Description
In your first post in this discussion, you will identify and apply one ethical theory of your choosing to a
current problem in business, also of your choosing. Start by reviewing your notes on the Week One
course material and your completed work for Week One. Then, choose one of the three ethical
theories—i.e., utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics—on the basis of your thoughtfully considered
preference in general and independent of the business problem that you will select here. Keep in mind
that you will employ this ethical theory for supporting your position not only for this discussion, but also for
this week’s assignment and the Final Project.
To prepare for your selection of the current problem in business, look at the list of required articles and
multimedia which are divided in the six case-categories as follows:
- Banking (Lehman Brothers)
- Environment (BP)
- GMOs (Monsanto)
- Pharmaceuticals (Merck)
- Gender Discrimination (Goodyear)
- Factory Farms (Perdue)
Choose the case-category that you find the most interesting and note that each category also
corresponds to one particular case. Please choose carefully because your choice for this discussion will
establish the case that will be central to your argumentative essay this week as well as your Final Project
in Week Five. It is recommended that you leaf through all the required resources indicated for the
possible case-categories that you identify as possible contenders before making your final choice.
Once you have selected your ethical theory and your case category, articulate the characteristics of the
economic system (or combination of both systems) that serves as the setting for the case presented in
the case category sources. Given this context, examine how the nation’s laws affect the operations of the
business.
Next, identify the characteristics of your chosen ethical theory and its notion of the moral good. For the
latter, you will need to review again the PowerPoint that was introduced in Week One, which is also listed
in this week’s Required Resources and it is titled The Moral Good in Three Traditional Ethical Theories.
Then, think how you would apply the ethical theory to the specific problem presented in the case category
sources.
Start your post by (a) identifying the issue or problem that you want to address in the case that you have
selected and providing an impartial presentation of the controversy, (b) articulating briefly the
characteristics of the economic system that serves as the setting, and (c) examining the laws that affect
the operations of the business.
The following illustration should help. Consider, for example, the case of Uber that we examined in Week
Two. If the California decision establishes a precedent for similar claims, then Uber would have to do
business as an employer and not merely as a service that pairs consumers with ride sharing services by
means of a unique phone app. Accordingly, the law would require Uber to reimburse its drivers for certain
costs and perhaps offer benefits. Take in consideration, then, the legal setting for the case that you have
chosen. Does the case take place in the United States or another country? What are the laws that are
relevant to the problem under examination? Keep in mind that all laws are constraints on our actions,
whether those by individuals or corporations. The relevant laws, then, will be (a) any laws that present not
only a constraint on the company’s operations, (b) any laws that are being violated by the corporation, or
(c) any laws that unfairly limit the goods and services that can be offered to and are demanded by
consumers.
In a second paragraph, formulate a sentence that presents the moral position that you want to defend in
regard to the issue or problem introduced in the previous paragraph.
In the same paragraph, present the ethical theory that you choose to employ. Your choices are
utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, and the necessary material is included in the required
readings and media. Make sure to identify the characteristics of the ethical theory, and include in-text
citations and full references in APA form at the end of the post. Once you have done this, apply the
ethical theory to your selected case by explaining how it lends itself to the moral position that you are
defending.
Requirements for Your Initial Post:
- Your initial post should be at least 400 words in length and have citations and references in APA
notation. It should address the prompt in its entirety. This means that you should not split your
response to the prompt in multiple posts. Your examination should be both thorough and
succinct. This is a combination that demands time and thought, so give yourself sufficient time to
draft and revise.
- Please be advised that until you post, you will not see what your fellow students are posting.
Once you submit your post, you will be able to view the posts from your other classmates. You
can then proceed to reply to at least two different threads based on the required material for this
discussion.
- Your list of references for your initial post should include the videos and the other required
reading material pertaining to your chosen subject heading, as well as the ethics, economic, and
law components of Weeks One and Two, the Instructor Guidance, and any other announcements
presented to you by your professor. In addition, your references should include any other sources
that you consult to inform yourself about your chosen case category (but not Wikipedia or similar
sources).
- Your initial post for this discussion should be submitted no later than the end of Thursday
(11:59 pm, U.S. Mountain time).