Business Ethics Rubric—Mid-term Case Study I will be looking for the following items in your Case Study Analysis. Case studies that can be used: Lifeboat, Thinking Critically 1.2, Thinking Critically 1.1, Thinking Critically 2.1, Thinking Critically 2.2, Thinking Critically 2.3, Thinking Critically 3.2 and Thinking Critically 3.3 I. Developing a Practical Ethical Viewpoint (Have you clearly picked and stated an Ethical Viewpoint) (You need to choose one for each case study) A. Utilitarianism B. Universal Ethics C. Ethical Relativism D. Virtue Ethics II. To help you choose the ethical theory do the following (By looking at the moral situations): A. Interpret what is right and wrong according to each of the four theories B. Give an argument that each theory might provide C. State your own assessment of the strengths of each theory D. State the weakness of each theory III. Step 1: Analyze the Consequences. Who will be helped by what you do? Who will be harmed? What kind of benefits and harm are we talking about? Who will be helped by what you do? Who will be harmed? Step 2: Analyze the actions Consider all the options from a different perspective, without thinking about the consequences. How do the actions measure up against moral principles like honesty, fairness, equality, respecting the dignity of others, and people’s rights? (Consider the common good.) Are any of the actions at odds with those standards? If there’s a conflict between principles or between the rights of different people involved, is there a way to see one principle as more important than the others? Which option offers actions that are least problematic? Step 3: Make a decision Make a decision. Take both parts of your analysis into account, and make a decision. This strategy at least gives you some basic steps you can follow. 1. What are the facts? Know the facts as best you can. If your facts are wrong, you’re liable to make a bad choice. 2. 2. What can you guess about the facts you don’t know? Since it is impossible to know all the facts, make reasonable assumptions about the missing pieces of information. 3. 3. What do the facts mean? Facts by themselves have no meaning. You need to interpret the information in light of the values that are important to you. 4. 4. What does the problem look like through the eyes of the people involved? The ability to walk in another’s shoes is essential. Understanding the problem through a variety of perspectives increases the possibility that you will choose wisely. 5. 5. What will happen if you choose one thing rather than another? All actions have consequences. Make a reasonable guess as to what will happen if you follow a particular course of action. Decide whether you think more good or harm will come of your action. 6. 6. What do your feelings tell you? Feelings are facts too. Your feelings about ethical issues may give you a clue as to parts of your decision that your rational mind may overlook. 7. 7. What will you ...

1. Business Ethics Rubric—Mid-term Case Study
I will be looking for the following items in your Case Study
Analysis.
Case studies that can be used: Lifeboat, Thinking Critically 1.2,
Thinking Critically 1.1, Thinking Critically 2.1, Thinking
Critically 2.2, Thinking Critically 2.3, Thinking Critically 3.2
and Thinking Critically 3.3
I. Developing a Practical Ethical Viewpoint (Have you clearly
picked and stated an Ethical Viewpoint) (You need to choose
one for each case study)
A. Utilitarianism
B. Universal Ethics
C. Ethical Relativism
D. Virtue Ethics
II. To help you choose the ethical theory do the following (By
looking at the moral situations):
A. Interpret what is right and wrong according to each of the
four theories
B. Give an argument that each theory might provide
C. State your own assessment of the strengths of each theory
D. State the weakness of each theory
III. Step 1: Analyze the Consequences.
Who will be helped by what you do? Who will be harmed?
What kind of benefits and harm are we talking about? Who will
be helped by what you do? Who will be harmed?
Step 2: Analyze the actions
Consider all the options from a different perspective, without
thinking about the consequences. How do the actions measure
up against moral principles like honesty, fairness, equality,

2. respecting the dignity of others, and people’s rights? (Consider
the common good.) Are any of the actions at odds with those
standards? If there’s a conflict between principles or between
the rights of different people involved, is there a way to see one
principle as more important than the others? Which option
offers actions that are least problematic?
Step 3: Make a decision
Make a decision. Take both parts of your analysis into account,
and make a decision. This strategy at least gives you some basic
steps you can follow.
1. What are the facts? Know the facts as best you can. If your
facts are wrong, you’re liable to make a bad choice.
2. 2. What can you guess about the facts you don’t know? Since
it is impossible to know all the facts, make reasonable
assumptions about the missing pieces of information.
3. 3. What do the facts mean? Facts by themselves have no
meaning. You need to interpret the information in light of the
values that are important to you.
4. 4. What does the problem look like through the eyes of the
people involved? The ability to walk in another’s shoes is
essential. Understanding the problem through a variety of
perspectives increases the possibility that you will choose
wisely.
5. 5. What will happen if you choose one thing rather than
another? All actions have consequences. Make a reasonable
guess as to what will happen if you follow a particular course of
action. Decide whether you think more good or harm will come
of your action.
6. 6. What do your feelings tell you? Feelings are facts too.
Your feelings about ethical issues may give you a clue as to
parts of your decision that your rational mind may overlook.
7. 7. What will you think of yourself if you decide one thing or
another? Some call this your conscience. It is a form of self-
appraisal. It helps you decide whether you are the kind of

