Final Individual Ethics Paper
Spring 2020, MHR 4010
Prof. Denise Lopez
Ethics in the Time of Covid-19
We are in the midst of a pandemic of great proportions. Businesses are significantly
affected, and communities and countries have had to make major shifts for the
survival and protection of their citizens.
This is also a real situation where leaders have to make major ethical decisions. For
example, health care workers faced with equipment and patient accommodation
shortages have to make decisions about which patients will be tested and treated,
and ultimately which patients will be given the best change to live or die. Business
leaders need to determine how to keep their businesses sustainable, and they will
face questions about how to cut expenses (including whether to lay off employees,
furlough them, or take major pay cuts). Local and national governments need to
determine how to keep their citizens healthy (e.g., whether or not to require
quarantine and for how long, whether to require use of masks, curfew, etc.); how to
distribute resources (e.g., financial assistance, food, shelter, etc.), and how to keep
peace and order (e.g., including preventing racist attacks against certain groups).
There are so many opportunities to explore ethical issues in the Covid-19
environment. Thus, rather than giving you one dilemma, I would like you to select a
specific ethical topic related to the Covid-19 situation that is of most interest to you.
The previous paragraph provides some example topics, but you may select a
different ethical challenge so long as it is situated within the Covid-19 situation. I
provide a few starter articles on some topics at the end.
My recommendation for this assignment is to keep the dilemma specific and clear.
After selecting a topic, don’t try to analyze multiple dilemmas. Focus on one
important ethical dilemma and work through it. Here are the questions to cover in
your paper. (The paper should be double-spaced, 12 point font, between three to
five pages.)
1. Describe the specific ethical issue(s) or concern(s) in some detail so you’re
your reader understands the dilemma, the and ultimately the decision(s) that
need to be made. What is the dilemma? What makes this issue important, and
what makes it ethical? (18%)
2. Who are the key stakeholders associated with this issue? What are their
differing goals and priorities? What do they have to gain or lose? Take a
broad systems view by considering the various stakeholders and where they
are coming from. (18%)
3. What are the social, ethical, legal, political, business, and other factors that
are causing and contributing to this dilemma? Do additional research to
bolster your understanding. (18%)
4. What options and recommendations would you offer to the leader(s).
Provide two or more options for action. Using the ethical concepts and the
ethical decision-making framework discussed in class, which op ...
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FinalIndividualEthicsPaperSpring2020,MHR4010Prof.
1. Final Individual Ethics Paper
Spring 2020, MHR 4010
Prof. Denise Lopez
Ethics in the Time of Covid-19
We are in the midst of a pandemic of great
proportions. Businesses are significantly
affected, and communities and countries have had to
make major shifts for the
survival and protection of their citizens.
This is also a real situation where leaders have to
make major ethical decisions. For
example, health care workers faced with equipment
and patient accommodation
shortages have to make decisions about which
patients will be tested and treated,
and ultimately which patients will be given the
best change to live or die. Business
leaders need to determine how to keep their businesses
sustainable, and they will
face questions about how to cut expenses (including
whether to lay off employees,
furlough them, or take major pay cuts). Local
and national governments need to
determine how to keep their citizens healthy (e.g.,
whether or not to require
quarantine and for how long, whether to require
use of masks, curfew, etc.); how to
distribute resources (e.g., financial assistance, food,
shelter, etc.), and how to keep
2. peace and order (e.g., including preventing
racist attacks against certain groups).
There are so many opportunities to explore
ethical issues in the Covid-19
environment. Thus, rather than giving you
one dilemma, I would like you to select a
specific ethical topic related to the Covid-19
situation that is of most interest to you.
The previous paragraph provides some example topics,
but you may select a
different ethical challenge so long as it is situated
within the Covid-19 situation. I
provide a few starter articles on some topics at
the end.
My recommendation for this assignment is to
keep the dilemma specific and clear.
After selecting a topic, don’t try to analyze
multiple dilemmas. Focus on one
important ethical dilemma and work through it. Here
are the questions to cover in
your paper. (The paper should be double-spaced, 12
point font, between three to
five pages.)
1. Describe the specific ethical issue(s) or
concern(s) in some detail so you’re
your reader understands the dilemma, the and
ultimately the decision(s) that
need to be made. What is the dilemma? What
makes this issue important, and
what makes it ethical? (18%)
3. 2. Who are the key stakeholders associated with this
issue? What are their
differing goals and priorities? What do they have to
gain or lose?Take a
broad systems view by considering the various
stakeholders and where they
are coming from. (18%)
3. What are the social, ethical, legal, political,
business, and other factors that
are causing and contributing to this dilemma? Do
additional research to
bolster your understanding. (18%)
4. What options and recommendations would you
offer to the leader(s).
Provide two or more options for action. Using
the ethical concepts and the
ethical decision-making framework discussed in
class, which option/action
would you ultimately recommend, and why? (34%)
Students should include at least 2 news articles
that provide information about the
dilemma they have selected, and at least 2 more
4. references that expand their
understanding of the ethical, legal, social,
political, economic or scientific
perspectives relevant to the issue. At least one of
these references should be
academic, scientific or legal to support your arguments).
Pay attention to the quality of your written paper,
as it will also be evaluated based
on clarity, persuasiveness, organization/flow, grammar,
spelling, and use of
citations (12%).
As you select a dilemma, these articles may be
useful to you. They are merely
representative; I encourage you to research and read
more. (If the links don’t work,
cut and paste them into your browser).
Ethical Dilemmas for Healthcare Leaders
https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/clinical-care/4-ethical-
dilemmas-
healthcare-organizations-during-covid-19-pandemic
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-
19/ethical-dilemmas-in-
the-age-of-coronavirus-whose-lives-should-we-save
Ethical Dilemmas for Businesses – Amazon,
Instacart and other service businesses
https://www.latimes.com/business/newsletter/2020-04-
06/newsletter-
coronavirus-ethics-business
