trident eth501 module 2 (case+ slp+ discussion) September 2019

Module 2 - Background

CULTURE, TIME, AND BUSINESS ETHICS

Let’s begin this Module by reading chapter 5 of the Byars and Stanberry book:

Byars, S. and Stanberry, Kurt (2018). Impact of Culture and Time on Business Ethics, chapter 5. 
Business Ethics. Rice University, OpenStax. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/content/col25722/1.3 pgs. 131-154. CC BY 4.0 license

As you will see, there is indeed a relationship between business ethics, culture, and time. Of course, ethical practices and beliefs are influenced by geography and religion. The reading leads us to ask: Are the values central to business ethics universal?

According to the authors, most organizations hold three different kinds of beliefs about themselves: (1) purpose of the business, (2) the organization’s mission, and (3) culture, religion, and ethics-driven beliefs.

For example, watch the following video about Merck and Co.’s fight to control river blindness in Africa. 

World Bank group (2014). Treating River Blindness and Other Neglected tropical diseases. YouTube video. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/07/03/forty-years-later-the-extraordinary-river-blindness-partnership-sets-its-sights-on-new-goals. Standard Youtube license.

See the following article if you want to learn more about Merck’s successful donation program of the drug Mectizan to fight river blindness. This is a result of key players from across the world coming together to put ethical beliefs in motion. Merck describes their commitment: “as much as needed, for as long as needed.”

Merck (2019). Over 30 years: the Mectizan donation program. Retrieved from 
https://www.merck.com/about/featured-stories/mectizan.html

The case assignment for this module looks at Nike and the ongoing issue of sweatshops. For that assignment, review:

Nike sweatshops: Behind the swoosh. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1097&v=M5uYCWVfuPQ. YouTube license.

Bain, M. (2017). Nike is facing a new wave of anti-sweatshop protests. Quartz. Retrieved from https://qz.com/1042298/nike-is-facing-a-new-wave-of-anti-sweatshop-protests/

Mintz, S. (May 2012). Social responsibilities of a U.S. company doing business abroad. Retrieved from https://www.ethicssage.com/2012/05/social-responsibilities-of-a-us-company-doing-business-abroad.html

St. Clair, J. (September 2018). Nike’s bad air. Retrieved from https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/09/10/105150/.

 

 

Discussion: Is Love all you need?

 

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Google Images, Unsplash.com

Philosopher and historian Martin Buber (1878–1965) taught that love is not a feeling but a responsibility of one person for another. Feelings may come and go, but the solidarity that people have with each other and the care they take with one another define them as human beings. Thus, love, as responsibility, depends on relationships based on good faith and concern. Business, too, is about relationships. Without a relationship of trust, there can be no exchange of goods or services upon which economies are built.

Many people question the place of love in a business setting. When seen from Buber’s perspective, however, love is not an idyllic feeling, but a driving force for justice and care. This does not deny the need for profit and financial success. It simply emphasizes the other side of the twofold purpose of business (profit and responsibility). In fact, John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods, has said that love has been the basis of his success in business, which translates into care and concern for customers beyond profit and for workers beyond productivity.

If there is anything that transcends time, place, and culture, it is love. The search for a universally applied set of ethics always comes back to it. But what does love look like in a business setting?

IBM expresses their mission: “[IBM] remain[s] dedicated to leading the world into a more prosperous and progressive future; to creating a world that is fairer, more diverse, more tolerant, more just” (Byers and Stanberry, 2018).

• Can Martin Buber’s notion of love play a role in business? Why or why not?
• If so, what would that look like?
• What responsibilities do companies have regarding justice and care?
• Should business ethics be grounded on more concrete tenets? Why or why not?

Note:

Remember in this discussion forum you should respond with substantial detail to this topic early in week 1 of the module. This will be your “initial post.” For your initial post also bring in information from at least one background source or your own research to help inform your classmates. Cite the source.

Then by week 2 of the module, you are to respond to the posts of at least two of your classmates. Your responses should have depth of critical thought and not simply agree or disagree. For each response also bring in information from at least one background source or your own research to help inform your classmates. Cite the source.

Assignment Expectations

Each post should be about 250-300 words.

Discussion posts will be assessed according to the following criteria on the discussion rubric:

Quality of initial posting (first discussion only): Initial posting reveals a clear understanding of all aspects of the treated discussion question; uses factual and relevant information; and demonstrates full development of concepts.

