Week 3 ***For Suraya***

WK3

Introduction

Week Three continues the study of theories and paradigms underlying personal and organizational values and ethical principles, how personal values and ethical principles relate to the organizations in which people function, and the effects of the organization’s ethics on its reputation, functioning and performance. Various week three activities address aspects of this theme. Students will read chapters 7 and 8 in Week Three. Chapter 7 addresses the subject of financial ethics. Financial ethics is conceptualized as a collection of ethical dilemmas facing accountants and financial officers in the course of completing their duties. For example, the dual concepts of transfer pricing and transfer costing are explained, and how companies use these methods to alter their financial position. Chapter 8 covers International Business and Multinationals and focuses on the process of international trade and the ethical issues created as a consequence of the trade process. For example, chapter 8 includes a discussion regarding child labor, sweatshops, and the organizational behavior of U.S. multinational companies. Learner insight related to ethical theories and paradigms continues through exploration of various Week Three activities. Also, Week Three case studies, found in the Recommended Readings section, provide a window into the various ethical issues faced by Not-For-Profit and For-Profit organizations related to chapter 7 & 8 topics. Personal understanding of ethical theories and paradigms is further enhanced through week three discussion questions inviting students to present personal views and perspectives on organizational ethics from the context of selected business theorists. Also, students share philosophical views, perspectives, and arguments on child labor through Week Three discussions and quiz. Week Three contains an assignment to prepare and submit an annotated bibliography with sources used in the construction of the Final Paper.

Readings

1. To successfully complete this week’s assignments, read the following chapters from the text,  Introduction to Business Ethics :

· Chapter 7 – Financial Ethics

· Chapter 8 – International Ethics and Multinationals

Recommended Readings

1. To successfully complete this week’s assignments, it is recommended that you read the following articles found in the EBSCO Host database in the Ashford Online Library:

· Ernult, J., & Ashta, J. (2008 February). How to measure global sustainable performance in a service enterprise? A case study of credibility of Vigeo’s rating of Caisse d’Epargne. Journal of Services Research, 8, 101-123. (For a rating agency to be credible, it has to be independent, objective, transparent and base its evaluation on a theoretically sound model. This paper looks into the complexity of such a model and questions whether any single global performance measure is possible. It studies a French rating agency, Vigeo, and its evaluation of one French bank, Caisse d'Epargne, to determine if the Vigeo model respects these criteria of credibility.)

· Tindana, P, et al. (2011 October). Aligning community engagement with traditional authority structures in global health research: A case study from northern Ghana. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300203 (Despite the recognition of its importance, guidance on community engagement practices for researchers remains underdeveloped, and there is little empirical evidence of what makes community engagement effective in biomedical research. The Navrongo Health Research Centre in northern Ghana was chosen because of its well-established community engagement practices and because of the opportunity it afforded to examine community engagement in a traditional African setting.)

2. To successfully complete this week’s assignments, it is recommended that you read the following articles found in the ProQuest database in the Ashford Online Library:

· Bolton, S., Kim, R., & O’gorman, K. (2011). Corporate social responsibility as a dynamic internal organizational process: A case study. Journal of Business Ethics, 10(1), 61-74. doi: 10.1007/s10551-010-0709-5 (This article tracks Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an emergent organizational process that places the employee at its center.)

· Cagle, J., & Baucus, M. (2006, March). Case studies of ethical scandals: Effects on ethical perceptions of finance students. Journal of Business Ethics, 64(3), 213-229. doi: 10.1007/s10551-005-8503-5 (A pre- and post-test methodology to assess the effect of using cases to teach ethics in a finance course. Results are somewhat surprising since studying ethics scandals positively impacts students' ethical decision making and their perceptions of the ethics of businesspeople.)

· Falkenberg, A., & Falkenberg, J. (2009). Ethics in international value chain networks: the case of Telnor in Bangladesh. Journal of Business Ethics: Supplement 3, 90, 355-369. doi: 10.1007/s10551-010-0429-x (The case of Telenor in Bangladesh is one of many examples of international value chain networks that span different jurisdictions. The case focuses on relevant issues in the value chain networks: the institutions in Norway and Bangladesh, the owners, suppliers, and customers.)

· Newenham-Kahindi, A. (2011 March). A global mining corporation and local communities in the Lake Victoria zone: The case of Barrick Gold Multinational in Tanzania. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(2), 253-282. doi: 10.1007/s10551-010-0653-4 (This case explores a Canadian mining corporation, Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick), and the way it engages with the local communities that surround its mining activities in the Lake Victoria Zone, Tanzania.)

Discussions To participate in the following discussions, go to this week's Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. Managerial Incentives   Henry Manne believed that companies cannot become too incompetent or corrupt, as eventually their share price would fall and they could be taken over by another firm that would get rid of incompetent management. Adolf Berle and Gardiner Means believed that company managers have an incentive to feather their own nests and to undermine shareholder wealth. Can elements or parts of these theoretical perspectives have governmental applications? If so, which theory do you think best describes the segment of American government known as the Congress and the Senate? Explain your answer. Which theory best fits your ethical perspective? Which theory best fits a particular group to which you currently belong, or previously belonged? Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.  

