Provide an answer for each of the following questions.

1. What is the meaning of "ethical dilemma"? Give an example of an ethical dilemma in business.

2. Describe the eight steps to an ethical decision making process.

3. Discuss briefly the prescriptive and descriptive approaches to ethics. What are the most important theories associated with these approaches?

4. How could an organization create an ethical culture? What is the role of the external and internal organizational systems? What is the role of the manager?

5. Describe how an organization can use the reward and discipline systems to promote an ethical organizational culture?

 

Provide an answer for the following case.

 

Jonica Gunson is the environmental compliance manager for a small plastics manufacturing company. She is currently faced with the decision whether or not to spend money on new technology that will reduce the level of a particular toxin in the wastewater that flows out the back of the factory and into a lake.

The factory's emission levels are already within legal limits. However, Jonica knows that environmental regulations for this particular toxin are lagging behind scientific evidence. In fact, a scientist from the university had been quoted in the newspaper recently, saying that if emission levels stayed at this level, the fish in the lakes and rivers in the area might soon have to be declared unsafe for human consumption.

Further, if companies in the region don't engage in some self-regulation on this issue, there is reason to fear that the government backed by public opinion may force companies to begin using the new technology, and may also begin requiring monthly emission level reports (which would be both expensive and time consuming).

But the company's environmental compliance budget is tight. Asking for this new technology to be installed would put Jonica's department over-budget, and could jeopardize the company's ability to show a profit this year.

 

Questions: What motives would the company have to install the new technology? How would you handle the situation?