Ethics in the Time of Covid-19

Final Individual Ethics Paper Spring 2020, MHR 4010 Prof. Denise Lopez Ethics in the Time of Covid-19 We are in the midst of a pandemic of great proportions. Businesses are significantly affected, and communities and countries have had to make major shifts for the survival and protection of their citizens. This is also a real situation where leaders have to make major ethical decisions. For example, health care workers faced with equipment and patient accommodation shortages have to make decisions about which patients will be tested and treated, and ultimately which patients will be given the best change to live or die. Business leaders need to determine how to keep their businesses sustainable, and they will face questions about how to cut expenses (including whether to lay off employees, furlough them, or take major pay cuts). Local and national governments need to determine how to keep their citizens healthy (e.g., whether or not to require quarantine and for how long, whether to require use of masks, curfew, etc.); how to distribute resources (e.g., financial assistance, food, shelter, etc.), and how to keep peace and order (e.g., including preventing racist attacks against certain groups). There are so many opportunities to explore ethical issues in the Covid-19 environment. Thus, rather than giving you one dilemma, I would like you to select a specific ethical topic related to the Covid-19 situation that is of most interest to you. The previous paragraph provides some example topics, but you may select a different ethical challenge so long as it is situated within the Covid-19 situation. I provide a few starter articles on some topics at the end. My recommendation for this assignment is to keep the dilemma specific and clear. After selecting a topic, don’t try to analyze multiple dilemmas. Focus on one important ethical dilemma and work through it. Here are the questions to cover in your paper. (The paper should be double-spaced, 12 point font, between three to five pages.)

1. Describe the specific ethical issue(s) or concern(s) in some detail so you’re your reader understands the dilemma, the and ultimately the decision(s) that need to be made. What is the dilemma? What makes this issue important, and what makes it ethical? (18%)

2. Who are the key stakeholders associated with this issue? What are their

differing goals and priorities? What do they have to gain or lose? Take a broad systems view by considering the various stakeholders and where they are coming from. (18%)

3. What are the social, ethical, legal, political, business, and other factors that are causing and contributing to this dilemma? Do additional research to bolster your understanding. (18%)

4. What options and recommendations would you offer to the leader(s).

Provide two or more options for action. Using the ethical concepts and the ethical decision-making framework discussed in class, which option/action would you ultimately recommend, and why? (34%)

Students should include at least 2 news articles that provide information about the dilemma they have selected, and at least 2 more references that expand their understanding of the ethical, legal, social, political, economic or scientific perspectives relevant to the issue. At least one of these references should be academic, scientific or legal to support your arguments). Pay attention to the quality of your written paper, as it will also be evaluated based on clarity, persuasiveness, organization/flow, grammar, spelling, and use of citations (12%). As you select a dilemma, these articles may be useful to you. They are merely representative; I encourage you to research and read more. (If the links don’t work, cut and paste them into your browser). Ethical Dilemmas for Healthcare Leaders https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/clinical-care/4-ethical-dilemmas- healthcare-organizations-during-covid-19-pandemic https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-19/ethical-dilemmas-in- the-age-of-coronavirus-whose-lives-should-we-save Ethical Dilemmas for Businesses – Amazon, Instacart and other service businesses https://www.latimes.com/business/newsletter/2020-04-06/newsletter- coronavirus-ethics-business https://theintercept.com/2020/03/31/coronavirus-amazon-whole-foods-strike/ Ethical Dilemmas for Businesses – keeping businesses afloat, layoffs, cutting costs https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/coronavirus-jobs-survey-49percent-of- companies-considering-layoffs.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/coronavirus-jobs-survey-49percent-of- companies-considering-layoffs.html https://www.ft.com/content/c49e6a74-6c60-11ea-89df-41bea055720b

Ethics and Racism in Covid-19 https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/3/25/21190655/trump-coronavirus- racist-asian-americans https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/us/politics/coronavirus-asian- americans.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/chinese-coronavirus-racist- attacks.html