Ethical Standards in Day-to-Day Life
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Colorado Technical University *
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Course
BUS270
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
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8
Uploaded by UltraMorning9174
From “Where do ethics come from” Utilitarianism
is the ethical philosophy that supports the idea that actions should result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Deontology
is an alternative way of approaching ethical reasoning. It focuses on people's innate morals. It also follows the idea of the
categorical imperative
. This is the idea that the right actions are what all people should always do in that situation (Byars & Stanberry, 2018). Deontology serves as the foundation for rules and laws.
A third way that you can make ethical decisions is to employ a
justice-based approach
. This approach relies on the idea that humans enter into a social contract when they create a community together.
You have learned about historical sources of ethics. These sources include the following:
Utilitarianism
Deontology
Justice
How are all of these relevant to day-to-day life? You encounter ethical issues and make ethical decisions every day. You likely do this multiple times a day.
You are often making decisions with ethical implications even when you may not know it. Consider the following situations:
Deciding whether or not to speed on the way to work
Figuring out what kind of car to buy
Deciding where you shop
Believe it or not, these are all examples of decisions that involve ethics. In this lesson, you will see how ethics applies to your daily life. The following are some examples that you will explore:
Eating chocolate
Whether the government can or should take your property
Gender pay equity
Is eating chocolate ethical?
Did you know that Americans eat around 9.7 pounds of chocolate every year (Conway, 2018)? Most people probably never think about whether eating
chocolate is ethical. Think about that for a second. Think about all that you have learned about ethics so far. Do you think it is ethical to eat chocolate?
Have an idea? If not, take a moment to reflect on how goods like chocolate are produced. Your consumer choices become ethical choices because they drive business choices, which have real human consequences.
Twenty years ago, the world's largest chocolate companies made a pledge. They pledged to eliminate the use of child labor in their chocolate production
and sourcing. They set specific goals to reduce the use of child labor in cocoa
supply chains in 2005, 2008, and 2010 (Whoriskey, 2019). However, the use of child labor is still widespread today.
Ethical sourcing is one way that companies can overcome issues in their supply chains.
Ethical sourcing
is the business practice of ensuring that items
used in the production of a good or the provision of a service meets the following requirements:
They are obtained in responsible and sustainable ways.
They are made by workers who are protected with basic worker rights, such as working in a safe environment.
They are made with respect for impacts on society and the environment.
A business that practices ethical sourcing will benefit from the following:
Decreased litigation
Improved corporate reputation
More efficient business processes
Improved employee morale
The U.S. Department of Labor estimated that more than 2 million children in West Africa are involved in the production of cocoa (ILAB, n.d.). This work can be quite hazardous. But it is quite common for preteens and younger children to be the ones doing it.
What would the ethical standards of utilitarianism, deontology, and justice have to say about this? The chocolate industry initially promised the elimination of child labor from the cocoa supply chain. But the companies involved have revised that promise downward. Now, they promise a reduction of 70% (Whoriskey, 2019).
Some companies see opportunities here. For example, one Dutch chocolatier was established solely for the purpose of eliminating the use of child labor and child slavery in the production of cocoa (Myers, 2019). Tony’s Chocolonely was formed to
raise awareness of the use of child labor in the supply chain. To accomplish its goals, Tony's pays a living wage to workers. But this means that they have to charge
a higher price for consumers (Myers, 2019). Would you pay more for ethically sourced chocolate? How much would you be willing to pay?
Tony’s is an example of a company that is pursuing a goal of corporate social responsibility.
Corporate social responsibility
is an evolving but increasingly applied way of thinking about how companies make their profits. This idea challenges companies to think about the social and environmental impacts of business decisions. A company practicing this does not just think about its own profits.
Can the government take your property?
Eminent domain
is a legal principle that allows the government to take individual property for public use. Sometimes, eminent domain is applied to give a person's property to a company. The government would argue that taking this property serves the public good. This has the potential to create significant conflicts. What if individual property owners may not want to give up their property?
The gender pay gap
The
gender pay gap
is the difference in pay that men and women earn for the same work. This has been a major issue in society over the last few decades (O'Neill, 2019). In the United States, on average, a woman working full-time makes 81% compared to what a man makes in the same position (Meara, Pastore, & Webster, 2019).
You should think about the gender pay gap using the justice model of ethical thinking. The gender pay gap is essentially unfair to women. Some people argue that this gap is caused by women being more likely to do part-time work. Women are more likely to take time off work to raise a child. But you still see a difference in pay that is attributable to gender itself (Meara et al., 2019). Women overall make less than men. This is unfair, so the ethical lens of justice says that this is simply unethical.
This is a complicated topic. The following are some questions to help you think about this:
Should pay equality be a goal in and of itself?
