1.

Ethics and Society Describe the reasons for the rising concern over business
ethics.
Describe the reasons for the rising concern over business ethics.
Business ethics responds to a decline in public education and the family
structure as a source for ethical teaching. Increasingly sensitive to challenge of
bias, school system have reduced their involvement in promoting shared ethical
values and increased their emphasis on the teaching of value free facts.
2. Ethics and government
How has government action in recent years encouraged increased business
attention to ethical matters?
Business leaders have become increasingly concerned with business ethics
precisely because they want to limit further governmental regulation.
3. The Nature of Ethics
Compare and contrast ethics and morality. What do philosophers call the end
result of ethical examination?
Ethics involve a rational method for examination of our moral lives, not only
for recognizing what is right and wrong but also for understanding why we
think something is right or wrong. The end result of ethical examination is
what philosophers call the good.
4. Ethics and Law.
A marketing consultant to your firm comments that being ethical in business
means nothing more than obeying the law. Discuss.
Both consist of rules to guide conduct and foster social cooperation. Both
deals with what is right and wrong. Society ethical values may became law
through legislation or court decision, and obedience to law is often viewed as
being ethically correct.
5. Formalism
As amended in 1988, the foreign corrupt practices act prohibits bribery as a
practice for U.S. companies to uses in obtaining business in other countries.
In passing the act, congress expressed the concern that bribery was
inherently wrong. Which major system of ethical thought does this concern
suggest? Explain Kant and Formalism.
To be ethical requires that you act with a good intent. To have a good intent,
you have to act in ways that are ethically consistent. This emphasis on

consistency Kant called the categorical imperative. You should never act in
the way you believe everyone should act. You should never act in a certain
way unless you are willing to have everyone else act in the say way. You
cannot make an exception for your own action.
6. Consequentialist
A headline from the Wall Street Journal read us companies pay increasing
attention to destroying files. The articles discussed how many companies are
routinely shredding files in the ordinary course of business to prevent future
plaintiffs from obtaining the files and finding incriminating evidence. Is this
practice unethical? Evaluate.
It is because the moral consequences of actions rather than with the morality
of the actions themselves.
7. Comparing the two ethical system
a. It is ethical to advertise tobacco products in association a desirable
exciting or sophisticated lifestyle.
Formalism may say that tobacco products can cause cancer. And the
companies may know. But for consequentialist the act of advertises
tobacco is ethically right or wrong.
b. It is ethical to advertise these products in association with a cartoon character that is
appealing to young people?

Formalist may say that cartoons can influence in young people mind
but consequentialist may say that lying is not unethical.
8. Legal Regulation

Explain how in our society, ethical values frequently become law, and how
legal regulation can promote change in ethical values. Describe several
common ethical values that are found in law.
Society ethical commitment to equal opportunity became law in civil right act
of 1964 which prohibits employment discrimination based on race sex color
religion and national origin. At the same time the very existence of legal
regulation can influence societys view of what is ethical.
9. Professional Code of Ethics

Discuss why lawyer are sometime viewed as being unethical. Is the average
lawyering more or less ethical that the average business manager?

A lawyer sometimes is viewed as being unethical because they are hired to

defend a client regardless if they are believe in their innocence or not.
10. Organizational Codes of Ethics

A study of major companies code of ethics by business roundtable found that

the lower level of employees on the corporate ladder, the greater their
hostility and cynicism toward codes of business ethics.
a. Why might this be true?
Because the round table a national group of senior business leaders has identified a general list
of topics that organization codes of business ethics should cover.
b. What can top business management do to change this view?
Companies take different approaches to ethical codes, they will conduct business
ethically and honestly in dealing with our customer supplies and employees
11. Individual Values

In addition to the five questions listed in the text can you think of question to
ask yourself to help explore your ethical values before making a business (or
personal) decision? Will my decision cause harm to others or to the
environment?
12. The Obstacles

a. A Newsweek articles on business ethics concludes, even in todays

complex world knowing whats right is comparatively easy. Its doing
whats right thats hard. Explain why this statement may be true I
modern corporate decision making.
This is not true but there are certain obstacles to ethical corporate behavior
that deserve serious consideration.
b. In 2010, average CEO pay was 319 times higher than the average
employees pay, according to the Institute for Policy Studies. In 1980,
CEO pay was only 42 times higher. Discuss possible reasons for this
tremendous increase in CEO pay and analyze the ethical implications.
13. The Step

Another article from the wall street journal carries the headline. Tipsters
telephoning ethics hot lines can end up sabotaging their own job. Discuss
why whistle blowing is unpopular within the corporation.

Despite the obstacles that sometime stand in the way of the ethical corporate
behavior, certain steps can be taken to promote business ethics in corporate
life.
14. The reward

Why are formal legal rules alone not an adequate ethical system for business.
For business merely to observe the law is not sufficiently responsible. Legal
regulation lacks flexibility and is inadequately informed to be the only social
guide for business decision making.
15. The morality of property

The law of property describes what is proper and right between people
regarding the things people need and want. Explain how property is related
to ethics.
Adequate property in resources maximizes total wealth in society. It provide
incentives for individuals and groups to development both physical and
human resource to produce the goods that society values.