Moral Issues in Business

Part I: MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND BUSINESS.1. The Nature of Morality.Ethics. Moral versus Nonmoral Standards. Religion and Morality. Ethical Relativism. Having Moral Principles. Morality and Personal Values. Individual Integrity and Responsibility. Moral Reasoning. Study Corner. Case 1.1 Made in the U.S.A.--Dumped in Brazil, Africa, Iraq. Case 1.2 Just Drop Off the Key, Lee. Case 1.3 The A7D Affair. Readings. Robert C. Solomon, It's Good Business". David Luban, Alan Strudler, and David Wasserman, "Moral Responsibility in the Age of Bureaucracy".2. Normative Theories of Ethics.Consequentialist and Nonconsequentialist Theories. Egoism. Utilitarianism. Kant's Ethics. Other Nonconsequentialist Perspectives. Utilitarianism Once More. Moral Decision Making: A Practical Approach. Study Corner. Case 2.1 Hacking into Harvard. Case 2.2 The Ford Pinto. Case 2.3 Blood for Sale. Readings. R. M. Hare, "One Philosopher's Approach to Business Ethics". Ronald M. Green, "When Is 'Everybody's Doing It' a Moral Justification?" 3. Justice and Economic Distribution.The Nature of Justice. The Utilitarian View. The Libertarian Approach. Rawls's Theory of Justice. Study Corner. Case 3.1 Eminent Domain. Case 3.2 Battling over Bottled Water. Case 3.3 Poverty in America. Readings. John Isbister, "Income Distribution". D. W. Haslett, "Is Inheritance Justified?"Part II: AMERICAN BUSINESS AND ITS BASIS.4. The Nature of Capitalism.Capitalism. Key Features of Capitalism. Two Arguments for Capitalism. Criticisms of Capitalism. Today's Economic Challenges. Study Corner. Case 4.1 Catastrophe in Bangladesh. Case 4.2 Licensing and Laissez Faire. Case 4.3 One Nation under Walmart. Case 4.4 A New Work Ethic? Case 4.5 Casino Gambling on Wall Street. Case 4.6 Paying College Athletes. Readings. Herman E. Daly, "Globalization and Its Discontents". John Orlando, "The Ethics of Corporate Downsizing". E. F. Schumacher, "Buddhist Economics".5. Corporations.The Limited-Liability Company. Corporate Moral Agency. Rival Views of Corporate. Responsibility. Debating Corporate Responsibility. Institutionalizing Ethics within Corporations. Study Corner. Case 5.1 Yahoo in China. Case 5.2 Drug Dilemmas. Case 5.3 Free Speech or False Advertising?Case 5.4 Corporations and Religious Faith. Case 5.5 Charity to Scouts? Case 5.6 Corporate Taxation. Readings. Lynn A. Stout, "The Toxic Side Effects of Shareholder Primacy". John Mackey, Milton Friedman, and T. J. Rodgers, "A Debate on the Social Responsibility of Business". Paul F. Camenisch, "Business Ethics, On Getting to the Heart of the Matter". Richard T. De George, "Ethical Dilemmas for Multinational Enterprise, A Philosophical Overview".Part III: BUSINESS AND SOCIETY.6. Consumers.Product Safety. Other Areas of Business Responsibility. Deception and Unfairness in Advertising. The Debate over Advertising. Study Corner. Case 6.1 Breast Implants. Case 6.2 Hot Coffee at McDonald's. Case 6.3 Sniffing Glue Could Snuff Profits. Case 6.4 Closing the Deal. Case 6.5 The Rise and Fall of Four Loko. Readings. Thomas L. Carson, "The Ethics of Sales". Michael J. Phillips, "The Inconclusive Ethical Case against Manipulative Advertising". Juliet B. Schor, "Why Do We Consume So Much?"7. The Environment.Business and Ecology. The Ethics of Environmental Protection. Achieving Our Environmental Goals. Delving Deeper into Environmental Ethics. Study Corner. Case 7.1 Hazardous Homes in Herculaneum. Case 7.2 Poverty and Pollution. Case 7.3 The Fordasaurus. Case 7.4 The Fight over the Redwoods. Case 7.5 Palm Oil and Its Problems. Readings. Peter Singer, "The Place of Nonhumans in Environmental Issues". W. Michael Hoffman, "Business and Environmental Ethics".Part IV: THE ORGANIZATION AND THE PEOPLE IN IT8. The Workplace (1) Basic Issues.Civil Liberties in the Workplace. Promotions. Discipline and Discharge. Wages. Labor Unions. Study Corner. Case 8.1 AIDS in the Workplace. Case 8.2 Web Porn at Work. Case 8.3 Speaking Out about Malt. Case 8.4 Have Gun, Will Travel . . . to Work. Case 8.5 Union Discrimination. Readings. Patricia H. Werhane and Tara J. Radin, "Employment at Will and Due Process". Peter Levine, "The Libertarian Critique of Labor Unions". Joseph DesJardins, "The Meaning and Value of Work".9. The Workplace (2) Today's Challenges.Organizational Influence in Private Lives. Testing and Monitoring. Working Conditions. Redesigning Work. Study Corner. Case 9.1 Unprofessional Conduct? Case 9.2 Testing for Honesty. Case 9.3 She Snoops to Conquer. Case 9.4 Protecting the Unborn at Work. Case 9.5 Swedish Daddies. Readings. Joseph DesJardins and Ronald Duska, "Drug Testing in Employment". Richard L. Lippke, "Work, Privacy, and Autonomy". Claudia Mills, "Workplace Wars: How Much Should I Be Required to Meet the Needs of Your Children?" John J. McCall, "Participation in Employment".10. Moral Choices Facing Employees.Obligations to the Firm. Abuse of Official Position. Bribes and Kickbacks. Gifts and Entertainment. Conflicting Obligations. Whistle-Blowing. Self-Interest and Moral Obligation. Study Corner. Case 10.1 Changing Jobs and Changing Loyalties. Case 10.2 Conflicting Perspectives on Conflicts of Interest. Case 10.3 Inside Traders or Astute Observers? Case 10.4 The Housing Allowance. Case 10.5 Ethically Dubious Conduct. Readings. Juan M. Elegido, "Does It Make Sense to Be a Loyal Employee?" Robert W. McGee, "Analyzing Insider Trading from the Perspectives of Utilitarianism and Rights Theory". Jeff Fadiman, "Foreign Corrupt Practices: How to Deal with Foreign Forms of Bribery". Michael Davis, "Some Paradoxes of Whistleblowing".11. Job Discrimination.The Meaning of Job Discrimination. Evidence of Discrimination. Affirmative Action: The Legal Context. Affirmative Action: The Moral Issues. Comparable Worth. Sexual Harassment. Study Corner. Case 11.1 Minority Set-Asides. Case 11.2 Hoop Dreams. Case 11.3 Raising the Ante. Case 11.4 Consenting to Sexual Harassment. Case 11.5 Facial Discrimination. Readings. Richard Wasserstrom, "A Defense of Programs of Preferential Treatment". Vicki Schultz, "Rethinking Sexual Harassment". John Corvino, "Job Discrimination and Gay Rights"."