Quality of Responses to Classmates: Responds to the required number of students and to the professor, if appropriate. Demonstrates analysis of others’ posts; extends meaningful discussions by building on previous peer posts; and offers alternative perspectives.

Reference to supporting readings/information literacy: Refers to and properly cites either course and/or outside readings in posts, as required.

Critical thinking: Demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem; viewpoints and assumptions of experts are analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated; and conclusions are logically presented with appropriate rationale.

Timeliness: Initial post occurs in a timely manner (1-3 days into module) allowing ample time for classmates to respond and engage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Module 2 - Case

CULTURE, TIME, AND BUSINESS ETHICS

Assignment Overview

This case assignment for this module looks at an update of Nike and the ongoing issue of sweatshops. The Case is found in: 

Byars, S. and Stanberry, Kurt (2018). Impact of Culture and Time on Business Ethics, chapter 5. Business Ethics. Rice University, OpenStax. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/content/col25722/1.3 pg. 138. CC BY 4.0 license

Overseas Manufacturing

How can the purchase of a pair of sneakers be seen as an ethical act? Throughout the 1990s, the U.S. shoe and sportswear manufacturer Nike was widely criticized for subcontracting with factories in China and Southeast Asia that were little more than sweatshops with deplorable working conditions. After responding to the criticisms and demanding that its suppliers improve their workplaces, the company began to redeem itself in the eyes of many and has become a model of business ethics and sustainability. However, questions remain about the relationship between business and government.

For instance, should a company advocate for labor rights, a minimum wage, and unionization in developing countries where it has operations? What responsibility does it have for the welfare of a contractor’s workers in a culture with differing customs? What right does any Western company have to insist that its foreign contractors observe in their factories the protocols required in the West? What, for example, is sacred about an eight-hour workday? When Nike demands that foreign manufacturers observe Western laws and customs about the workplace, arguably this is capitalist imperialism. Not only that, but Western firms will be charged more for concessions regarding factory conditions. Perhaps this is as it should be, but Western consumers must then be prepared to pay more for material goods than in the past.

Some argue that demanding that companies accept these responsibilities imposes cultural standards on another culture through economic pressure. Others insist there should be universal standards of humane employee treatment, and that they must be met regardless of where they come from or who imposes them. But should the market dictate such standards, or should the government?

The rise of artificial intelligence and robotics will complicate this challenge because, in time, they may make offshoring the manufacture and distribution of goods unnecessary. It may be cheaper and more efficient to bring these operations back to developed countries and use robotic systems instead. What would that mean for local cultures and their economies? In Nike’s case, automation is already a concern, particularly as competition from its German rival, Adidas, heats up again.

For the Case 2 assignment review:

Nike sweatshops: Behind the swoosh. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1097&v=M5uYCWVfuPQ. YouTube license.

And,

Bain, M. (2017). Nike is facing a new wave of anti-sweatshop protests. Quartz. Retrieved from https://qz.com/1042298/nike-is-facing-a-new-wave-of-anti-sweatshop-protests/

Mintz, S. (May 2012). Social responsibilities of a U.S. company doing business abroad. Retrieved from https://www.ethicssage.com/2012/05/social-responsibilities-of-a-us-company-doing-business-abroad.html

St. Clair, J. (September 2018). Nike’s bad air. Retrieved from https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/09/10/105150/

Case Assignment

Address the following in a 3- to 4-page academic essay that demonstrates your critical-thinking skills. It should be written for an audience of employers who are looking to expand their business overseas where labor costs are less than in the U.S. As an ethics expert, you have been asked to address the following:

• Should a company advocate for labor rights, a minimum wage, and unionization in developing countries where it has operations?
• What right does a Western company have to insist that its foreign contractors observe in their factories the protocols required in the West?
• What ethical responsibilities do individual consumers have when dealing with companies that rely on overseas labor?
• Should businesses adopt universal workplace standards about working conditions and employee protections? Why or why not?

This assignment should include third-person voice. Write a well-integrated paper with a strong introduction and conclusion, and use a few section headings (e.g., do not simply follow a Q & A format).

Bring in your Module background information. Whether or not you bring in sources outside of this Module is up to you. For all sources used, provide in-text citations and a references list.

General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers:

For a list of general reference sources related to locating library sources, using APA formatting, applying critical-thinking skills, and so forth, see General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers. It is not required that you read these sources page-by-page, but rather you use them as guides.

