Legal & Ethical Environments Of Business
Full Answer Section
- Implied agreement: The principal and the agent implicitly agree that the agent will act on behalf of the principal. This can happen through the conduct of the parties or through the circumstances of the situation.
- Ratification: The principal ratifies the actions of the agent after the fact. This means that the principal retroactively approves of the agent's actions and agrees to be bound by them.
- Fiduciary duty: The agent must act in the best interests of the principal. This means that the agent must not put their own interests ahead of the principal's interests.
- Duty of obedience: The agent must obey the reasonable instructions of the principal.
- Duty of care: The agent must exercise reasonable care in performing their duties.
- Duty of loyalty: The agent must not compete with the principal or act in a way that is harmful to the principal's interests.
- Duty to compensate: The principal must compensate the agent for their services.
- Duty to indemnify: The principal must reimburse the agent for any losses that the agent incurs while acting on behalf of the principal.
- Duty to cooperate: The principal must cooperate with the agent in performing their duties.
Sample Solution
An agency relationship is created when one person (the principal) consents to another person (the agent) acting on his behalf, subject to the P's control, and the A agrees to do so. The agent has the authority to act on behalf of the principal and to bind the principal to contracts.
There are three ways to create an agency relationship:
- Express agreement: The principal and the agent explicitly agree that the agent will act on behalf of the principal. This agreement can be made orally or in writing.