BUS 750/760-Business Internship Seminar/Applied Senior Project (UNH Manchester): Case Study

Case Study #1: Business Ethics (IBM)

Overview:
You are an intern for IBM’s Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer. Your goal is to research IBM’s ethical, equity, and environmental policies and compare them to those of other multinational companies. Use the resources below to complete your 5 tasks.

Task 1: Business Ethics Models & FCPA

Goal: Choose a framework to evaluate a company’s ethical policies and understand the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Where to Look & Why:

• Library Books / Textbooks:

• Provides theory, frameworks, and structured guidance (e.g., CSR Pyramid, Triple Bottom Line, Stakeholder Theory).

• Databases:

  • Business Source Ultimate 

    • Peer-reviewed articles and case studies to support your analysis.

    • Company and Industry profiles

• FCPA Reference:

  • DOJ FCPA Guide

  • Understand legal rules against bribery and corruption.

Prompt:

• Which framework will you use to evaluate IBM?

• How does the FCPA apply to IBM’s global operations

Task 2: IBM ESG Report

• Goal: Evaluate IBM’s ethics, DEI, and environmental policies.

  Where to Look & Why:

• IBM 2023 ESG Report: IBM Governance & ESG → IBM’s own goals and progress.

• Industry Context:

  • WEF Global Risks Report: Global Risks Report 2024 → Shows global ESG challenges.

  • Conference Board ESG Reports: Conference Board ESG → Shows trends and best business practices.

  • Prompt:

    • What are IBM’s main ESG goals?

    • How do these compare to industry trends?

    • Would you recommend any changes to IBM’s priorities?

Task 3: Global Corruption

Goal: Compare corruption risk across regions using data.

Where to Look & Why:

• Transparency International – CPI → provides corruption perception scores by country.

• World Bank Governance Indicators → assess governance quality globally.

• Databases: Business Source Ultimate, IMF Data → verify data and trends.

Prompt:

• Which regions are most at risk of corruption or bribery?

• How could this affect IBM’s business decisions?

Task 4: Company Case Study – Bank of America or Nestlé

Goal: Research one company’s ethics issues (corruption, labor, environment) and compare them to IBM.

Where to Look & Why:

• Databases:

  • Nexis Uni → "Nestlé" AND "child labor" OR "Bank of America" AND "mortgage crisis"

  • Business Source Ultimate  → company profiles, legal cases, articles.

• Case studies on Nestlé (child labor, environment) or Bank of America (mortgage crisis, governance).

Prompt:

• What ethics issues occurred, when, and what was the outcome?

• How does this compare to IBM’s policies?

Task 5: Recommendations for IBM

Goal: Propose steps IBM could take to strengthen ethics in global markets under changing policies.

Where to Look & Why:

• Harvard Business Review → governance, ESG, ethical best practices.

• OECD iLibrary → corporate ethics guidelines and reports.

Prompt:

• List 3 recommendations for IBM’s global ethical practices.

• Prepare a one-page memo including 5 key research findings and a request for a “next step” meeting with your supervisor.

1. 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

2. FCPA Guide (DOJ)
3. IBM 2023 ESG Report
4. WEF ESG Trends
5.  Transparency International
6. World Bank Governance Indicators
7. Harvard Business Review