Final Exam Flashcards
DIER Framework
Dilemma
Identify alternatives
Evaluate alternatives
Resolution
How would we define “Business Ethics”?
“A set of moral principles; a theory or system of moral values.”
Standards and values in commerce
Utilitarianism
Greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people/ Happiness is the objective
Greatest Happiness Principle (utilitarianism)
actions are right in proportion as they tend to cause happiness, wrong as they tend to produce opposite of happiness. Happiness being pleasure and unhappiness being the absence of pleasure.
Consequentialist Theory/ John Stuart Mill suggests what?
is an ethical theory that judges whether or not something is right by what its consequences are.
consequences are all that really matter
Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism because it focuses on the quality of outcomes/ if the outcome produces the greatest amount of happiness it is good. the result are way more important than the means
Trolley Problem: Utilitarianism
train hurtling down a track, you could either hit 1 person or 5. What do you? With utilitarianism you want to simply hit the one. This is because that would result in the greatest number of happiness since only one person will be affected.
Within utilitarianism what does John Stuart Mill suggest about pleasure?
There are levels to pleasure. A pleasure is of higher quality if people would choose it over a different pleasure even if it is accompanied by discomfort, and if they would not trade it for a greater amount of other pleasure.
Jeremy Bentham
1748-1832
- progressive British philosopher
- “good”= search for pleasure + avoidance of pain
- considered only quantity of pleasure
John Stuart Mill
1806-1873
- British Philosopher and political economist
Divine Command Theory
morality is ultimately based on the command/ character of God and that the morally right action is the one that God commands or requires.
Have to follow God’s commands to moral.
Natural Law
basically the idea that humans rationally know what is right and wrong, as opposed to other animals, and that that natural instinct is in accordance with God/ designed by God. Our spiritual nature has its own natural inclinations that lets us not do our other natural inclinations.
Good should be done and evil should be avoided.
Meritocracy
a social system where people receive social status or rewards because of what they achieve, rather than because of wealth or social class.
Pros:
Cons:
Needs Based Fairness
a party to a situation should receive a share of the resources or benefits based upon her level of need. The party that needs the resources or benefits the most would be entitled to the greatest share.
Pros:
Cons:
Equality
Everybody must be equal. Every outcome should be the same to maintain fairness.
Pros:
Cons:
Descriptive Egoism
all human motivation is self-interested/ aimed at benefitting oneself
Normative Egoism
the notion that one OUGHT to act only with self-interested motives/ aim to only benefit yourself
Six Stages of Moral Development (Kohlberg)
Pre-Conventional:
1) Obedience & Punishment: basically if you get punished then don’t do something and do something if you won’t get punished
2) Self-Interest: acting to further one’s own self-interest
Conventional:
3) Interpersonal Accord and Conformity: meet the expectations of others
4) Authority and Maintaining Social Order: upholding laws to meet societal expectations
Post Conventional:
5) Social Contract: Personal values used to achiever social consciousness
6) Universal Ethical Principles: self selection of universal moral principles.
Internal Stakeholders
Employees Officers: Day to Day Management Board of Directors: - Hire Officers - High-Level Decisions/ Vision - Stock options Shareholders: - Elect and Sue Directors
External Stakeholders (Direct)
- Creditors
- Suppliers
- Customers
External Stakeholders (Indirect)
- Government
- Community
- Environment
Shareholder Primacy Theory
A theory in corporate governance that basically says that the interest of the shareholders comes before and is first priority over all other stakeholder interests
Stakeholder Theory/ Corporate Social Responsibility/ Triple-Bottom-Line
- A view of capitalism that focuses n the interconnected relationships between a business and its customers, suppliers, employees, investors, communities, and others who have a stake in the organization.
- Is a business model that helps a company be socially responsible to itself, stakeholders, and the public.
- Focus on equality caring about profit, people and planet.
Business Roundtable Statement of 2019 on Corporate Purpose:
“Each of our stakeholders is essential. We commit to deliver value to all of them, for the future success of our companies, our communities and our country.”
Greenwashing
Spending more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing rather than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact