Mngt 5192 BUSINESS ETHICS

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Weekly Homework Questions:

For Week 2

1. Read Friedman (here), "Rethinking" (here), Kay (here), and Nash's list at the last page of (here), and answer the questions in the Course Outline (here) under Week 1 homework:
   1. Whose position do you agree with most: Friedman's, Mackey's or Rodgers'? Explain how and why.
   2. Does Laura Nash's article (here) help in answering this question? Hint: she seems to work through ethical questions systematically.
   3. Do you agree with John Kay that business ought to be a profession like any other? Explain.

   
   

2. Choose three (3) of the 17 questions for Mr Ethicist of the New York Times (here), and ask into which (if any) of the four dilemmas the three could fall. (There could be more than one dilemma.) Justify your classifications in writing.

   
   

3. Can you think of any ethical dilemma which isn't described by one (or more) of the four types of ethical dilemma? Describe and justify.

   
   

4. (For later presentation--not next week): Cases from Mehalli & Wood -- to be done in teams of your choice. Here.

   
   

5. Five cases from the Institute for Global Ethics, for group discussions. Here.
6. Three cases from the Institute for Global Ethics, for group discussions. Here.

   
   Cases for Week 2 class discussion --

   
   

7. The Harry Stonecipher case. Here.
   
8. The Merck case. (Here).

For Week 3

1. Read the Ford Pinto case (here) and Damian Grace's summary of Jackall (here) Answer the questions in the Course Outline (here) under Week 2's Homework:
   1. So, is there an ethical issue in the Ford Pinto case? If so, what should Ford have done differently?
   2. Is there something unethical about using cost-benefit analysis?
   3. How close is Jackall's analysis to your experience of working in organisations?
   4. Were you aware of any measures to protect or improve the ethical culture of organisations where Jackall's analysis seemed to apply?
   5. Summarise the impact of the managerial attitudes Jackall identifies on the functioning of the corporation.
   6. What strategies would you suggest to change those attitudes?

   
   

2. Can you resolve two questions from Mr Ethicist's 17 answers (here) using Kidder's principles of resolution?
3. The Course Essay topics. (Here).

   
   Cases for Week 3 class discussion --

   
   

4. Four real-life situations: Gerard, Joseph, Elaine, and Jacob, (Here).

For Week 4

1. Read the Coastal Uniforms case (here), and answer:
   1. Discuss the issue of Coastal's Rule 35 and the incentives it provides.
   2. Identify any legal and ethical issues that Andrew Vilas need to be aware of.
   3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each decision Andrew has made and could make.
   4. Advise Andrew what he should do.
   5. In your experience, is the culture at Coastal unusual?

   
   

2. Read Plender & Persaud (here) In the light of this article, how might you improve the ethical culture at a company such as Coastal, if you were Andrew's boss?

For Week 5

1. Read Steidlmeier on China (here) "Big Brother in China" (here) the Classic Container Corp. (here) and the AWB reading (here). Answer these questions:
   1. What is the ethical significance -- if any -- of cultural differences in business?
   2. Think about this: when in Rome, do as the Romans do. When people behave like barbarians in Rome, the Romans resent it. Is it not the same in business today?
   3. On the other hand, if the standards that prevail in Dallas (or Baghdad) are not the same as in Sydney, then what is the point of having standards?
   4. Can areas of difference be partitioned so that MNCs can be culturally sensitive yet ethical according to their own corporate lights?

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