Ethics Portfolio

Assessment

Summary

In the first week of ETH560 business ethics, we had to do three different pre-test assessments. The results of my assessments were compared with my classmates. My first assessment was knowledge of business ethics; prioritize our morals and values, and What Would You Do? Moral philosophy.

Alternatives

I believe my discussion on the values and morals would have been different if I knew the definition before making my choices.

Analysis

My choices where based on how I perceive myself as a person. The three choices that stood out the most were assistance, because helping or assisting someone in need is something that I could never stop doing. Candor because I believe in freedom from prejudice or malice. And character, because I have high morals.

Application

My decision of the assessments was based on my moral judgment.

Action

The next assessment I take, I will look at each question with more detail, and use better judgment when I choose my answer.

Notes

Ferrell, L, Ferrell, O.C., & Fraedrich, J. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (12th ed.). Cengage.

Assessment

Summary

This week assessment is all about Banking on Nature and Employee Microchip. When it comes to natural resources, business will always rely on paper, water, oil, and gas. Both nature and business rely on each other. The second case study titled employee microchip was a technological futuristic look into a business’s idea of tracking its employees with a skin implantable radio frequency microchip.

Alternatives

I believe the one alternative I found in this week assessment, was morals. I believe you have to have moral when you are working with nature and implantable radio frequency microchip in employees.

Analysis

My response was based on an ethical approach of how business rely on nature as well as how business should treat their employees.

Application

All decision were made on moral judgement.

Action

I looked at both assessment and I believe action must be taken on both side. Working with nature to help grow a business and look at both side when it comes to implantable radio frequency microchip in employees.

Notes

Ferrell, L, Ferrell, O.C., & Fraedrich, J. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (12th ed.). Cengage.

GRIFFITH, J., & KNOEBER, C. (2020). Why do corporations contribute to tbe Nature Conservancy?. Retrieved 19 December 2020, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=40f26236-c5b3-44a1-bb25-4303ad4b28f3%40sessionmgr101

Assessment

Summary

Week three summary was all about, Essential Elements of Ethical Decision-Making in Business. First was a discussion on romantic relationships in the work place. I am 50/50 on the matter of employee relationship. On one hand, I feel employers are not the relationship police. I feel if mature individuals want to have a relationship it is their business and no employer has control over mature consenting adults. On the other hand, no office romances should not be allowed, breakups can be nasty. Allowing people to be romantically involved at work is a bad idea, although not allowing it is not very enforceable.

Alternatives

I believe you should have the integrity to do the right thing while at work. You should be able to have a healthy relationship at work without having any kind of conflict.

Analysis

Ethical employee relationships are essential to the smooth operation of a business. This means keeping unhealthy levels of competition and personal relationships between employees out of the work place, while providing an environment where employees feel they are treated equally and fairly.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-relationships-business-10078.html

Application

My decision of the assessments was based on having integrity.

Action

All my action were based on my own experience and web research.

Notes

Ferrell, L, Ferrell, O.C., & Fraedrich, J. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (12th ed.). Cengage.

GRIFFITH, J., & KNOEBER, C. (2020). Why do corporations contribute to tbe Nature Conservancy?. Retrieved 19 December 2020, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=40f26236-c5b3-44a1-bb25-4303ad4b28f3%40sessionmgr101

Assessment

Summary

This week assessment summary is all about Organizational Factors and how they impact culture and relationships of ethical decision-making in business. The first and the foremost factor affecting culture is the individual working with the organization. The employees in their own way contribute to the culture of the workplace. The attitudes, mentalities, interests, perception and even the thought process of the employees affect the organization culture. CVS stopped selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in September 2014. They made an ethical decision making in business.

Alternatives

I believe factors and how they impact culture was huge. Theo chocolate helps farmers and Theo chocolate is using slave free chocolate, and letting consumers know that their chocolate is ethically-sourced by looking for a fair trade certification label on the product. The fact that CVS stopped selling cigarettes and other tobacco products, shows that they care about everyone well being.

Analysis

Positive Ethical Decisions in Business Can Be Hugely Beneficial for Your Company Image, Employees & Profits and both CVS and Theo chocolate made good ethical decisions.

Application

My decision of the assessments was based on morality, because it often requires that people sacrifice their own short-term interests for the benefit of society.

Action

All my action were based on my own experience and web research.

Notes

Ferrell, L, Ferrell, O.C., & Fraedrich, J. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (12th ed.). Cengage.

GRIFFITH, J., & KNOEBER, C. (2020). Why do corporations contribute to tbe Nature Conservancy?. Retrieved 19 December 2020, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=40f26236-c5b3-44a1-bb25-4303ad4b28f3%40sessionmgr101

Jayne O'Donnell and Laura Ungar (2014). CVS stops selling tobacco, offers quit-smoking programs https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/03/cvs-steps-selling-tobacco-changes-name/14967821/

Assessment

Summary

This week assessment summary is all about Managing and Controlling Ethics Programs in Business. I review a Video Case Study on BP, and BP Oil spillage has greatly affected the seafood business. I believe implementing an ethics audit system could’ve helped stop the spill.