Are there any situations where a pay difference between genders makes sense?
What would the different ethical perspectives (i.e., utilitarian, deontology, and justice) have to say about this?
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There is another issue related to the gender pay gap. Say that you apply for a job, and the company asks you to provide your salary history. This means that the company wants to know how much you have made in the past. Is this ethical?
The disclosure of salary during the job application and interviewing process can have the unintended effect of replicating existing differences in pay. This
is because previous salary is one of the most significant predictors of future salary. Think about it this way. On average, men report higher earnings. If previous salary predicts future salary, then men will continue to make more, and women will continue to make less.
Corporate social responsibility
An evolving but increasingly applied way of thinking about how companies make their profits, which includes the intentional inclusion of the social and environmental impacts of business decisions
Eminent domain
The legal principle that allows the government to take individual property for
public use
Ethical sourcing
The business practice of ensuring that items used in the production of a good
or the provision of a service are obtained in responsible and sustainable ways, are made by workers who are protected with basic worker rights, such as working in a safe environment, and are made with respect for the environmental and social impacts considered
Gender pay gap
The difference in pay that men and women earn for the same work
The government taking your property to serve the greatest good or the greatest overall happiness for the greatest number of people is an example of
thinking.
Solution
The correct answer is:
Utilitarian
Why are your consumer choices, such as where you shop, ethical choices?
Because they distribute goods efficiently
Because they help optimize markets
Because they affect business choices (and those business choices affect other people)
Consumer choices are not ethical choices
Solution
The correct answer is
Because they affect business choices (and those business choices affect other people)
A business that practices ethical sourcing will likely see __________.
Limited customer demographics
Smaller consumer markets
Greater difficulty in creating a product
More efficient business processes
Solution
The correct answer is
More efficient business processes
What is eminent domain?
The legal principle that allows the government to take individual property for public use
A part of municipal ordinances that outlines how public safety buildings are to be constructed
A part of common law that only applies to chartered governments
The legal charter establishing clear business ethics standards in the United States
Solution
The correct answer is
The legal principle that allows the government to take individual property for public use
A business that practices ethical sourcing will likely see __________.
Limited customer demographics
Greater difficulty in creating a product
Improved employee morale
Smaller consumer markets
Solution
The correct answer is
Improved employee morale
One potential issue with
is the potential to create significant conflicts, as individual property owners may not want to give up their property.
Solution
The correct answer is
eminent domain
An employer is asking applicants for their salary history during the application and interview process. What can this lead to?
Increased use of child labor
Greater usage of eminent domain
Gender pay gaps
Smaller focus on ethical sourcing
Solution
The correct answer is
Gender pay gaps
includes a more thoughtful inclusion of the social and environmental impacts of business decisions.
Solution
The correct answer is
Corporate social responsibility
Why are your consumer choices, such as where you shop, ethical choices?
Because they affect business choices (and those business choices affect other people)
Because they help optimize markets
Consumer choices are not ethical choices
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Because they distribute goods efficiently
Solution
The correct answer is
Because they affect business choices (and those business choices affect other people)
is the business practice of ensuring that items used in the production of a good or the provision of a service are obtained responsibly, made safely, and made with respect to how it impacts the environment.
Solution
The correct answer is
Ethical sourcing
The typical woman working full-time, year round makes about
of the typical man working the same.
Solution
The correct answer is
81%
Ethical sourcing is the business practice of ensuring that items used in the production of a good or the provision of a service are ___________.
Produced inside the United States
Made with the cheapest ingredients available
Made with high-quality ingredients and sold at a reasonable price
Obtained in responsible and sustainable ways
Solution
The correct answer is
Obtained in responsible and sustainable ways
An employer is asking applicants for their salary history during the application and interview process. What can this lead to?
Increased use of child labor
Smaller focus on ethical sourcing
A drastic increase in employee motivation and morale
New male employees making more than females because of previously higher salaries
Solution
The correct answer is
New male employees making more than females because of previously higher salaries
Why is the consumption of chocolate, or any consumer good, an ethical decision?
Any desire or preference is ethical in nature
Because child labor is often involved in the production of chocolate
Stakeholder theory implies that all consumers have a stake in the decision
Consumer preference theory shows a relationship between the distribution of goods and ethics in a society
Solution
The correct answer is
Because child labor is often involved in the production of chocolate
One practice that has received increased attention related to the gender pay gap is __________.
The increasing focus on ending child labor
The increased use of ethical sourcing
Disclosing salary during the job application and interviewing process
How much the work impacts the environment
Solution
The correct answer is
Disclosing salary during the job application and interviewing process
One potential issue with
is the potential to create significant conflicts, as individual property owners may not want to give up their property.
Solution
The correct answer is
eminent domain