Bskyb

In this assignment I will be evaluating and exploring the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and business ethics of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (BSkyB). I will use various sources to explore the role of the company within the industry and compare it with its competitors. CSR is defined by Kew and Stredwick (2008, p. ???) as how an organisation “voluntarily contributes to a better society and a cleaner environment”. Ethics are defined by David Boddy (2008, p. ???) as “a code of moral principles and values that guide human action, by setting standards of what is acceptable”. Formed in 1990 following the merger of Sky and British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) (BSkyB plc, 2011), BSkyB operates in various interlinking communications industries such as broadcasting and telecommunications. As the leading provider of satellite television in the UK (Ofcom, 2011) as well as a major player in home broadband and telephone services. BSkyB also produce their own television content in addition to several smaller divisions such as Sky Betting and Gaming (BSkyB plc, 2010). Currently News Corporation has a controlling stake in BSkyB at 39.9% (Peston, 2011). In this essay I will start by critically analysing BSkyB’s ethical and CSR obligations; by using the key theories and theoretical concepts it will develop a thorough analysis of BSkyB’s CSR and how the company operates, leading onto a comparative study with its competitors and concluding my essay with my findings.

‘The Bigger Picture’ is a collection of different CSR work BSkyB undertakes, lead by the Director of ‘The Bigger Picture’ Jo Fox (BSkyB plc, 2011). ’The Bigger Picture’ department is split into four different areas of interest, these include; ‘Responsibility’ which is denoted as treating all stakeholders in a fair way and operating ethically. In addition, ‘Environment’ is an area which strives to make the company more environmentally friendly and promoting others to do the same. Furthermore, ‘Sport’ is a...