Assignment Expectations

Your submission will be evaluated using the following criteria from the Case grading rubric, located in the Case dropbox:

Assignment-driven criteria: Covers all key elements of the assignment in a substantive way.

Critical thinking: Conceptualizes the problem. Multiple information sources, expert opinion, and assumptions are analyzed, synthesized, and critically evaluated. Logically consistent conclusions are presented with appropriate rationale.

Business writing: Mastery in written communications and a skilled, knowledgeable, and error-free presentation to an appropriately specialized audience.

Effective use of information: Locates relevant and quality sources of information, using strong and compelling content to support ideas, convey understanding of the topic, and shape the whole work.

Citing sources: Mastery using in-text citations of sources, proper format for quotations, and correct format of full-source information in the reference list using APA style (bibliography).

Timeliness: Assignment submitted on time or collaborated with professor for an approved extension on due date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Module 2 - SLP

CULTURE, TIME, AND BUSINESS ETHICS

Signature Assignment for Information Literacy—Introduced Level

Goal of this Session Long Project:

This assignment is the second of four SLPs where you will be building a bank of takeaways pertaining to ethical and/or unethical behaviors.

Begin by reading the following scenario for SLP 2:

When Even Doctors Smoked 

From the 1940s to the 1970s, cigarettes were as common as water bottles are today. Nearly everyone smoked, from judges in court to factory workers and pregnant women. Edward Bernays, the Austrian-American founder of the field of public relations, promoted smoking among women in a 1929 campaign in New York City in which he marketed Lucky Strike cigarettes as “torches of freedom” that would lead to equality between men and women.

However, by the late 1960s, and in the wake of the release of the landmark Surgeon General’s report on “Smoking and Health” on January 11, 1964, it had become clear that there was a direct link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Subsequent research has added heart and lung diseases, stroke, and diabetes. Smoking has decreased in Western countries but remains well established in the global East and South, where cigarette manufacturers actively promote the products in markets like Brazil, China, Russia, and Singapore, especially among young people.

Are such practices ethical? Why or why not?

Source: Byars and Stanberry (2018), pgs. 140-141.

This assignment asks you to:

• Express your reactions
• Apply your own background/experiences
• State important takeaways
• Add other comments you would like to make

Your SLP submission should be 2- to 3-pages of text, well organized, well written, and 100% error free. You may use first- or third-person voice. Write in full sentences and demonstrate your critical-thinking skills. Be creative (for example, add color and/or small graphics).

• Note: In this SLP we have introduced the importance of library research. Going forward also support your arguments with sources from the Trident Online Library. This is an expectation at the graduate level.

Additional Requirements for this SLP Assignment:

1. Utilize 3 sources of information from the Trident Online Library, one from each of the following:
   • A book from Skillsoft Books 24x7
   • A periodical from ProQuest Central
   • An Internet source
2. Include an Appendix at the end of your paper (add it just after your References page). In the appendix for each source discuss why you chose to use it in your paper, and discuss what factors you used to determine they were appropriate.

Information Literacy Emphasis

The grading rubric for Information Literacy has been developed to measure student success in meeting the ETH501 SLP 2 “introduced” expectations related to Information Literacy. Other assessments of information literacy at the “reinforced” and “emphasized” levels are included in future assignments in courses designed for that purpose.

General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers:

For a list of general reference sources related to locating library sources, using APA formatting, applying critical-thinking skills, and so forth, see General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers.It is not required that you read these sources page-by-page, but rather you refer to them for guidance.

SLP Assignment Expectations

This assignment will be assessed on the following criteria in the Information Literacy rubric:

Determine the extent of the information needed: Effectively defines the scope of the research question and determines key concepts. Types of information (sources) selected directly relate to concepts or answer research question. 

Access the needed information: Accesses information using effective, well-designed search strategies and most appropriate information sources.

Evaluate information and its sources critically: Thoroughly (systematically and methodically) analyzes own and others’ assumptions and carefully evaluates the relevance of contexts when presenting a position.

Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose: Communicates, organizes, and synthesizes information from sources to fully achieve a specific purpose, with clarity and depth.

Access and use information ethically and legally: Correctly uses all of the following information use strategies (use of citations and references; choice of paraphrasing, summary, or quoting; using information in ways that are true to original context; distinguishing between common knowledge and ideas requiring attribution) and demonstrates a full understanding of the ethical and legal restrictions on the use of published, confidential, and/or proprietary information.

Timeliness: Assignment submitted on time or delivered late with instructor’s approval.