Ethics

Read the short case study and answer the questions which follow. Jack is a project engineer for a mechanical energy technology firm Company XYZ. He is managing the company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects in overseas countries, and determines how to distribute the project funding from the retained profits. Jack has to decide whether the company should be funding a new project of solar panels in an East African community. However, the project data show that it is more practical to just install better lighting inside the homes. Jack wonders whether to bring up this dilemma to his superiors. Based on the company's understanding of the community, the community desires better lighting system for their homes while the solar panels would be an expensive project with high maintenance costs which could be passed to the concerned community. There was a previous project where equipment were stolen in the same region to exchange for money. Jack is aware that the local project partner would benefit from the project promotion. It would also foster a good business partnership between the his company and the local project partner. It should be noted such partnership enhances the effectiveness of implementing CSR projects. [Nabilah Deen, 2015, Unintended Effects. Markkula Centre for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University] (a) Analyse the relevance of environmental ethics in Jack's dilemma. [10 marks] (b) Analyse the cross-boundary issues between the Company XYZ and the East African community. [10 marks] [10 marks] (d) Based on your above answers in (a), (b) and (c), formulate two relevant middleway solutions with the possible consequences on both home and host countries. [10 marks]