Ethics Case Study: Guidance sheet Read this before you start writing your assignment! A. Guidance for answering the assignment questions 1. Identify the topics that are relevant to each assignment question. Start by reading the required readings, consulting your lecture notes, and working through the weekly activities (including the suggested answers when available) for these topics. Then review all of the learning material available for these topics on Blackboard to make sure that you have a strong grasp on what the topics are about, what the various concepts mean and how the relevant theories can be applied. 2. Pay attention to the mark allocation and the approximate number of words for each question in the assignment. This gives you an indication of how much depth is required in providing your answers. 3. Read through the criteria sheet, so that you know what is expected at the different grade levels. 4. This is not a research essay, and there is no minimum number of expected references. You are not required to conduct extensive research in order to answer the questions, although you are free to consult additional sources if you wish. You will be assessed based on how well you understand the concepts and how you apply them to each of the questions. Specific questions: 5. Case 1(a): Make sure that your answer includes some reference to what we mean by 'ethics', and, using information in the case, provide examples of moral principles, standards or values that are relevant. 6. Case 1(b): Make sure that you provide examples of both descriptive and normative questions that are relevant to the case, making it clear which are which. Meta-ethical questions are not required. 7. Case 1(c): Using information from the case, your answer should cover all of the essential elements of either the utilitarian or deontological approach, and come to a clear conclusion. Do not use both approaches. The word limit means that you will need to be concise, so avoid repetition and make sure that each sentence is necessary. If choosing utilitarianism, your answer should refer to at least three stakeholders. If choosing Kantian deontology, make sure BSB111 - Ethics Case Study Assignment Guidance, p.1 you address all of the formulations of the Categorical Imperative discussed in the learning material. 8. Case 2(a): Your answer should cover all of the essential elements of the virtue ethics approach as presented in the learning material, using information from the case. A substantial part (but not all) of your answer should involve a consideration of relevant virtues/excellences and vices. You can use those suggested by Aristotle, the additional virtues and vices in the chapter by Noel Stewart, and/or the list of virtues and character strengths from the VIA Institute on Character. 9. Case 2(b): You must answer both parts (i) and (ii). Your answer should show that you clearly understand each stage in Kohlberg's theory, and how it could be applied to the case. B. Guidance for preparing and submitting the assignment 1. Due date: 28 August 2017, 10am. If you do not submit your ECS to Turnitin by the due date and time, you will be awarded a grade of 1 (0%) as set out in the QUT Business School's Assessment policy. 2. Submitting your assignment: You MUST submit your case study using Turnitin on Blackboard. If you fail to submit using Turnitin by the deadline, you will be given the mandated late penalty - a grade of 1 or 0%. You CANNOT submit by emailing, posting, faxing or handing in your assignment. To access Turnitin and submit your report: 1. Login to the BSB111 Blackboard site 2. Select the Assessment link in the menu on the left of screen 3. Select the Assessment Item 1: Ethics Case Study link 4. Read the guidance for using Turnitin, this will provide detailed instructions for submitting your report 5. To submit your report, select the View Assignment link under the heading Ethics Case Study (final submission) 3. The criteria sheet and marking: You will be allocated a mark out of 40 based on your performance against the criteria sheet. Pay close attention to these criteria, as they detail what is required of you to obtain marks for each aspect of the assignment. Your mark out of 40 will be weighted back to a percentage mark out of 25. BSB111 - Ethics Case Study Assignment Guidance, p.2 4. Length: The word limit for the assignment is 1250 words. This includes any headings, tables or figures that you may use but does not include the bibliography. Exceeding the limit of 1250 words by 10% or less is acceptable. However, we will not mark the portion of your ECS that has exceeded the 1250 word limit by more than 10%. You must include a word count at the end of your Ethics Case Study. 5. Format: You must use the template provided and write your answers in the areas indicated. Do not rewrite the cases in your submission. You must present your ECS is a professional format. You must check that your formatting (font size, spacing etc.) is professional and consistent. There is no need for an Executive Summary or Table of Contents. 