Business Ethics & Economic Relevance

Reading

Brusseau, J. (2012). Business Ethics. New York, NY: 2012 Book Archive Project.

• Chapter 1: What Is Business Ethics?

McCubbrey, D. J. (2011) Business Fundamentals. McCubbrey, D. J., Drexel, M., Sharman, J., Seawell, B. & James O’Toole (Eds.). Zurich, Switzerland, and Houston, Texas: Global Text Project and OpenStax CNX.

• What is Ethics? http://cnx.org/contents/1ttgPM0x@4.3:IB8YxzV4@4/What-is-ethics
• Management the Meta-profession: http://cnx.org/contents/1ttgPM0x@4.3:Knsm97ho@4/Management-the-meta-profession
• Corporate Social Responsibility: http://cnx.org/contents/1ttgPM0x@4.3:f1Lp5IAy@4/Corporate-social-responsibilit

Aristotle. (1943). Aristotle's Politics. Jowett, B. (Trans.). New York: Modern library.

• Reading: Parts IX, X, and XI from Politics by Aristotle: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.1.one.html.

ASSIGNMENTS:

For this PART 1:

Please read the case study entitled I.M.P. (It’s My Party) that you find in the reading assignment.

Based on what you have read, answer the following questions:

Hurwitz is brutally honest about the fact that he’ll only contract bands capable of turning a profit. When he was younger and a deejay, he insisted on playing the music he judged best no matter how many people turned off the radio when his show came on (an attitude that cost him the job).

• What, if anything, is Hurwitz the older concert promoter compromising to get ahead? Is there an ethical objection that could be raised here? If so, what? If not, why not?
• When Hurwitz was a deejay, he played records that led people to change the station. Then the station changed him. Is this an example of business regulating itself? Is there an ethical side to this, or is it just the way money works? Explain.
• From the information given, would you judge that Hurwitz is successful in business? Why or why not?
• Are all these questions part of institutional business ethics or personal business ethics? Explain.

Please write an essay of complete and well composed paragraphs (250 word minimum for the entire essay) Be sure to use in text citation and provide references for your sources. Wikipedia is not a source.

For this PART 2:

Please read the case study entitled Who Made Your iPhone? that you find in the reading assignment.

Based on what you have learned in this unit, answer the following questions:

1. The ethical question is whether Apple ought to contract (through suppliers) fifteen-year-olds to work on factory floors. Is the fact that the stock price has been zooming up a pertinent fact, or does it not affect the ethics? Explain.
2. From the information given and reasonable assumptions about these factories and the living conditions of people working inside them, sketch an ethical argument against Apple enforcing the age workplace rule. What fundamental values underwrite the argument?
3. From the information given and reasonable assumptions about these factories and the living conditions of people working inside them, sketch an argument in favor of Apple enforcing the age workplace rule. What fundamental values underwrite the argument?
4. Within the context of the Apple situation, what’s the difference between making a decision in terms of the law and in terms of ethics?

Write a paper that is well constructed using APA format. The paper should be a minimum of one typewritten page (approximately 300 to 400 words) with an introduction and conclusion. This paper shall demonstrate use of standard written English with respect to: organization, grammar, spelling, composition, sentence structure, punctuation, and construction. Be sure to use in text citation and provide references for your sources. Wikipedia is not a source.