CASE STUDY PROJECT - FINAL REPORT

Running Head: ETHICAL DILEMMA 1

ETHICAL DILEMMA 5

Ethical Dilemma

Jianfeng Yu

San Jose State University

PHIL 186

11/8/2020

Ethical Dilemma

1. Introduction

Ethics entails what is good or bad, wrong, or right human behavior towards one another. Ethics covers the code of conduct for employees, a company, or for employees to the clients. It is a significant factor in business, and it determines the growth of the business majorly. Business ethics is the conduct behavior in a business context. An ethical dilemma is when more than a single practice presents a conflicting case to a decision-maker whereby there is no clear right or wrong solution. At this point, an ethical conflict becomes an ethical dilemma. There are varying ethical dilemmas in business and varies with varying countries. Types of ethical dilemmas include gift-giving, racism, corruption, and bribery, infringement of human rights, false advertisement, and many more

In this context, the moral dilemma is the sneaker resell market that makes a profit from Kobe-related sneakers after he passed away. The company StockX, a sneaker buy and sell platform for sneakerheads and resellers, makes deals by supply and demand. StockX was facing an ethical dilemma about having sales with Kobe merchandise on its platform. Sneaker resellers were facing an ethical dilemma about whether selling Kobe related goods after his death is unethical or not. Most of Kobe's fans were facing an ethical dilemma about whether a right way to honor Kobe was to pay high prices for his products. The role of StockX is to control the market and prevent unethical actions that resellers make a profit from someone's death. Also, the position for the buyers is to stop accepting unreasonable prices for Kobe's merchandise. Lastly, resellers should conduct business in a good moral manner and not make a profit from deaths. This is a controversial topic that continues to debate for a few months after his death.

Most importantly, they came out of the StockX platform to provide people an easier way to resell sneakers than they used to. However, some of the resellers might argue that selling shoes are a way for them to make money, and no emotions should be involved in their business. For StockX, the best choice for them is to ban the Kobe related sneakers for sale on its platform. This could help them build a healthy public image and an advertising effect on consumers. For buyers and those Kobe fans, they should refuse to buy or switch to another way to honor Kobe. For resellers, they should sell the shoes for retail to those loyal Kobe fans and think about it as an ethical standard in conducting business. Recently, we can still buy Kobe shoes from StockX, and the prices are going more decently. Buyers play an essential role in this marketplace and refuse to pay high costs. StockX should take action in the first place as its proactive role in this ethical dilemma.

2. Ethical considerations

Kobe's death triggered many reactions across many countries of the world with the sudden surge of the sneaker's prices. It is tough for people to act utilitarian, and for that reason, the pluralistic moral code is preferred. The various ethical principles provide a broad view of situations in a proper way. The optimal code principle presents a basis whereby one regulation supersedes the other.

Obligations

This entails the roles and moral responsibilities that a person should have in the business context. Everyone's actions, whether professional or personal, arising from human relations. The preceding steps create certain expectations that mark the beginning of individual rights and roles. In whatever actions we undertake, we must be most obliged to respect human rights. Inflating prices and taking advantage of a situation is unethical in a business context. The difficulty of this ethical dilemma is Kobe is a basketball legend that influences our generation a lot from his mentality. He has a personal product line under the Nike brand that comes into the sneaker community and became a part of the culture, so there is a considerable demand for his merchandise. His death is unlike our ordinary people; thus his product has a certain amount of value. As usual, no one would sell their family members' belongings to make money after their deaths. Keeping these belongings is a way to honor a passed person, so if a person sells these belongings would be considered an unethical act.

Effects

Every action we undertake as a human has a result. Before taking any action, one needs to take into consideration the consequence of his or her actions. It is paramount to consider the morals of the results. No consequentialist holds that we should put moral weight on the predicted effects of our actions. For this reason, StockX should have identified the parties involved in the sneaker resell. Kobe’s family, friends, and relatives would be affected by the actions of the StockX to resell the sneakers at a higher price. Kobe’s fans who intended to buy the sneakers will be forced to give up because of the inflated prices. The perception of the StockX shall change. It will be seen as a platform taking advantage of the situation.

Ideals

An ideal is a morally upright target, virtue, or opinion of success worth attempting. For Kobe’s case, StockX did not take the most appropriate action in raising the sneakers' price. There are varying values like price loyalty that need to be upheld in every situation.

3. Moral judgment

Selling the Kobe sneakers at higher prices is bad business ethics and bad culture to build. No human being alive would joyfully sell their loved ones' belongings immediately after they die, and so is Kobe's case. Tradeoffs are not always for the business. The perceptions, especially for the case of Kobe, may, in the end, paint a bad picture for the company. Good business ethics do not take advantage of some situations to make the best for themselves only.

References

Cole, A. (2020, February 8). Kobe Bryant’s Passing and the Ethics of Reselling Sneakers. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved from https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/kobe-bryants-passing-and-the-ethics-of-reselling-sneakers-news.103172.html

Shaw, W. H. (2017). Business ethics. Cengage Learning.

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