Ethics Paper

This project will be completed individually and is due at the end of the course. See the Course Syllabus/Schedule for the due date.

Purpose: This project allows you to use what we are learning in class to advise the CEO of a company about he or she can make some changes to get "ethical" behavior from their employees or correct an unethical business practice. You are a consultant that has been hired by the CEO because you have expertise in business ethics. The CEO wants to take the company from where it is now to a better ethical position.

Step 1: Identify a company that is engaging in unethical business practices from your perspective to use as the focus of your paper. You were asked to identify a company and unethical practices as part of the first assignment. Dr. Clark will provide you feedback on whether this company/practices will make a good focus for your project.

In the report, be sure to tell me something about the company including the Company's vision, mission statement, and ethics statement (if there is one)? What does the company do?

Who are the primary stakeholders for the Company? Explain who has the power in the relationship between the company and each primary stakeholder.

Step 2: Identify and explain the unethical business behavior or practice. Conduct research about the Unethical Practice and the impact of the practice on the company and stakeholders. Be sure you talk about the practice on at least three different stakeholders.

-What is (are) the practice(s)?

-Why do they occur?

-What is the benefit to the company short term v. long term?

-Discuss the impact of the unethical practice on at least three different stakeholders.

-What do other people say about the company and these practices (news reports, blogs, consumer organizations, disgruntled employees or consumers, watch groups, etc.).

-Research and explain the company's history with these practices?

Step 3: Make your case based on what you learned in the ethics class to the CEO for why the practices are unethical. Give at least 3 different reasons for why you conclude the practice is unethical.

-by which moral philosophy do you view the practice and conclude it is unethical?
-is it unethical by industry or cultural norms?
-is the practice illegal?
-you can support your thoughts/conclusions with other sources
-you want to convince the CEO you are right - that the practice is unethical

Step 4: What are the negative consequences (at least 3) for continuing the unethical practice? Provide well-reasoned and supported arguments. Provide your sources.

-examples: will lose consumer trust because you are not giving them full disclosure. Over next few years, consumers will leave our plan and seek services from ABC who is offering a commitment to not release consumer data.

Step 5: Provide the CEO with recommendations for fixing, stopping, preventing the unethical behavior/practices from continuing. Discuss at least three.

Provide the CEO with at least (no less than) THREE actions, changes that he should put in place to get the "desired, ethical" behavior from employees. The changes need to be ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS (leadership, organizational culture, obedience to authority, reluctance to get along, group conformity or group think, what is rewarded or punished, differential association, etc.).

Be specific in the steps the CEO needs to take to make the changes at the company. You want the CEO to be able to pick up your action plan, hand it to an employee that does not know much about the issue, and implement your steps.

This is the most important part of your Action Plan and the part that makes you stand out from your competitors (classmates). This should show original thinking and the application of the course material.

Step 6: Why should the CEO/Company make these changes?

Explain the positive impacts from "ethical" behavior. Make your case to the CEO bringing in information from the course and your own research of the positive benefits of a different behavior/practice.

Step 7: Conclusion. Provide a brief conclusion providing the CEO with what you believe is the most important change that must occur if the CEO is going to be successful in transforming the company into a more ethical company.

Sources - be sure that you give your sources for any information that is not coming from your head. You need to provide a citation near the sentence or paragraph that contains the information and then a full reference in a reference list. You could also use footnotes or endnotes if you prefer.