business ethics

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Human Side of ethics

In 2018, the college admission scandal shocked the nation. Cameras were focused on the perpetrators and little attention was paid to the victims of the unethical action. Studies show that people tend to take their cues as to how to act, even in situations with ethical dimensions, from those around them. For example, students who think there is a lot of cheating going on in their school are more likely to cheat themselves than students who don’t think there is as much cheating occurring.

Wealthy people are more likely than the rest of us to know people who have sent their children to elite universities through the back door by donating large sums of money. They are also in a peer group of parents that are more likely to have used a side door – such as the one that The Key provided – to secure admission into a prestigious university. In addition, they are likely to feel aggrieved by affirmative action plans that may disadvantage their children, on average, and this may make it seem to them that it is permissible to game the admissions system.

Watch the following two videos and answer the questions listed below. Your response should be at minimum 300 words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BP6pPYkIVU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9McrEaovuM

1. Do you think that the conformity bias might have played a role in this college admissions scandal? Explain.

2. Is it plausible that if the parents involved believed that the college admissions system was based on merit alone that they would have been less likely to give themselves permission to cheat? Why or why not?

3. Identify the human side to this ethical situation. How does it make you feel?

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I am gonna send you the reply later

Discussions are worth 50 pts (25 pts for initial discussion and 25 pts for replies). Points WILL be taken off if this is not adhered to. The purpose of this is to ensure that your classmates have ample time to respond to your posts. You will need to reply to at least 2 classmates to earn the remainder of your discussion points by Initial posts should be at least 250 words and end in a question that will help to facilitate discussion.

PROMPT:

Examples of unethical business practices surround us. For your first discussion, please find and describe an example of unethical business behavior. Your example can be an article, news story, movie, lyrics in a song, meme, etc. If possible, please post or provide a link to your example. I encourage you to get creative! What about your selection makes the behavior unethical in your view? What consequences might result because of the behavior?

3/ You make the call firestone Tire

In 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration alerted Firestone and Ford about possible tread-separation defects in model ATX, ATX II, and Wilderness AT tires. The ensuing investigation of the defect led to a recall of more than 6 million tires. However, the massive recall was not enough to prevent 250 traffic deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries, mostly from rollover incidents. Not only did manufacturers know of the potential defects, but lawyers preparing lawsuits on behalf of victims did as well. Because of the secretive fact-finding investigations by all interested parties, the driving public remained in the dark about the risks of driving ATVs equipped with certain Firestone brand tires. The case raises questions about the decisions of investigators whose secretive proceedings may have jeopardized the safety of many consumers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iG0F5rycHs

• What “rights” do consumers have with regard to the sale of products such as tires and automobiles?
• How did product liability lawsuits in the Ford-Firestone tire case inadvertently serve to keep the public in the dark about dangerously defective tires? Should lawyers have done more to inform the public? Were government regulators the problem?
• What are the pros and cons of having private attorneys notify the government about product safety information gathered on behalf of their clients? What competing moral obligations complicate the issue?

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Discussions are worth 50 pts (25 pts for initial discussion and 25 pts for replies). Points WILL be taken off if this is not adhered to. The purpose of this is to ensure that your classmates have ample time to respond to your posts. You will need to reply to at least 2 classmates to earn the remainder of your discussion points.by Initial posts should be at least 250 words and end in a question that will help to facilitate discussion.

Prompt:

• • Is child labor always bad?
    • Should it be illegal worldwide? How long ago did child labor become illegal in the U.S.?
    • Are there circumstances in which it could be construed as good and / or necessary?
    • Are morals universal?
    • Is it appropriate that the U.S. tries to impose its moral and ethical standards onto the rest of the world?

5/ You make the call- the fall of enron

Read Case 1: Monsanto Attempts to Balance Stakeholder Interests in text, pp. 382-393. Prepare a 2-3 page case study analysis that consists of:

• Identify Key Issues
• Answer the following questions:
  • Does Monsanto maintain an ethical culture that effectively responds to various stakeholders? Explain your answer.
  • Compare the benefits of growing GM seeds for crops with the potential negative consequences of using them?
  • How should Monsanto manage the potential harm to plant and animal life from using such products as Roundup?

Additional Case Resources:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104708731 (Links to an external site.)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/11/11/us-food-monsanto-idUSTRE5AA05520091111 (Links to an external site.)

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/ (Links to an external site.)

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Week 5 Discussion Question

Discussions are worth 50 pts (25 pts for initial discussion and 25 pts for replies). of each week. Points WILL be taken off if this is not adhered to. The purpose of this is to ensure that your classmates have ample time to respond to your posts. You will need to reply to at least 2 classmates to earn the remainder of your discussion points .Initial posts should be at least 250 words and end in a question that will help to facilitate discussion.

Watch the following video and answer the prompt below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuiDuoRJkOY

Prompt:

Why are whistle blowers treated the way they are in the United States?

Would you be willing to risk it all to whistle blow on an organization? Why or why not?