student may pick a different corporation, so generalizing here is impossible. However, as an example, Microsoft has almost complete power in its portion of the technological sphere. With well over 90 percent of the operating system market, Microsoft virtually controls this aspect of computer technology. It also exerts significant political power through campaign contributions and lobbying efforts. The favorable resolution of the anti-trust case against Microsoft after the Bush administration took office is an obvious example of this power. Another major sphere in which Microsoft exerts power (more specifically the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) is the health arena. This foundation donates significant amounts of money to research and treatment initiatives.