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Business Ethics – A Case Study

Assignment Guidelines

Students are advised to scroll down the whole paper and read carefully all the rubrics to avoid any misunderstanding. The task itself is very simple provided that we follow the rubrics and technically respect the steps indicated thereof.

• Firstly, start with reading the values and virtues to have an idea about the possible notions to work with.
• Secondly, read the cases and pick the one you think you understand very well.
• Thirdly, read the case carefully to define the moral dilemma that exists.
• Fourthly, determine the two opposing courses of action and the values implicated in them.
• Fifthly, cover the points of the background stage.
• Sixthly, use the ethical analysis stage and answer the questions by assigning a mark from 0 to 6 for each course of action (alternative).
• Seventhly, add up the marks and compare the two courses’ additions. The higher one should normally be the better course with more points.

After that, write an essay to justify your choice of decision. Remember the essay should consist of five paragraphs: an introduction, a first body paragraph to describe the case in detail, a second body paragraph tell why you did not take the weaker course of actions, a third body paragraph to justify your chosen course of action and a conclusion paragraph to restate your ethical point. 

2. List of Values and Virtue

Examples of ethical values might include

The following list is the “Six Pillars of Character” developed by The Josephson Institute of Ethics, 310-306-1868):

• Trustworthiness: honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, loyalty
• Respect: autonomy, privacy, dignity, courtesy, tolerance, acceptance
• Responsibility: accountability, pursuit of excellence
• Caring: compassion, consideration, giving, sharing, kindness, loving
• Justice and fairness: procedural fairness, impartiality, consistency, equity, equality, due process
• Civic virtue and citizenship: law abiding, community service, protection of environment

3. List of Cases

1. “Our company prides itself on its merit-based pay system. One of my employees has done a tremendous job all year, so he deserves strong recognition. However, he’s already paid at the top of the salary range for his job grade and our company has too many people in the grade above him, so we can’t promote him. What should I do?”
2. “Our company prides itself on hiring minorities. One Asian candidate fully fits the job requirements for our open position. However, we’re concerned that our customers won’t understand his limited command of the English language. What should I do?”
3. “My top software designer suddenly refused to use our e-mail system. He explained to me that, as a Christian, he could not use a product built by a company that provided benefits to the partners of homosexual employees. He’d basically cut himself off from our team, creating a major obstacle to our product development. What should I do?”
4. “My boss told me that one of my employees is among several others to be laid off soon, and that I’m not to tell my employee yet or he might tell the whole organization which would soon be in an uproar. Meanwhile, I heard from my employee that he plans to buy braces for his daughter and a new carpet for his house. What should I do?”
5. “My computer operator told me he’d noticed several personal letters printed from a computer that I was responsible to manage. While we had no specific policies then against personal use of company facilities, I was concerned. I approached the letter writer to discuss the situation. She told me she’d written the letters on her own time to practice using our word processor. What should I do?”
6. “A fellow employee told me that he plans to quit the company in two months and start a new job which has been guaranteed to him. Meanwhile, my boss told me that he wasn’t going to give me a new opportunity in our company because he was going to give it to my fellow employee now. What should I do?”
7. “You work as a manager in a small company for IT services. Nine newly-graduated applicants deposited their files for a new position in your company. One of them happened to be your nephew. His profile is not the best one though. Will you help him get the job?”
8. “You are a judge in court. Lately, an employee at ‘Geant’ sued the company after he got injured in a work accident. He was downloading stuff from a lorry when he slid and broke his arm. He claims that he slid because of some oil leaked from the company’s machines in the area. The company denied any charges. Will you rule in his favor? Why?”

4. Background Scanning Stage

Try to collect as many facts as you can about all stakeholders. Consider the obligations of and the policies that relate all stakeholders in this case. Make sure all details are given due consideration.

5. Effective Decision-Making Process

1. Relevant information test. Have you obtained as much information as possible to make an informed decision and action-plan for this situation? What are the facts?
2. Involvement test. Have you involved as many as possible of those who have a right to have input to, oractual involvement in, making this decision and action-plan? Have consulted any stakeholder? Or is this decision made by you alone independently from external pressure?
3. Consequentiality test. Have you attempted to accommodate for the consequences of this decisionand action-plan on anyone who could be significantly affected by it?
4. Ethical principles test. Do you uphold the ethical principles that you think are relevant to this situation?
5. Fairness test. Would all of the stakeholders in this situation perceive this decision and action-plan to be fair, given all of the circumstances?
6. Universal Applicability test. Would you want this decision and action-plan to become “universally applicable” so it would apply to all in similar situations, including yourself?
7. Preventive test. Does this decision and action-plan prevent or minimize similar situations from happening again?
8. Decision Disclosure test. Did you consider maximizing pleasing the biggest possible number of stakeholders byyour decision when you disclose it for all to know?

6. Ethical Analysis

6. Justification