Assignment:
Case Study Assessment Criteria TOPIC: Business and Pollution.
For your Business Ethics course you will review, assess and report the ethical dilemma in a real business situation. Pollution is the topic. There are always conflicts and choices regarding the distribution, storage or reconstitution of waste. Business in many ways is a significant contributor to pollution. Certain industries create more waste than others. However, waste in the wrong place such as in water, soil or air is usually a question for ethical debate. Part of this course requirement is to become more sensitive and observant of the grey area circumstances and situations that converge for an ethical dilemma. The following assessment criteria shall be used for the class. More importantly this ABC 3 step critical thinking process may help you throughout your career.
1. What were the factual antecedents that preceded an ethical resolution, crisis, accident, crime or poor judgment that made the ethical dilemma transparent to those outside the specific enterprise?
2.What behaviors do you consider to be unethical and WHY? The why part of this assessment requires a guess or opinion regarding individuals' motivation. Often a behavior is based on a strongly held value. For example, wanting more and more money is not only greedy but often motivated by pride or arrogance. Consider vices, virtues and values while elaborating on WHY. (The answers to this question should include the largest amount of words for your case study. Ethics is mostly about why we behave rightly or wrongly. Remember that relative ethics would say more rightly or more wrongly. Make this section at least HALF of your entire paper)
3.What were the outcomes or consequences? Consider both short term and long term, financial, reputation, relationships, image and/ or trust. Report if the cultural, social and legal landscapes have changed for the better or worse based on this case.
All case studies should be 2 pages. Format is simple. Answer each of the 3 questions. The layout is single spaced paragraph(s) for each of the 3 steps. Cite your sources. One source is not enough. Eight sources are probably too many. If you use a movie or other artistic presentation you must cite at least four additional objective resources. Please put your name on the page (s). BRING YOUR REPORT TO CLASS!
Listed below are the movies suggested for case study analyses. You can find your own. However, you must have it approved by your professor.
Movies: 1. Erin Brockovidge, 2. Silkwood, 3. Civil Action