Ethics in the Business Environment CLO5/6

Goal

To enhance awareness and increase understanding of ethics in the business environment and to develop critical thinking skills through the application of concepts and theories to address ethical dilemmas.

Objective

For this assignment, you are required to explore the importance of ethics in today's business organizations.

The Assignment

Select a local or global organization that has been in the news for a major unethical practice/scandal within the last 5 years. Then, you will provide the following:

An overview of the organization - explains the industry in which the organization operates, provide a brief history of the organization, and discuss the product(s) or service(s) this organization delivers.

The scenario - discuss the unethical issue/scandal in detail with reference to at least three articles: who was involved, what (if anything) was done to respond to the accusations, and the impact on the company, stakeholders, and society.

Ethical analysis - based on your understanding of business ethics and theory, evaluate the kind of ethical issue/s raised, why it must be resolved, and the right ethical action to adopt. Support your analysis with at least five scholarly resources. This section requires you to critically examine different viewpoints and arguments.

Guidelines

Length: 10 - 12 pages (approximately 5, 000 words), excluding title and reference pages

References: Include a minimum of five scholarly resources; APA format 7^th ed.

Title Page: UCC's Standard Cover page

Grading & Rubric

This paper will be graded based upon the clarity, depth & presentation of the issues, professionalism, grammar, neatness, and organization.

Critical thinking/analysis of ethical issue/s including literature review (40 points)

Critical thinking/analysis of ethical theories and solutions (30 points)

Professional writing/communication (20 points)

Writing mechanics/accuracy (10 points)

Total 100 points

What is an ethical issue?

Ethical issues involve moral rightness or wrongness of conduct or policies. Actions or policies that affect other people have an ethical dimension.

What is ethical analysis?

When we engage in moral reasoning about what we should and should not do, or about what is the most reasonable and just position on a particular issue, we are performing an ethical analysis.

How can I apply critical reasoning to an ethical issue?

A critical thinker must distinguish ethical from non-ethical and determine the types of ethical concerns raised by a situation.

Scholarly Resources

Scholarly sources refer to literature by academics and other experts who contribute to knowledge in a particular field by sharing new research findings, theories, analyses, insights, news, or summaries of current knowledge. These can be books, articles, and websites. The key is to verify the following:

Accuracy - information must be verifiable, must include a reference list.

Authority - authors should be listed and affiliated with a reputable institution; author qualification must be evident.

Bias - information should be based on fact, not opinion; authors should appeal to reason, not emotion.

Audience - experts who are familiar with the topic, technical language not simplistic.

Currency - recent and relevant (within the last 5 years, but references to core theories can be older).

Academic Integrity

Academic honesty is expected of students. Unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism, and undocumented use of materials from any source constitute academic dishonesty and may be grounds for a grade of 'F' in this assignment and/or disciplinary actions.