Week 1 Assignment: Moral Position

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapter 1: Ethics and Business, and Chapter 2: Ethical Decision Making: Personal and Professional Contexts in your textbook (Hartman et al., 2021), and What Makes a Business Ethicist? A Reflection on the Transition From Applied Philosophy to Critical ThinkingLinks to an external site. (Seele, 2018). Also, read the Student’s Guide to Writing Critical Essays in Business Ethics (and Beyond)Links to an external site., Paradigm Online’s Argumentative EssaysLinks to an external site., and the Argumentative Paper SampleLinks to an external site..

In this written assignment, you will identify an ethical problem in business and argue an ethical position. You should choose one of the below case studies as your topic for the assignment. Keep in mind that you will employ this case study for all future written assignments in the course, so consider the case studies carefully before choosing. You might want to research them before committing to one. Also, you might want to review the Week 6 final paper to see where you are headed with the case study:

• Merck and Corporate Social Responsibility: In the 1970s, the pharmaceutical company Merck developed a drug that could treat river blindness in people. However, the development of the drug would cost millions of dollars and generate little profit for Merck. To learn more, the case study can be found in your textbook (Hartman et al., 2021, pp.147–148).
• Google and Defending Diversity: In 2017, Google employee James Damore posted gender stereotypes as a criticism of Google’s diversity and inclusion initiative. In response he was fired, raising questions about the silencing of employees with different opinions in diverse work cultures. To learn more, the case study can be found in your textbook (Hartman et al., 2021, pp.172–173).
• Bribery and Globalization: In 2012, Walmart reportedly paid bribes to get permits and gain market share in Mexico. In the United States, bribery is considered an unfair business practice. However, many other countries view bribery as part of normal business. To learn more, the topic is covered in your textbook, although this specific case is not mentioned (Hartman et al., 2021, pp.127–128).
• Apple and Technological Privacy: In 2015 the FBI requested Apple’s assistance in accessing data in the iPhone of a terrorist. Apple refused, claiming that the request threatened the privacy of individuals. To learn more, the topic is covered in the introduction to Chapter 7 in your textbook and explored through the first half of the chapter, although this specific case is not mentioned (Hartman et al., 2021, pp. 229–231).

You should aim to use scholarly, peer-reviewed sources when writing about these case studies, which are best found through the University of Arizona Global Campus Library. For clarification, you might find the library’s resource How Can I Tell if an Article Is Scholarly?Links to an external site. helpful. Keep in mind that the sources that you use for information or support in your assignments can be directly about the case study or related to some other element of your position, such as your ethical approach or the ethical subject matter. Additionally, you also need to address and support through sources any legal issues involved with your case, including aspects of legal compliance.

Tutorial for Moral Position