Short Essay Assignment
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Iowa State University *
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Philosophy
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Feb 20, 2024
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Uengaksonsamai 1
Phum Uengaksonsamai
Professor Butler
PHIL 230 Moral Theory and Practice
18 September 2023
Short Essay Assignment
“After the United States military left Afghanistan in 2021, roughly 80,000 Afghan refugees who had helped the United States during the war were resettled in the United States” (Student paper). Companies like Tyson Foods committing to hiring resettled Afghans and providing language interpreters to assist in their transition to work in the United States is a positive step toward helping refugees integrate into their new communities and rebuild their lives. These initiatives can contribute to economic stability and social integration for the refugees
while also addressing labor needs for these companies.
Shareholder thinking primarily focuses on maximizing profits and shareholder value. In this perspective, decisions are often made with the primary goal of increasing financial returns for shareholders. Hiring Afghan refugees, especially when considering the additional cost of language interpreters and potential cultural adjustments, may not align with strict shareholder thinking. Shareholders may be concerned about increased expenses and potential impacts on short-term profitability. Therefore, this decision might not have been reached if Tyson's managers
were solely driven by a narrow shareholder perspective.
Stakeholder thinking takes into account the interests of various stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, and the community, alongside shareholders. While hiring
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Afghan refugees could be seen as a positive move from a societal perspective, it may still face challenges under pure stakeholder thinking. Some stakeholders, such as employees or customers who may have strong opposing views, might not fully support the decision. Additionally, if the community or the local workforce perceives it as detrimental to their own opportunities, there could be tensions. Thus, in a strict stakeholder approach, this decision might not have been reached without addressing these concerns comprehensively.
Comprehensive moral thinking goes beyond narrow economic considerations and considers ethical principles and values. One of the values associated with comprehensive moral thinking is "justice." In this context, the decision to hire Afghan refugees can be connected to the value of justice, as it represents an effort to provide opportunities to a vulnerable group that played a role in assisting the United States during the war. Comprehensive moral thinking encourages actions that promote fairness, equality, and social justice. Tyson's decision to hire Afghan refugees aligns with this value, as it aims to address the moral obligation to support those
in need.
In the context of Goodpaster's "qualified responsibility," this decision by Tyson aligns with the idea that businesses have a moral responsibility to address societal issues, even though it
may not be their primary mission. While Tyson is a for-profit company, its decision to hire Afghan refugees demonstrates a sense of social responsibility and a recognition of the broader role businesses can play in society. Tyson is taking action to support a vulnerable group of people, and this aligns with the concept of "qualified responsibility" by recognizing and acting upon a moral obligation to contribute positively to society beyond profit generation.
In conclusion, the decision by managers at Tyson Foods to hire Afghan refugees may not have been reached using a strict shareholder or stakeholder thinking perspective due to potential
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financial and stakeholder conflicts. However, it aligns with comprehensive moral thinking, particularly the value of justice, and reflects a sense of qualified responsibility by the company to
address broader societal issues while still being mindful of its core business objectives.
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Work Cited (Book provided in module)
Goodpaster, Kenneth E., and George G. Brenkert. “Chapter 5 Corporate Responsibility and Its Constituents.” The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics
, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 2009, pp. 127–150.
Student class notes