Business Ethics Dilemma Paper

MEMORANDUM TO: Writing 340 Students FROM: James J. Owens ASSIGNMENT: Business Ethics Assignment: The Corporation and Social

Responsibility (Paper #2)

EXPLANATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Ethics, and more specifically ethics in business, has become a vital topic in recent years. And, the catastrophic results of unethical decisions made by business leaders have been featured in the media since the beginning of the most recent economic crisis.

For this assignment you assume the role of a corporate president who leads a company facing an actual ethical dilemma, so that you can find articles and references to the situation faced by the company or the situation the company will face (or that you want the company to avoid facing), based on the current economic situation, trends, and business practices.

However, the dilemma doesn’t have to be one that the company has resolved or even one that has been publicized. For example, you might realize that paying bonuses or organizing expensive corporate retreats will be a problem in the upcoming year, based on performance in the current year. Or, you might realize that the environmental impact created by your company (for example, timber companies cutting down forests, paper companies using pulp from the rainforest, retailers selling products produced in developing countries without strong oversight, etc.) must be addressed.

The board of your company has asked you to submit a memo with your analysis of this ethical dilemma and your recommendations for what steps or actions your company should take.

You are required to research, examine, and analyze a business ethics situation or decision for this assignment. This assignment requires you to explain the ethical issue at hand should be resolved. You must also explain what’s wrong about the situation and you must offer suggestions to rectify the situation. To structure an effective argument, you might also address similar situations that have been faced by other companies with either positive or negative outcomes.

EXAMPLES OF APPROPRIATE ASSIGNMENTS

Topics that are appropriate to this business ethics assignment include those listed below. (HOWEVER, it is best to choose a topic that excites you and not simply one from the sample list):

• Bonuses paid during times of economic crisis • Mass media issues that include controversial advertising or marketing practices

• Corporate expenses (such as the highly publicized AIG retreat or corporate executives using expensive private planes) during times of economic crisis

• Privacy issues surrounding employee rights, like on-the-job surveillance, e-mail and drug testing, dating, and health information

• Human resource management procedures regarding hiring and firing • Labor issues involving migrant workers, minimum wage, sweat shops, child labor, or

nepotism • Discrimination based on race, sex, disability, age, or sexual orientation • Technology issues that involve cyber crime, hackers or viruses. (Do organizations bear

an ethical responsibility to protect customers?) • Conflicts of interest involving pharmaceutical pricing, for-profit hospitals, or “charter”

schools.

You must remember that something that is unethical is not necessarily illegal. And, you must also remember that something that is legal is not necessarily ethical.

ELEMENTS

Your paper must include the following elements (these ARE NOT listed in the order they appear in the paper; I will also post a sample paper):

1. Introduction: An introduction in which you present the topic of your memo as well as your clear explanation of your recommended solution (s). Your introduction (T1) should include all the elements of a successful T1 that we discuss in class. BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front). The introduction must also help the reader understand how the memo will be structured.

2. Ethical Dilemma: A concise explanation of the unethical situation that clearly informs the reader of the ethical dilemma. This part might even provide a little background as to how the problem evolved, if you feel this is necessary information for your reader.

3. Analysis: A thought-provoking analysis (what’s right/what’s wrong) with the business situation.

4. Conclusion: A conclusion that provides a thoughtful commentary and reflection about the nature of ethics in the case you’ve discussed.

Citations: In-text citations and a Works Cited page. Please note that this states in-text citations, not end notes and not foot notes.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Please read these other requirements carefully. Giving me a paper that is too long is just as bad as giving me a paper that is too short:

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• Length: Four (4) pages. Anything longer than four pages, indicates that you have not followed instructions and the paper will be graded accordingly.

• Resources: Six (6) or more references (books, journals, newspaper or magazine articles, and websites in any combination). ALL 6 main resources must date from the past year (12 months). There are NO EXCEPTIONS.

• Works Cited: In-text citations and Works Cited page (the “Works Cited” page does not count in the page count).

TARGET AUDIENCE

The board of whatever company of which you are president (for the purposes of this assignment).

DUE DATES:

As indicated on calendar

The final paper must be submitted by email with the following subject line:

Writ 340: (Insert time of class) Paper #2 (Insert your full name)

This email must have two attachments:

1. Polished draft with peer edits 2. Final draft with peer edits

These must be submitted by the end of class on the date indicated on the calendar. If the polished draft is not submitted as indicated with the final draft, it will affect your grade as indicated on the syllabus.

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