Business and Professional Ethics Academic Essay

1. What moral obligations do corporations have to the various stakeholders in a firm,
including to society more generally? Answer this question with reference to the views of
Milton Friedman, Evan and Freeman and Kenneth Goodpaster, making sure to explain
the strengths and weaknesses of their competing positions. Which approach provides the
most convincing account of the social responsibilities of business? Give detailed reasons
for your answer.
2. Do you agree with Leonard Weber that “democracy and the good of society are
threatened when some interest groups have much more influence than others”? Discuss
this view in relation to the issue of corporate donations and corporate lobbying. Is it
morally acceptable for corporations to lobby and make financial donations to
governments in order to pursue purely private corporate ends without regard for the
public interest? Why/Why not? Provide detailed arguments to support your position.
3. Discuss Albert Carr’s argument that business bluffing is ethical in relation to the
debate between Arrington and Lippke on the ethics of advertising. Do you think that the
kind of ‘bluffing’ or ‘puffery’ used in commercial advertising violates the autonomy of
consumers? Defend your answer with careful argument and reference to one or more real
life examples.
4. What is a conflict of interest? Give a detailed account of the moral issues raised by
conflicts of interest in the professions. Refer in your answer to the relationship between
medical professionals and the pharmaceutical industry.
5. Do you agree with Joe DesJardins that business has a moral responsibility to ensure
that its activities are ecologically sustainable? Examine in detail the ethical justification
DesJardins gives for this claim. Is he successful in his attempt to base his defence of
sustainability on “the same values that underlie traditional market economics”? Relate
your discussion to the broader corporate responsibility debate, making sure that you refer
to at least two sources other than DesJardins.
6. Many companies locate manufacturing activities in countries with low labour costs and
few labour laws. What ethical obligations do businesses have when operating in such
countries? Discuss these practices in relation to the issues of global justice and
globalization and with reference to at least one real business example. Does it make a
difference to the morality of this practice if the manufacturing is outsourced to a third
party?