Alternatives

A failed ethics program greatly contributed to the Deepwater Horizon 2010 oil spill which was a tragedy for human lives, the environment, and the businesses that depended on the health of the Gulf of Mexico. Although BP was not found to be solely responsible for all aspects of the disaster that started with a natural gas explosion, it was clearly noted in the investigation that BP employees working the rig made no attempt to consult the visiting platform engineer upon knowing unexpected results of a critical negative pressure test.

Analysis

I believe if a proper ethics audit was conducted, especially in reference to share values concerning safety which Mr. Hayward previously stated was of outmost importance, the audit would have validated the need for improvement. The data of the ethics audit could have been relayed back to a leadership and an ethics committee to mitigate the risk and a plan of action to correct.

Application

My decision of the assessments was based on having integrity.

Action

All my action were based on my own experience and web research.

Notes

Ferrell, L, Ferrell, O.C., & Fraedrich, J. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (12th ed.). Cengage.

GRIFFITH, J., & KNOEBER, C. (2020). Why do corporations contribute to tbe Nature Conservancy?. Retrieved 19 December 2020, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=40f26236-c5b3-44a1-bb25-4303ad4b28f3%40sessionmgr101

Jayne O'Donnell and Laura Ungar (2014). CVS stops selling tobacco, offers quit-smoking programs https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/03/cvs-steps-selling-tobacco-changes-name/14967821/

Assessment

Summary

This week assessment summary is all about Globalization of Ethical Decision-Making in Business. I review a Video Case Study on Google. The company faces numerous challenges in terms of privacy. Google has to check on using users' data to generate revenues and the violation of the privacies of those users. This information collection that it holds makes it able to offer advertising that is targeted to the advertisers thus Google can ensure the provision of internet services that are free to its users. Google now has committed questionable actions and also infringes on the rights of its users thus making it face resistance from many countries in terms of privacy policies (Rubinstein & Good, 2013).

Alternatives

I believe threats of new regulations, the company rolls out measures like lobbying so that it can prevent the regulation that appears to be unfavorable to it from being passed. Google depends on tracking activities also to realize huge profits. Tracking activities violate heavily on the privacy of the users' information.

Analysis

The issue with privacy comes from Google collecting their user’s data. This data includes their name, email address, location, what sites they visit, and can include other data that we do not even know about. We know that they use this information to generate profits so that they can offer their services to the public for free. The information generates them profits by targeting ads to the users and because they can give other companies that sign up with them a list of potential customers.

Application

I think the corporate social responsibility of eliminating tracking would quickly gain notoriety, which would limit any potential downside risk in profits. On Google’s parent company website known as Alphabet Inc. I do not see any reference to customer privacy as part of the company’s goals, vision, or mission statement, but it is noted that one of Alphabet’s goals is to improve the transparency and oversight of what they are doing.

Action

All my action were based on my own experience and web research.

Notes

Ferrell, L, Ferrell, O.C., & Fraedrich, J. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (12th ed.). Cengage.

GRIFFITH, J., & KNOEBER, C. (2020). Why do corporations contribute to tbe Nature Conservancy?. Retrieved 19 December 2020, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=40f26236-c5b3-44a1-bb25-4303ad4b28f3%40sessionmgr101

Jayne O'Donnell and Laura Ungar (2014). CVS stops selling tobacco, offers quit-smoking programs https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/03/cvs-steps-selling-tobacco-changes-name/14967821/

Assessment

Summary

This week assessment summary is all about Leadership and Social Responsibility in Business Ethics. I review a Video Case Study on Zappos and Lululemon. This week I did a fair amount of analysis regarding the topic of employee motivation and engagement and how these factors impact ethics. 

Alternatives

I found interesting is to analyze what behaviors/achievement a company incentivizes for employees as a desire action or behavior? Or how to they communicate with one another and the hierarchical structure of the company? Are employees empowered to speak up? How does a company measure motivation and engagement? What does competition look like at this company, is it encouraged or discouraged?

Analysis

By examining the 'why' behind employees and top executives motivation and engagement levels, I feel that this will help to determine the level of ethical emphasis that a company and its employees regard as important.  

Application

All decision were made on moral judgement.

Action

All my action were based on my own experience and web research.

Notes

Ferrell, L, Ferrell, O.C., & Fraedrich, J. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (12th ed.). Cengage.

GRIFFITH, J., & KNOEBER, C. (2020). Why do corporations contribute to tbe Nature Conservancy?. Retrieved 19 December 2020, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=40f26236-c5b3-44a1-bb25-4303ad4b28f3%40sessionmgr101

Jayne O'Donnell and Laura Ungar (2014). CVS stops selling tobacco, offers quit-smoking programs https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/03/cvs-steps-selling-tobacco-changes-name/14967821/