Question 1

In the Unit 6 Discussion, you will explore issues that relate to the death penalty. The death penalty, which remains a highly controversial topic. Ethical issues that are controversial tend to be so because they usually have several strong but opposing points. You and your peers will explore some of these reasons and explore this difficult topic in light of ethical theory and reasoning.

• What are some of the arguments used for and against capital punishment? (You may want to complete some additional research to add to your knowledge). In your response, apply ethical theory to your position.

Question 2

Case Study

In this week's Discussion, you will explore the dynamics of employee loyalty and what limitations exists in regards to rights and freedoms in the workplace. As you discuss the question with your peers, keep in mind the concept of rights and where rights come from. Also note that often in life, the rights of one party conflict with the rights of another.

• Read the case study "Employee Rights Case Study" located in the unit Reading. Would firing Allen Lopez violate his civil rights? Explain why or why not using ethical reasoning and theory.

Question 3

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action attempts to remedy the injustice of racial and sexual discrimination. When asked to justify their position, supporters of affirmative action commonly appeal to its effects on living individuals in society's long history of past discrimination. Others point to current patterns of discrimination.

• Do you agree that all affirmative action policies create unjust reverse discrimination? If not, which specific forms of affirmative action in the business world do you think escape this charge? Why do you think this? Explain your position with ethical theory.

Employee Rights Case Study

For seven years, Allen Lopez had worked for ExtremeNet, a well-known, global, high-technology company that provides clients with Internet services such as e-commerce and Web development, online marketing, strategic planning, and research. Allen was well paid and performed well in a responsible middle-management position, which he found rewarding. However, as ExtremeNet struggled to manage the effects of an economic downturn, Allen became disenchanted with the company's treatment of lower-level employees, including his own assistant. Among Allen's concerns were gender and age discrimination during layoffs, as well as changes to personnel policies that he believed treated lower-level employees unfairly.

Allen's frustrations grew after he raised his concerns in vain with his superiors. What he did next put his career in jeopardy: Working at home over several weekends, Allen created and published on the Internet a satiric website that inveighed against the abusive management practices of a fictional company that bore a striking resemblance to ExtremeNet. The site gained some notoriety among high- tech websites and in the business press.

The vice presidents of ExtremeNet were incensed to learn of the site's existence and were concerned that the site generated so much traffic and publicity. Although Allen protested that he acted out of a sense of justice and asserted that his creative work was protected by his first amendment rights, this did not prevent the leadership team of ExtremeNet from hastily assembling an emergency meeting to decide whether Allen Lopez should be discharged, and whether ExtremeNet should file suit to have his satirical website removed from the World Wide Web.