2. Child Labor   Child labor is endemic in the poorer countries of the world, and for many children it is seen as way of keeping their families out of poverty. Critics point out that if the governments were to invest more in educating children, they could be more productive and create more wealth for their nation when they are older. In the meantime, multinational enterprises often secure suppliers who use children. In your opinion, what is the best way to reduce child labor for multinational corporations? How is the phenomenon of child labor viewed from your ethical perspective? Given the ethical perspective of a particular group to which you currently belong, or previously belonged, how would child labor be viewed? Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.

Assignment To complete the following assignment, go to this week's Assignment link in the left navigation. 

Annotated Bibliography The purpose of the annotated bibliography is to assist you in developing research analysis skills including critical thinking, writing, and literature research skills. The annotated bibliography should include a paragraph for each source containing the following information:

· Name of the article, including the complete bibliographic citation, using APA format.

· Summary/abstract of the article – annotation (sometimes it is helpful to ask yourself the following questions in synthesizing the information:

· Who? (author)

· What was done? (e.g., an experimental study investigating the interaction of short term memory and attention)

· How? (was it done)

· What were the findings? (identify the major ones)

· Contributions? (new findings, applications, etc.)

Review the complete instructions for the Final Paper in Week Five. To conduct accurate research for the annotated bibliography, consider the following:

· Research in peer-reviewed journals or other journals that are considered to have reliable information (do not use sources from the secular press (e.g., Time, Newsweek, or Wikipedia). Review the guidelines for acceptable sources by reading the “Academic Research” section within the Student Responsibilities and Policies tab under Course Home on the left navigation toolbar in your online course.

· Identify at least ten academic sources at least six of which can be found in the Ashford Online Library. If you do find something on the World Wide Web, it must be authored and be a reliable source.

· In these journals, the research and information is either reviewed by an editorial team (such as for the Academy of Management Review) or a group of peers (such as in many journals you find through the Ashford Online Library). 

For information regarding the annotated bibliography, refer to the Sample Annotated Bibliography found in the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.      You must use at least ten scholarly sources (at least six of which can be found in the Ashford Online Library) other than the textbook. The descriptions for each source must be at least one paragraph in length. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar. Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Journal To complete the following assignment, go to this week's Journal link in the left navigation. 

Week Three Journal Download, review, and populate the Week Three Journal. Submit your completed work by Day 7.

Week Three Journal

Objective

You will analyze yourself in relation to your ethical dispositions and beliefs. You will then explicate the three primary ethical concepts that you would try to instill in your own workforce were you to run a company or manage people.

Instructions

There are two parts to this assignment. First, you will analyze yourself in relation to a number of questions about your personal ethical beliefs, values, and goals. This portion of the journal will be completed by answering the questions under “Personal Profile” below. In the second portion of the assignment, you will also explain the three fundamental principles you would use to guide a company that you owned or began, and then you will explain why you find those principles the most important for running a company.

Please answer all questions in detail. Because this journal is worth 5% of your final grade, there is a high expectation for your participation. Grades for the journals are based on content, critical engagement, quality of reflection, and detail. Please submit the completed journal via the Assignment Basket found in the Week Three Journal tab on the left navigation toolbar by Day 7.

Personal Profile

Describe and conduct research on yourself (Sachteleben, n.d.). Reflect on the following questions and explain your answers to these attributes and questions in paragraph form.

1. Describe your personality (choose 3 power words)

1. Explain your primary ethical perspectives.

1. What are the ways that you try to live an ethically good life and why do you think that these ways are the best ways?

1. Feel free to include ethical theory and analysis that you have learned about in your study of the text and articles.

1. What are your primary values?

1. What specific activities reflect your primary values? (e.g., “saving money to help the needy” or “protecting the environment”)

1. What are your primary beliefs about life and the way that you interact in your place of business or work?

1. What causes do you participate or hope to participate in?

1. What are your pet peeves?

1. What are your goals, dreams, or plans for the future both professionally as well as personally?

1. Have you ever had any unusual experiences? (e.g., “Worked in the peace corps in the Sudan,” “Went to school in Germany,” “Survived a severe storm,” “Met a famous person,” “Home-schooled my kids.”)

1. Do you belong to any groups or have any affiliations that help to orient your life?

Reference

Sachteleben, M. (n.d.). How to write a profile: Online or off, write about your personal goals and skills. Retrieved from http://www.howtodothings.com/computers/how-to-write-a-personal-profile

Reflection Prompt for Personal Profile Activity

Once you have completed your personal analysis, please reflect on the following and provide your thoughts in paragraph form.

1. If you were running a business, what are the three ethical virtues or principles that you would use to create the optimally ethical environment for your company?

1. Please explain why you chose each virtue or principle and how it would foster good business. Feel free to be creative here and to not abide by common standards of morality if you do not think that it is important to abide by certain standards in business. For example, you might claim that honesty is the best policy. However, someone might claim that it would actually be best to foster deception in order to maximize profits. Either way, explain why you chose the various principles.