Business Ethics Case Studies and Selected Readings

by Jennings, Marianne M.

• ISBN13: 9780324110807
• ISBN10: 0324110804
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: South-Western College/West

Summary

Designed as a business ethics text for use in management or business law courses that use a case study approach, this text provides real-life examples of ethical dilemmas, poor ethical choices, and wise ethical decisions from newspapers, business journals and the author's experiences as a consultant and board member. This text not only assists in fulfilling the AACSB's curriculum requirement but exposes students to a critical issue - the strong sense of values that is essential to principled and successful leadership in the business world.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction	xiii
UNIT 1 Foundations of Business Ethics: Virtue, Values, and Business	1	(38)
Defining Business Ethics	2	(7)
What Is Business Ethics?	2	(1)
The Areas of Ethical Challenges	3	(1)
Recognizing Ethical Dilemmas: The Language	4	(2)
The Categories of Ethical Dilemmas	6	(3)
Resolutions of Business Ethics Dilemma	9	(24)
Is Business Bluffing Ethical?	9	(10)
Ethics Without the Sermon	19	(11)
Other Models for Resolution of Business Ethics Dilemmas	30	(3)
Applying the Foundations of Business Ethics	33	(6)
Trying Out the Models and a Resolution Approach	33	(1)
Barbara Walters and Her Andrew Lloyd Webber Conflict	34	(2)
The Rigged Election	36	(1)
The Loan Officer and the Debtors	36	(3)
UNIT 2 Foundations of Business Ethics: What Is the Role of Business in Society? Shareholders vs. Stakeholders	39	(52)
The Role of Business in Society	40	(15)
The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits	41	(6)
The Ethics of Responsibility	47	(4)
Principles of Social Responsibility in Business	51	(2)
Schools of Thought on Social Responsibility	53	(2)
Stakeholder vs. Shareholder Accountability	55	(4)
Stakeholder Theory and the Coase Theorem	55	(2)
Appeasing Stakeholders with Public Relations	57	(2)
Applying Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Theory	59	(32)
SUVs, the Environment, Safety, and Stakeholders	59	(8)
Ice-T, the Body Count Album, and Shareholder Uprisings	67	(5)
Guns 'n Social Responsibility	72	(11)
Shock Jock: Howard Stern	83	(1)
Dayton-Hudson and Its Contributions to Planned Parenthood	84	(1)
Bayer, Anthrax, Cipro, Patents, and Half-Price	85	(5)
The Chicago Inner-City School Experiment	90	(1)
UNIT 3 Individual Values and the Business Organization	91	(44)
Personal Values in Business Decisions	93	(8)
The Parable of the Sadhu	93	(6)
The Moving Line	99	(2)
Personal Honesty	101	(6)
Puffing in the Resume	101	(2)
Radar Detectors and the Law	103	(1)
The Ethics of Looking Busy	103	(1)
The Employment Application Lie That Haunts the Applicant	104	(1)
Travel Expenses: A Chance for Extra Income?	105	(1)
Do Cheaters Prosper?	106	(1)
Trust and Employment	107	(14)
General Motors, Volkswagen, and the Traveling Executive	107	(2)
The Sale of Sand to the Saudis	109	(1)
The Compliance Officer Who Strayed	110	(2)
Espionage and Job-Hopping	112	(1)
The Glowing Recommendation	113	(1)
The Ethics of Confrontation	114	(7)
Taking Advantage	121	(14)
Napster: The Ethics of ``Peer-to-Peer File Sharing''	121	(4)
The Dot-Com and Finance	125	(6)
Nestle Infant Formula	131	(4)
UNIT 4 Individual Rights and the Business Organization	135	(92)
Corporate Due Process	136	(4)
Ann Hopkins, Price Waterhouse, and the Partnership	136	(4)
Employee Screening	140	(4)
Handwriting Analysis and Employment	140	(2)
Health and Genetic Screening	142	(2)
Employee Privacy	144	(9)
Employee and Technology Privacy: Is the Boss Spying?	144	(6)
The Athlete Role Model	150	(1)
Drug Testing of Employees	151	(2)
Sexual Harassment	153	(7)
Seinfeld in the Workplace	153	(2)
Hooters: More Than a Waitress?	155	(1)
Navy Top Guns and Sexual Harassment	156	(4)
Diversity, Equal Employment, and Affirmative Action	160	(23)
The Benefits of Diversity---Doug Daft, CEO of Coca-Cola, Inc	160	(5)
On-the-Job Fetal Injuries	165	(2)
Denny's: Discriminatory Service with a Smile	167	(3)
Texaco: The Jelly Bean Diversity Fiasco	170	(11)
Hunter Tylo: Pregnancy Is Not a BFOQ	181	(2)
Whistle-Blowing	183	(24)
The Options for Whistle-Blowers	183	(1)
Beech-Nut and the No-Apple-Juice Apple Juice	183	(7)
NASA and the Space Shuttle Booster Rockets	190	(4)
Dow Corning and the Silicone Implants: Questions of Safety and Disclosure	194	(10)
The Changing Time Cards	204	(3)
Employee Rights	207	(20)
Cheap Labor: Children, Sweatshops, Human Rights, and the Fifty-Hour Work Week	207	(7)
Human Rights Declarations and Company Policies	214	(13)
