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RE: essay assignments /business ethicsThe philosophic spirit is to approach a problem thoughtfully, looking at the evidence before making a decision; you try to bring some order to what you are looking at; you are trying to see what is really there. The first step is to define a problem to look into. One way to approach writing an essay –not the only way, but tried and true –is to follow an outline like this:introduction –define the general arena you are looking atthesis–try to state the main point you wish to make defense–support your thesis with ARGUMENTS consideration of counterarguments –critique your own thesis withARGUMENTSConclusion: Which arguments are stronger? –Why? –what is your result?3-5 pages, double-spaced you are free to explore whatever topics emerge from our subject and the readings for our class. Here are a few beginning topic areas and possible questions that may help to get things started.
1. The readings explore number of arguments that recommend doing away with business ethics as a topic of study, as well as objections to such arguments. Pick an argument against business ethics and assess its strengths and weaknesses. How do you see the issue? Is this subject, business ethics,worth studying? Is there and should there be an ethic forbusiness?Is there a different ethical problem forbusiness than there is in all the other areas of life?
2. Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) refers to the voluntary activities undertaken by a company to operate in an economic, social and environmentally sustainable manner. Another way of referring to this approach in business is what people call the “triple bottom line”(TBL).This is an accounting framework with three parts: social, environmental and financial –also called the three Ps: people, planet and profit –also called the “three pillars of sustainability”–rather than approach business within a strictly “bottom line,” or profit-driven,business plan. Suppose that you are setting up your owncorporation and you are beginning to define a corporate ethic as a guideline for your colleagues and employees. What arguments can you offer in supportof a CSR / TBL approach? How wouldyou make the case to expand beyond maximizing total profitability, and incorporating social and environmentalgoals into the business?
3. Is lying ever justified in business? Explain your reasons. Consider cases of lying ine.g., negotiations, lying in advertising, and lying to employees. How can we distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable forms of lying –if there are any such distinctions –in caseslike these?If there is a duty to tell the truth, how does this work in business?
4. Review some arguments for and against granting corporations the status of legal “persons” –e.g.,corporations like people have the right to enter into contracts with one another and to sue or be sued in court –it is thought that corporations are collections of people, and that people
should not be deprived of their rights when they act collectively. However, individuals are thoughtto have the basic right against self-incrimination (as illustrated in the Fifth Amendmentto the US Constitution), but no person (nor any legal entity) has ever recognized such a right for corporations. The Hobby Lobbycase appears to grant religious rights to corporations, and the Citizens United case seems to grant free speech rights to corporations. How do you see the problem of ‘corporate personhood?’
5. Pick an episode from your own work history that illustrates some of the predicaments we have been studying in the readings. Recount the situation at work and the business ethics issue, some possible strategies for action, and the resolution that you chose to pursue–why did you choose to respond as you did?
6. In recent weeks in the news there have beenseveral business ethics stories –workplace sexual harassment, workplace racismissues, disparities in business startupgrantsalong racial and gender lines, problems at the workplace when the worker feels bored and disengaged, risk vs. reward in 401K planning, warnings to first-time home buyers regarding suspect mortgage lending practices,large corporations that pay no taxes, anxieties impacting business and international trade due to political instability, the role of business/corporate donations in politics, business failures due to the pandemic and resultantincreasing market share to large corporations vs. local businesses. Choose ONEsuch topics to write an essay about. Define the issue in terms of contemporary American life –Why is this topic controversial? –What is it that people disagree about in relation to this issue? –What are some of the opposed positions that people take on these issues? What are some strong arguments on the question? What –after review of the above –is your view?
7. In Google, Yahoo, Ask and the like, the search algorithm is software that scans for data based on given criteria. Organic search (natural search) displays links on a results page in order of frequency or relevancy to the criteria. Contrast this idea with “paid search,” where results are displayed (out of sequence to frequency or relevancy to the search criteria) because they were “selected” (i.e., paid for by an advertiser)–thus for a larger fee, there is a more frequent display of the result. This is a relatively new form of business. What are some of the potential and actualethical issues that you see arising in the new media landscape? How does the old idea of caveat emptor(buyer beware) apply to the new world of Internet commerce?
8. Some recent controversies in public discussion of business ethics includes such topics as:‘fair trade issues, copyright protections, misleading business public relations statements, ‘whitewashing and ‘greenwashing’s recent business public affairs strategies, corporate statements on ethical and political issues, insider trading, securities fraud, bribery, kickbacks, criminal manipulation of financial markets, new campaigns for and against unionization, intellectual propertyissues–the increasing hold of longtime patent holders –and tax policy
Choose ONE such topic to write an essay about. Define the issue in terms of global commerce–Why is this topic controversial? –What is it that people disagree about in relation to this issue? –What are some of the opposed positions that people take on these issues? What are some strong arguments on the question? What –after review of the above –is your view?
