Choose one of the following research projects:
1. Study of a specific profession's code of conduct as an expression or embodiment of that profession's distinctive role in society. Those who elect to prepare a study of this nature might consider exploring questions such as the following:
Must members of this profession obtain a license from the state in order to practice it? Why or why not?
Do members of the profession have special access to power that non-members do not have? If so, what are the implications of that status?
Does the profession's code of conduct impose special constraints on the conduct of members as a result of the special nature of the profession, the powers that its members exercise, and its function in society?
Do members of the profession undertake an obligation to society or some segment of society as well as to the clients who engage their services? If so, what should members do when those respective obligations come into conflict?
How should the conflicts be resolved? Does the profession's code of conduct speak to such issues?
2. Study of a particular crisis or incident within an organization in which the organization and individuals in it were called upon to exercise moral judgment and to act responsibly. Students who choose a project of this nature will need to set forth the facts giving rise to the crisis and the facts concerning what individuals within the organization did in response to it.
To the extent the organization had a code of conduct or other set of principles, statement of values, or policies in place, the student will need to assess whether and to what extent the individuals responding to the crisis relied on such written policies. Finally, those completing a project of this kind will need to assess whether the individual decision makers within the organization acted in a morally responsible manner.
Examples of such incidents: The Tylenol Cyanide Crisis of 1982; The Ford Pinto Design Case; The Guidant ICD Case; The Challenger O-Ring
3. Study of the values and actions of a specific individual working in the professional or corporate world (including non-profit organizations) as an illustration of some of the problems covered in this course. Potential candidates for such a study include both those whose behavior we find admirable and those of less saintly character. The study will need to present a brief summary of the person's background and what we know about that person's views on professional responsibility. It will need to set forth the facts of at least one "defining moment" which that individual faced and how she responded to it. Finally, those completing this kind of project will need to assess how the individual's character and how the organizational setting within which she works affected her response to the moral challenge she faced.
Examples of people who might be the subjects of such a study include: Roger Boisjoly of Morton Thiokol (the Challenger explosion), Bill George of Medtronic, James Burke of Johnson & Johnson (the Tylenol poison case), "Chainsaw" Al Dunlap of Sunbeam, Warren Buffet of Berkshire-Hathaway, Walter DeNino of UVM Medical School (the whistleblower in the Eric Poehlman research fraud case), Army Specialist Joe Darby (whistleblower on Abu Ghraib scandal), and Eunice Rivers of Tuskegee Institute (nurse who assisted in syphilis study).
4. Study of an organization in which you have been an employee or otherwise personally involved. The study should examine the extent to which it acts as a morally responsible agent toward its various stakeholder groups. Those choosing this type of study will need to set forth the organization's written policies and procedures insofar as they relate to the organization's moral responsibilities and the moral behavior of individuals employed by it. Such studies will also need to show how those policies and procedures and any unwritten but salient features of the organizational culture promote (or tend to undermine) the moral responsibility of the organization.
Finally, a study of this kind should include an assessment of the degree to which the organization under review promotes (or hinders) the professional responsibility of those working within it.
5. Study of a socially responsible Vermont company (or company in your local area). The study should examine the extent to which it acts as a morally responsible agent toward its various stakeholder groups. Those choosing this type of study will need to set forth the organization's written policies and procedures insofar as they relate to the organization's moral responsibilities and the moral behavior of individuals employed by it. Such studies will also need to show how those policies and procedures and any unwritten but salient features of the organizational culture promote (or tend to undermine) the moral responsibility of the organization. Finally, a study of this kind should include an assessment of the degree to which the organization under review promotes (or hinders) the professional responsibility of those working within it.
Examples of potential candidates for this kind of study include: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Green Mountain Power, American Flatbread, King Arthur Flour, Chroma Technology, NRG Systems, Seventh Generation, Breadloaf Corporation, Northfield Savings Bank, National Bank of Middlebury, and Gardner's Supply Company.
- Research paper should have a minimum of 2500 words, and should be a double spaced word-processed document with 12pts. font size and 1" margins with footnotes and bibliography.
- Some Hints on Research and Style
- Here are a few things to think about as you pull together the final draft of your research paper.
- Make sure your topic really does focus on an ethical issue in the professions.
- Avoid writing a paper where your research and factual information crowds out the activity of moral reasoning.
- As with all of the smaller papers, see a clearly developed line of argument where I have a clear sense of what you want to say.
- The more you can integrate your discussion into a larger argument the better.
- You are responsible for your research, make sure that your sources are reliable.
- Paper must have proper documentation in accordance with the Modern Language Association style manual.