UNIT 5 Business Operations	227	(138)
Earnings, Transparency, and Management	228	(50)
Earnings Management: The Ethical Issues Remain	228	(3)
That ``M'' Word: To Disclose or Not to Disclose---Materiality and Ethics in Financial Reporting	231	(7)
Chainsaw Al and the Ethics of Materiality in Financial Reporting	238	(7)
Creative Medical Billing	245	(4)
MiniScribe and the Auditors	249	(2)
FINOVA and the Loan Write-Off	251	(6)
Phar-Mor Earnings	257	(3)
Overstated Earnings: Bausch & Lomb	260	(2)
Enron-The CFO, Conflicts, and Cooking the Books with Natural Gas and Electricity	262	(16)
Personal Ambition and Hubris	278	(15)
Jonathan Lebed: The Middle School Tycoon	278	(1)
The Inside Tract: Dan Dorfman	279	(2)
The Ethics of Derivatives	281	(5)
Compensation-Fueled Disshonesty: Fraud to Get Results	286	(3)
The Ethics of Bankruptcy	289	(4)
Conflicts between the Corporation's Ethical Code and Business Practices in Foreign Countries	293	(3)
Product Dumping	293	(1)
The Taboo of Women in Management	294	(2)
Unauthorized Payments to Foreign Officials	296	(13)
The Ethics of Business in China and Business Ethics in China	296	(4)
The Adoption Agency and Senor Jose's Fees	300	(1)
Salt Lake City, the Olympics, and Bribery	301	(8)
Workplace Safety	309	(24)
The Regulatory Cycle	309	(3)
Electromagnetic Fields: Exposure for Workers and Customers	312	(7)
Johns-Manville and the Asbestos Exposure	319	(9)
Domino's Pizza Delivers	328	(1)
Cell Phones	329	(4)
Plant Closures and Downsizing	333	(4)
Aaron Feuerstein and Malden Mills	333	(2)
GM Plant Closings and Efforts at Outplacement	335	(2)
Environmental Issues	337	(10)
Herman Miller and Its Rain Forest Chairs	337	(2)
Exxon and Alaska	339	(5)
The Death of the Great Disposable Diaper Debate	344	(3)
Purchasing: Conflicts and Bribery	347	(18)
JCPenney and Its Wealthy Buyer	347	(2)
Cars for Cars: Honda Executives' Allocation System	349	(1)
Ford, Firestone, and the Rolling Explorer	350	(15)
UNIT 6 Business and Its Competition	365	(46)
Advertising Content	366	(14)
Joe Camel: The Cartoon Character Who Sold Cigarettes and Nearly Felled an Industry	366	(5)
Alcohol Advertising: The College Focus	371	(3)
The Obligation to Screen? The Obligation to Reject---Soldier of Fortune Classifieds	374	(3)
Aggressive Marketing of Prescription Drugs: Forms of Direct Sales	377	(2)
Hollywood Ads	379	(1)
Appropriation of Others' Ideas	380	(5)
Ragu Thick and Zesty	380	(1)
The Little Intermittent Windshield Wiper and Its Little Inventor	381	(1)
V-A-N-N-A: It Belongs to Me	382	(1)
Copyrights, Songs, and Charity	383	(2)
Pricing	385	(11)
Salomon Brothers and Bond Pricing	385	(5)
Archer Daniels Midland: A Giant in Grain	390	(2)
Sotheby's and Christie's: The No-Auction Prices	392	(4)
Competitors, the Playing Field, and Competition	396	(7)
Slotting: Facilitation, Costs, or Bribery	396	(5)
Mr. Gates: Genius and Fierce Competitor	401	(2)
Business and Its Shareholders	403	(8)
Executive Compensation	403	(5)
Shareholder Proposals and Corporate Governance	408	(3)
UNIT 7 Business and Its Product	411	(50)
Contract Relations	412	(20)
Intel and Pentium: What to Do When the Chips Are Down	412	(3)
Hidden Car Rental Fees	415	(3)
Thinning Diet Industry	418	(5)
Sears and High-Cost Auto Repairs	423	(6)
Magazine Contests: The Disclosure of Odds	429	(1)
McDonald's and the Disappearing Dodge Viper Game Pieces	430	(2)
Product Safety	432	(23)
Tylenol: The Product and its Packaging Safety	432	(3)
Ford and Its Pinto	435	(8)
GM and Its Malibu	443	(2)
ATVs: Danger on Wheels	445	(4)
A. H. Robins and the Dalkon Shield	449	(3)
E. Coli, Jack-in-the-Box, and Cooking Temperatures	452	(3)
Product Social Issues	455	(6)
The Mommy Doll	455	(1)
Rock Music Warning Labels	456	(3)
Stem-Cell Research	459	(2)
UNIT 8 Business and Government	461	(22)
Government Employees	462	(13)
A Club in My Name	462	(1)
The Fireman and His Family	463	(1)
Commodities, Conflicts, and Clintons	463	(2)
The Secretary of Agriculture, Chicken Processors, and Football Skybox Seats	465	(5)
The City Council Member with Clout	470	(1)
IRS Employees and Sensitive Data	471	(1)
The Generous and Profitable Foundation Board	472	(3)
Government Contracts	475	(4)
Stanford University and Government Overhead Payments	475	(2)
Casino Leases and the County Supervisor	477	(1)
Bids, Employees, and Conflicts	478	(1)
Government Responsibilities	479	(4)
Orange County: Derivative Capital of the United States	479	(2)
Cars and Conflicts	481	(2)
UNIT 9 Ethics and Nonprofits	483	(1)
Ethics and Nonprofits	484	(1)
Giving and Spending the United Way	484	(2)
New Era---If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Is Too Good to Be True	486	(3)
The Red Cross, New York, and Ground Zero	489