Business

GBA #4.rtfd/TXT.rtf

GBA 2013: Social and Ethical Issues in Business Interactive Lesson Number 4 of 20 Copyright ⃝c Dale Lee Clark 2013 All Rights Reserved “It is not that you have lied to me, but that I no longer believe you, that has shaken me. . . ”–Friedrich Nietzsche “You wanna know how the internet ruined poker? See when someone sucks out on you, on the internet, you can not take that guy outside and you cannot break his ****ing knees. . . ” –Deuce Fairbanks QUESTION#1: Case Study#1: Easy. . . Case Study#2: Easier. . . Intuition Pumps page2image5664.png ¬ 1. Is lying necessary in certain situations?
2. If “yes,” identify at least two and explain the necessity? 3. Have you EVER lied?
4. Was there a good reason? Provide reasons for what you believe. Why should I agree with you? ii Readings Beauchamp, T.L., & Bowie, N.E. (1988). Does it pay to bluff in business? Business ethics Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Carr, A.Z. (1968). Is business bluffing ethical? Harvard Business Review (January- February). The Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. page3image3144.png ¬ iii LECTURE OUTLINE NOTES “I am not here to make friends. . . ” • Why might we want to avoid lying in business?
– There are few things more dangerous to a business than a tarnished public image. – Ethical errors often end careers.
– Our ethics (how we act) is the framework within which our lives (including our business lives) are understood.
• Does that mean we should NEVER lie? • Prima facie, not all lies are created equal. • The Universal Principle as tie breaker. . . page4image5848.png ¬ iv Is Business Just Competition? • Is lying in business the same as bluffing in poker?
• If we are not breaking any rules, then should lying in business be permited? • Should lying be expected? – As long as we follow the rules (laws), does that mean that we can do whatever we want? ∗ What else does this seem to imply? Think about the different kind of behav- iors that have been legal at one time or another. . . • How is business DIFFERENT from poker?
• Without a high degree of trust, business would cease to function. Ring of Gyges • According to Thrasymachus, who is the best business person? page5image7240.png ¬ v QUESTION #2 Post Lecture Critical Analysis page6image1568.png ¬ 1. What is the value of competition? 2. Is there such a thing as BAD competition? Provide reasons for what you believe. Why should I agree with you? QUESTION #3 Consider: “It is not that you have lied to me, but that I no longer believe you, that has shaken me. . . ”–Friedrich Nietzsche 1. How do you understand Nietzsches point? Provide reasons for what you believe. Why should I agree with you?