3. person you would like to be. It helps you live with yourself.
8. 8. Can you explain and justify your decision to others? Your
behavior shouldn’t be based on a whim. Neither should it be
self-centered. Ethics involves you in the life of the world
around you. For this reason you must be able to justify your
moral decisions in ways that seem reasonable to reasonable
people. Ethical reasons can’t be private reasons.
9. Resolution—What is the best way to resolve this conflict
A. Truth vs. loyalty (Is the truth best or is it better to be
loyal)
B. Short term vs. Long term (Is this consequence a short
term or long term consequence)
C. Justice vs. Mercy (Is this a case of dispensing justice or is
this a case of dispensing mercy)
D. Individual vs. Community (Does your decision affect an
individual or a community)
Please do at least the required pages. Please do double spaced.
Please give headings for idea. For example,
Introduction—Explain the case study the facts.
Body of Paper—This is where you state the different ethical
theories, strengths and weaknesses, which theory you choose,
why you choose that theory, what would you do, do you agree
with what was done.
Conclusion—Summary of what you told me in the paper.
In short, please choose a case study from the book. Read the
case study. Analyze the case study under the four theories.
Talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each theory. Choose
the theory that best matches with your worldview. Why did you
pick this theory. Under Step 3 these questions will help you
make the decision. What is the ethical conflict? Why is this a

4. conflict?
Resolution: What is the best way to resolve the conflict?
Answer.
This paper is an exercise where you can take a situation and
apply ethical decision making to it.
The case studies that you can use for this paper are “The
Overcrowded Lifeboat” Case studies that can be used: The
Overcrowded Lifeboat, Thinking Critically 1.2 (The man that
shocked the world), Thinking Critically 1.1 (The tea case),
Thinking Critically 2.1 (Hostess Brands), Thinking Critically
2.2 (Dedication to Business Ethics), Thinking Critically 2.3
(Teaching or Selling), Thinking Critically 3.2 (A loss of
privacy) and Thinking Critically 3.3 (Johnson and Johnson
Tylenol)
Business Ethics Rubric
I will be looking for the following items in your Case Study
Analysis.
I. Developing a Practical Ethical Viewpoint (Have you clearly
picked and stated an Ethical Viewpoint) (You need to choose
one for each case study)
A. Utilitarianism
B. Universal Ethics
C. Ethical Relativism
D. Virtue Ethics
II. To help you choose the ethical theory do the following (By
looking at the moral situations):
A. Interpret what is right and wrong according to each of the

5. four theories
B. Give an argument that each theory might provide
C. State your own assessment of the strengths of each theory
D. State the weakness of each theory
III. Step 1: Analyze the Consequences.
Who will be helped by what you do? Who will be harmed?
What kind of benefits and harm are we talking about? Who will
be helped by what you do? Who will be harmed?
Step 2: Analyze the actions
Consider all the options from a different perspective, without
thinking about the consequences. How do the actions measure
up against moral principles like honesty, fairness, equality,
respecting the dignity of others, and people’s rights? (Consider
the common good.) Are any of the actions at odds with those
standards? If there’s a conflict between principles or between
the rights of different people involved, is there a way to see one
principle as more important than the others? Which option
offers actions that are least problematic?
Step 3: Make a decision
Make a decision. Take both parts of your analysis into account,
and make a decision. This strategy at least gives you some basic
steps you can follow.
1. What are the facts? Know the facts as best you can. If your
facts are wrong, you’re liable to make a bad choice.
2. 2. What can you guess about the facts you don’t know? Since
it is impossible to know all the facts, make reasonable
assumptions about the missing pieces of information.
3. 3. What do the facts mean? Facts by themselves have no
meaning. You need to interpret the information in light of the
values that are important to you.
4. 4. What does the problem look like through the eyes of the
people involved? The ability to walk in another’s shoes is
essential. Understanding the problem through a variety of

6. perspectives increases the possibility that you will choose
wisely.
5. 5. What will happen if you choose one thing rather than
another? All actions have consequences. Make a reasonable
guess as to what will happen if you follow a particular course of
action. Decide whether you think more good or harm will come
of your action.
6. 6. What do your feelings tell you? Feelings are facts too.
Your feelings about ethical issues may give you a clue as to
parts of your decision that your rational mind may overlook.
7. 7. What will you think of yourself if you decide one thing or
another? Some call this your conscience. It is a form of self-
appraisal. It helps you decide whether you are the kind of
person you would like to be. It helps you live with yourself.
8. 8. Can you explain and justify your decision to others? Your
behavior shouldn’t be based on a whim. Neither should it be
self-centered. Ethics involves you in the life of the world
around you. For this reason you must be able to justify your
moral decisions in ways that seem reasonable to reasonable
people. Ethical reasons can’t be private reasons.
Please do at least the required pages. Please do double spaced.
Please give headings for idea. For example,
Introduction—Explain the case study the facts.
Body of Paper—This is where you state the different ethical
theories, strengths and weaknesses, which theory you choose,
why you choose that theory, what would you do, do you agree
with what was done.
Conclusion—Summary of what you told me in the paper.
In short, please choose a case study from the book. Read the
case study. Analyze the case study under the four theories.
Talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each theory. Choose

7. the theory that best matches with your worldview. Why did you
pick this theory. Under Step 3 these questions will help you
make the decision. What is the ethical conflict? Why is this a
conflict? This paper is an exercise where you can take a
situation and apply ethical decision making to it.
The case studies that you can use for this paper are “The
Overcrowded Lifeboat” “Think Critically 1.1” and “Thinking
Critically 1.2.”