Business Ethics BUSI 1314 Lecture 5 – Ethical Theories part 2 Wim Vandekerckhove vw 01@gre. ac. uk Learning outcomes: lecture/tutorial will enable you to -Recognise and distinguish different types of ethical arguments -Understand the underlying sensitivities and assumptions of ethical theories -Appreciate the limits of specific ethic theories -Design and use different types of ethical argument in a complementary way
Befehl ist Befehl
1. Crisis of ethics - WWII Atrocities of WWII: -Deportations and death camps Perverted rationality How can we save ethics? No rational foundation of ethics is possible. Is there ethics at all? Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
Lecture 5: Theories of Ethics 2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. • Crisis of ethics – WWII Ethics ‘for now’ – it is never enough Virtue Ethics Procedural ethics – moving goal posts Coursework 1, task 3 Further reading: – Brague (forthcoming) – Rendtorff 2009 – Crane & Matten (2010, chapter 3) Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
2. Ethics ‘for now’ –it is never enough - The Other never fits my categories/concepts/rules. Levinas That is the ethical moment; where I feel there is ‘an issue’ My responsibility to the Other is ENDLESS Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
How can we live like that? Whatever rule or code we decide is good now, will not do forever. Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
3. Virtue Ethics justice action principle deontology result consequentialism Evaluate the actor How? How a person behaves tells you something about that person Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
3. Virtue Ethics (cont) Virtue ethics is about the moral character Aristotle Becoming a virtuous person requires practice What do you practice? Practice the right measure Too little Courage Forgiveness Modesty Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011 Too much
3. Virtue Ethics (cont) Bricklayer What is it a good Manager does? Football player Investor Relates to the purpose or function in society Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011 Telos – full potential; What is it a horse that is fully a horse, does?
Is philanthropy virtuous for business people? Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
4. Procedural ethics – moving goal posts We do ethics and establish norms We do business We cannot live without We act We make decisions We are the foundation of ethics Revisit rational ethics One person’s mind Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011 People together
4. Procedural ethics (cont) Foundation = consensus What does ‘consensus’ assume? What does it take for ‘consensus’ to mean anything? Discussion Everyone is informed Speakers must give reasons All involved can join (stakeholders? ) It is safe to speak Etc. Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
4. Procedural ethics (cont) What makes a decision an ethical decision? HOW it was taken. Good procedures make good decisions Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
4. Procedural ethics (examples) Corporate Governance Code International Labour Organisation UN Declaration of Human Rights UN Global Compact Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
Key messages Ethical theories will not tell you what to do But they can inform you to what extent an action is justified It is you who acts Use ethical theories to structure your arguments and justify your actions to others Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
References • • Bragues, G. (forthcoming), ‘Adam Smith’s Vision of the Ethical Manager’, Journal of Business Ethics, DOI 10. 1007/s 10551 -010 -0600 -4 Crane, A. and Matten, D. (2010), Business Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press Rendtorff, J. D. (2009), ‘Basic ethical principles applied to service industries’, The Service Industries Journal 29(1), 9 -19. Stock, G. (1991), The Book of Questions: Business, Politics and Ethics. New York, Workman Publishing. Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
5. Coursework 1, task 3 Requirements: 1. Pick 1 of 3 situations (State which you chose). 2. Describe what you would do. 3. Justify your choice of action by using 2 ethical perspectives (choose from deontology, consequentialism, justice, virtue ethics, procedural ethics) 500 words, submit as part of coursework 1: Portfolio Submit tasks 1+2+3 in one document as Portfolio (deadline 5 Nov 3 pm) Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
5. Coursework 1, task 3 (cont) Situations to choose from: source: Stock (1991) A. Which of the following programs would you fund if you had to choose only one of them: a massive public health program that would increase life expectancy by two years; an overhaul of our educational system that would make our primary schools the best in the world; a housing program that would give everyone an adequate place to live? B. You fire an incompetent employee who then files a hefty discrimination suit against you. If the charges were a complete fabrication but you knew that a court battle would be expensive, time consuming, and of uncertain outcome, would you be willing to settle out of court for a few thousand Euros? C. Your business, which employs a hundred people, has only an even chance of making it through the year. If this gets out, your suppliers are likely to stop giving you credit and force you into bankruptcy; but if you don’t tell your employees, they may be caught unprepared and suffer great hardship. Would you tell your employees the truth? 500 words, submit as part of coursework 1: Portfolio Submit tasks 1+2+3 in one document as Portfolio (deadline 5 Nov 3 pm) Wim Vandekerckhove - Business Ethics BUSI 1314 - University of Greenwich 2010 -2011
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