6. Style: Use plain English, as this will help you to be concise. The use of slang, swear words and jargon is inappropriate in a business setting. The use of 'SMS speak' (for example, the letter 'u' instead of 'you') is particularly inappropriate for formal business communication. You need to use correct spelling and grammar as this forms part of the criteria for marking. 7. Research and referencing: As the media report is presented in the assignment, you do not need to provide full references if you refer to the report itself. However, if you quote or paraphrase from any other source, then it should be referenced. Follow the QUT APA reference style as detailed in QUT Cite/Write. The website for QUT Cite/Write is: http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/ . A link can also be found under Assessment on the Unit's Blackboard site. 8. Individual work: You must compile your case study on an individual basis. This means that you are not permitted to compile or write it jointly with another student(s). However, we acknowledge that business ethics is best learnt when students engage in debate and discussion on the matter. Therefore, we encourage you to discuss and debate the topic and related issues raised in this assignment with your peers. However, you must be very careful not to plagiarise or copy as your case study must be compiled on an individual basis. If you are unsure whether you are allowed to do something, refer to the School's policy on plagiarism which can be accessed from the Blackboard site. In summary, you are free to talk about the issues raised in the case study, but you must write the assignment individually. Making 'cosmetic' changes to a few sentences of another student's work does not mean that you have written it individually. This applies to portions of the assignment and the assignment as a whole. Penalties BSB111 - Ethics Case Study Assignment Guidance, p.3 1. Plagiarism: Your entire case study (except for correctly referenced quotes) must be written in your own words. Severe penalties apply to deter and punish acts of plagiarism. You should carefully read the School's policy on plagiarism for possible penalties (see Blackboard) and refer to the QUT MOPP policy at: http://www.mopp.qut.edu.au/C/C_05_03.jsp 2. Late submission and extensions: Assessment submitted after the due date will not be marked and will receive a grade of 1 or 0%. If special circumstances prevent you from meeting the assessment due date, you can apply for an extension. If you don't have an approved extension, you should submit the work you have completed by the due date and it will be marked against the assessment criteria. Further information on late assignments and extensions can be found at: https://www.student.qut.edu.au/studying/assessment/extension The MOPP Policy relating to Late Assessment and Extensions can be found here: http://www.mopp.qut.edu.au/E/E_06_08.jsp What is an Ethical issue? 1. An ethical issue usually involves a conflict between values or principles that guide our perceptions of what is right and wrong. 2. Describing an issue does not equal to analyzing an issue; the difference between \"ought\" and \"is\". The goal of ethical analysis is... BSB111 - Ethics Case Study Assignment Guidance, p.4 1. To justify judgments about what is good or bad, right or wrong, what we should/should not do, how we should/should not behave 2. There are better and worse ways of doing this Ethical analysis leads us from a description of a situation to what we call a Normative conclusion Normative conclusion; That is what we ought to do in a situation Description yields what is the case an analysis yields an odd statement. Characterization of what is we should do. What we ought to do, what is the morally or ethically correct thing to do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbLm3UOKNkI BSB111 - Ethics Case Study Assignment Guidance, p.5 QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY QUT Business School School of Accountancy BSB111 Business Law and Ethics SEMESTER TWO 2017 ETHICS CASE STUDY INDIVIDUAL REPORT (Weighting Total - 25%) Due: 28 August 2017 Time: 10:00am Submission: via Turnitin through Blackboard by 10am on 28 August 2017 Type: Individual Length: Maximum of 1250 words This assessment item assesses the following unit objectives and learning outcomes: Professional Communication (PC) 3.1 Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts Social, Ethical and Global Understanding (SE) 5.1 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices in analysing and responding to business issues The purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to explore some of the fundamental concepts and theories in business ethics, consider how these can be applied to real world business issues and communicate this knowledge effectively. BSB111 - Ethics Case Study Assignment, p.1 Case 1: How much is too much? Adapted from \"Rising cost of potentially life-saving EpiPen puts pinch on families\