Business Ethics and Sustainability –
MBA – University of Southern Queensland
Assignment 2 – Report

Topic
From your own experience, identify a business problem that you regard as being of ethical importance. State why it is an ethical problem by identifying its impact on various stakeholders and then explain what actually happened using the appropriate normative ethical theory. Then, using alternative theories, determine what should have happened and based on your analysis, make recommendations about how to best resolve the problem.
A word of warning:
Make sure that the case you choose for this assignment is an ethical dilemma because not all ‘wrong-doings’ fit this category. Businesses have legal responsibilities and when harm results from breaching the law, this is not an ethical dilemma; it is quite simply ‘breaking the law’ and becomes a legal, rather than ethical matter. Crane and Matten (2010, p. 7) state that business ethics is primarily concerned about those issues not covered by the law. Ethical dilemmas are characterized by the fact that there is a grey area or, as Trevino and Nelson (2007, in Crane and Matten, 2010, p. 7) suggest, ‘values are in conflict’. It is a good idea to read some of the case studies in the following chapters to appreciate the nature of ethical dilemmas. You will see evidence of harm despite the fact that the business actions are legal. This is most important because analysing an obviously illegal action will not yield a high mark.
From your own experience, identify a business problem that you regard as being of ethical importance. First, state why it is an ethical problem and then analyse the problem from a deontological perspective and then from a utilitarian perspective. Finally, critique what happened using the various normative theories and determine what should have happened from an ethical and sustainable perspective.
This response will require a report format.
Word length: 1,500 words
Graduate attributes tested and developed
GI – Demonstrate applied knowledge of business ethics and practice.
G2 – Identify and solve complex organizational problems creatively and practically to increase the effectiveness of management processes.
G7 – Comprehend and address complex ethical dilemmas.
G8 – Demonstrate an understanding of complex sustainable dilemmas and the need for responsible leadership.
G11 – Communicate professionally & effectively in both oral and written communication to various audiences to achieve targeted outcomes.