Learning Activity 1

Reviewing Theory, Rationalizations, Dilemmas and Resolutions

You are an executive with a large pharmaceutical company and you have to decide whether to market a product that might have undesirable side effects for a small percentage of users. How should you decide whether to sell the product? Specifically, what are the steps you would employ in reaching your decision? How does the theory of ethics that is applied affect your answer? In discussing the theoretical aspect, you must identify and discuss at least 2 relevant theories from this week.

Learning Activity 2

Employee Bill of Rights

Recent events of employee dissatisfaction and general staff upheaval are threatening the continued operations of Giggle, Inc., a large internet search company, and management believes that a strong employee bill of rights would be a positive step to address the turmoil. I.M. Reale, the new senior executive vice-president for human resources for the Company has been tasked with the responsibility of developing a new employee bill of rights. Because he is rather clueless as to how to approach this assignment, he has called you in as a consultant (actually he wants you to do all the drafting but be sure he gets the credit).

Using “Examples of Ethical Issues in Business” as an initial frame of reference, develop the employee bill of rights. What would such a document look like? I.M. Reale, the consummate professional that he is, has left you with the following instructions:

1) make sure the bill of rights is clear and practical and not theoretical;

2) it should use negative injunctions that are more precise than “you should” statements;

3) it should be written in lay language (none of that legal mumbo jumbo—I think he has a strong dislike for lawyers—imagine that);

4) it should be succinct; and

5) it needs to be enforceable and not dependent on goodwill to work.