AFM 202: Assurance

Ethics Assignment
Due Date: October 25th
Purpose of Assignment:
In your lives thus far, you have likely encountered situations at school, with friends, in jobs or
clubs, when your values conflicted with what you were asked to do. Often it is not easy to align
your own personal values and purpose with those of your classmates, co-workers, friends, etc.
This exercise is designed to help you start to identify and develop the competencies necessary to
achieve that alignment.
Assignment Summary:
The assignment is to present a brief scenario describing a specific situation when your own
personal values were conflicted with your actions, and to share the analysis and action plan for
acting on your values.
Admin. Notes on Assignment: (CRITICAL FOR SUBMISSION)
This is a writing assignment. As such, you need to write in complete sentences, paragraphs, etc.
Point form is not acceptable.
Total Paper length: 2 3 pages, Times New Roman, 12 pt., 1 margins (top, right, left and
bottom) double spaced, normal margins.
Please put your name and student number in the header for each page of the document.
Please put page numbers on the footer of each page of the document.
Plagiarism detection software (Turnitin) will be used on all assignments. (See the course outline
for all details with regards to the use of Turnitin.)

Assignment Guidelines:
Recall a time in your experience in a summer job, an internship, a student club, a student team,
etc. when your values conflicted with what you were expected to do in a particular, non-trivial
decision and you did not speak up or act to resolve the conflict. The story must be based on a
real situation that you encountered. All names of individuals and of organizations should be
disguised.
a) Provide a description of what happened.
b) How did the situation and resolution conflict with your values?
c) Analyze the situation and provide reasons why you did not speak up or act. What were
your barriers to action? What would have motivated you to speak up or act?
d) Provide an alternative course of action. What could you have done now that you have
reflected on this situation?
e) What would have made it easier for you to speak/act?
a. Things within your own control
b. Things within the control of others
Grading:
You will be graded based on the following elements:
1) Completeness of thought. Please fully develop your ideas and ensure that the analysis is
complete. You must address all of the required elements and demonstrate that you have
thought critically about each dimension.
2) Grammar, spelling and form are important. In business you will be asked to state your
opinion and defend it. Your arguments will be judged both for content quality and
persuasiveness. In order for an argument to be persuasive it must be concise and directly
flow from the supporting evidence.
3) Originality of thought. This exercise was designed to allow you to explore your own
experiences and expand your awareness of your own bounded ethicality. In order to
prepare yourself for future ethical situations it is important that you examine prior
obstacles to acting on your values, not simply reiterate others experiences.