Business Ethic

Interview a professional[*] who has faced an ethical dilemma in his/her workplace. The professional must have worked full-time, at the same organization for at least 3 years. You may not interview yourself. Your goal in this assignment is to analyze the case from an Ethics in Business perspective. While you may certainly talk to your interviewee about his/her perspective on the ethics of the case, the goal is to write your own objective analysis, including your arguments as to whether or not this individual made the best decision. HINT: the strongest arguments include anticipating likely counter-arguments and refuting them. Choose an ethical situation that is rich enough to provide you with enough content for a thorough analysis. E.g., a situation in which there is only one clear ethical option (should I steal from the company?) does not make for a strong or solid analysis. 

Paper Details:                                                                              

1.     Writing counts. A portion of your grade will be based on your ability to write clearly, language, grammar and spelling. 

2.     Length: 3.5-4 pages, 12 point Times New Roman (or similar) font, 1 inch margins with double spacing. Because this is a short paper, use your space efficiently. One mistake students often make is spending too much time/space describing the details of the situation, and not enough concentration on the analysis of the situation. HINT: Remember, this paper is like a “final exam” – i.e., I expect you to actively demonstrate that you have mastered the core concepts from the class and can apply some of the articles and theories we have discussed into your arguments. Make that your focus.

3.     Caution: While this is not a research paper, and you are not required to use outside sources, you must properly cite any material you reference, including assigned course readings, any other material I have provided you, and any information that you find on your own (e.g., if you look up a definition, a statistic or a fact online). Failure to cite = plagiarism. Plagiarism is a violation of the academic integrity policy, and all violations will be reported to the Dean of Student Affairs. Consequences for first-time violations can range from a 0 on the paper to an F for the class.

4.     Use Ethical concepts to analyze the situation: Choose 2-3 from blow:

a.     Right

b.     Duties

c.     Utilitarian theories

d.     Deontology

e.     Virtue

[*] I define “professional” for this assignment to be anyone who has received job-specific training either on or offsite. Therefore, a restaurant server or construction worker is considered a professional; however, someone who earns their living through playing poker or watching the neighbor’s kids after school is not.