This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
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*
Business Ethics
9th Edition
by
William H. Shaw
Lecture Outlines
*
*
Part I: Moral Philosophy
and Business
Chapter 1: The Nature of Morality
Chapter 2: Normative Theories of Ethics
Chapter 3: Justice and Economic Distribution
*
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
• any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Chapter One:
The Nature of Morality
*
*
The Collapse of Enron’s Stock Price in Late 2001
OverviewChapter One examines the following topics:Business and organizational ethicsMoral versus non-moral standards, etiquette and professional codesReligion and business moralityEthical relativism and the “game” of businessMoral principles, conscience, and self-interestPersonal values, integrity, and responsibilityMoral Reasoning, arguments, and judgments
*
Introduction to Business Ethics What is ethics? The study of right and wrong, duty and obligation, moral norms, individual character, and responsibility.What is business ethics? The study of right and wrong, duty and obligation, moral norms, individual character, and responsibility – in the context of business.
*
Moral Versus Non-moral Standards Nonmoral standards: Standards about behavior or practices with no serious effects upon human well-beingMoral standards: Standards about behavior or practices with serious upon human well-being
*
Some Features of Moral StandardsMoral standards take priority over non-moral standards.The soundness or validity of moral standards depend on the quality of the arguments or the reasoning that support them.
*
Morality and EtiquetteRules of etiquette are ordinarily non-moral in character and are meant to serve as guidelines for socially acceptable behavior.Violations of etiquette can sometimes have moral implications.The strict observance of rules of etiquette can sometimes conceal serious moral issues.
*
(1) Morality and Law Statutes: Laws enacted by legislative bodies such as the U.S. Congress and state legislaturesRegulations: Laws enacted by special boards or agencies for various kinds of conductCommon law: The body of judge-made laws developed in English-speaking countrie ...
SECOND SEMESTER TOPIC COVERAGE SY 2023-2024 Trends, Networks, and Critical Th...
This multimedia product and its contents are protected und
1. This multimedia product and its contents are protected under
copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of
any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction,
in whole or in part, of any images;
• any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
*
Business Ethics
9th Edition
by
William H. Shaw
Lecture Outlines
*
*
2. Part I: Moral Philosophy
and Business
Chapter 1: The Nature of Morality
Chapter 2: Normative Theories of Ethics
Chapter 3: Justice and Economic Distribution
*
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under
copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of
any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction,
in whole or in part, of any images;
• any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Chapter One:
The Nature of Morality
*
3. *
The Collapse of Enron’s Stock Price in Late 2001
OverviewChapter One examines the following topics:Business
and organizational ethicsMoral versus non-moral standards,
etiquette and professional codesReligion and business
moralityEthical relativism and the “game” of businessMoral
principles, conscience, and self-interestPersonal values,
integrity, and responsibilityMoral Reasoning, arguments, and
judgments
*
Introduction to Business Ethics What is ethics? The study of
right and wrong, duty and obligation, moral norms, individual
character, and responsibility.What is business ethics? The study
of right and wrong, duty and obligation, moral norms,
individual character, and responsibility – in the context of
business.
*
4. Moral Versus Non-moral Standards Nonmoral standards:
Standards about behavior or practices with no serious effects
upon human well-beingMoral standards: Standards about
behavior or practices with serious upon human well-being
*
Some Features of Moral StandardsMoral standards take priority
over non-moral standards.The soundness or validity of moral
standards depend on the quality of the arguments or the
reasoning that support them.
*
Morality and EtiquetteRules of etiquette are ordinarily non-
moral in character and are meant to serve as guidelines for
socially acceptable behavior.Violations of etiquette can
sometimes have moral implications.The strict observance of
rules of etiquette can sometimes conceal serious moral issues.
*
5. (1) Morality and Law Statutes: Laws enacted by legislative
bodies such as the U.S. Congress and state
legislaturesRegulations: Laws enacted by special boards or
agencies for various kinds of conductCommon law: The body of
judge-made laws developed in English-speaking countries over
the course of many centuriesConstitutional law: Court rulings
on the requirements of the U.S. Constitution and on the
constitutionality of legislation
*
(2) Morality and LawThe distinction between morality and
legality:An action can be illegal but morally rightAn action can
be legal but morally wrongProfessional codes: The rules that
govern the conduct of the members of a given
professionIndividuals have the responsibility to critically assess
the rules of their professionsThese rules are not always
complete and reliable guides to adequate moral conduct
*
“You come upon this scene—the car is smoking, and it is clear
that an accident just took place. In most states, you are not
6. legally obligated to stop and offer help to the victims.”
*
(1) The Sources of MoralityThe justification of moral nor ms:
Moral philosophers study mainly the justification, rather than
the origin, of moral norms.The claim that morality is based on
religion:Religion provides incentives to be moralReligion
provides moral guidanceMoral norms are in essence divine
commands
*
(2) The Sources of MoralityEthical relativism: The view
according to which moral norms derive their ultimate
justification from the customs of the society in which they
occur. This means that moral norms are not universal, but are
dependent upon a particular cultural or social context.
*
7. (3) The Sources of Morality Implications of relativism:There is
no independent standard by which to judge the rightness or
wrongness of other societies.The idea of ethical progress loses
its significance.It wouldn't make sense to criticize the moral
code of one’s own society or culture.
*
(4) The Sources of Morality Relativism and the “game” of
business:The idea that business is a just game captures the
thesis of Albert Carr.He argued that business professionals are
expected to follow a code that has little or nothing to do with
ethics in other contexts. This view entails – incorrectly – that
the practices of business professionals cannot (or should not) be
evaluated from an ordinary moral standpoint.
*
(1) The Importance of Moral PrinciplesWhat it means to have
principles: Accepting moral principles is not just a matter of
intellectual recognition, but of profound individual commitment
to a set of values.Conscience: The internalized set of moral
principles taught to us by various authority figures – parents
and social institutions. Conscience and its limits: Conscience is
not always a reliable guide because it can be (1) conflicted and
8. (2) erroneous.
*
(2) The Importance of Moral Principles Moral principles and
self-interest: The morality of an action can run counter to our
self-interestThe moral point of view requires that we restrict our
self-interest to satisfy social co-existence. In situations of
conflict between moral principles and self-interest, it is
important to appeal to shared principles of justification.
*
Morality and Personal Values Morality in the narrow sense: The
moral principles or rules that do, or should, govern the conduct
of individuals in their relations with othersMorality in the broad
sense: The values, ideals, and aspirations that influence the
decisions and lifestyles of individuals and entire
societiesBusiness ethics are mainly concerned with morality in
the narrow sense. But values, ideals, and aspirations also affect
the behavior and ethical choices of business professionals.
*
9. (1) Individual Integrity and Moral Responsibility
Organizational norms: Employees of business organizations
(especially corporations) are:Expected to further profit
goalsOften pressured to compromise moral values and ignore or
violate rules of ethical conductConformity: Studies show that
individuals are more prone to act unethically when they are a
part of an organization or a group.
*
Asch Conformity Experiment
(2) Individual Integrity and Moral ResponsibilityGroupthink:
The pressure on group members to conform to morally
questionable policies or strategies, often resulting in unethical
conduct. Diffusion of responsibility: The multiplicity,
complexity, and distribution of tasks that can lead individuals to
feel less responsibility or accountability for their actions.
*
10. (1) Moral ReasoningArgument: A group of statements in which
one statement (conclusion) is follows from the others
(premises)Example: If Norman is bald, then Norman does not
need a haircut.It is the case that Norman is bald.Therefore,
Norman does not need a haircut.
*
(2) Moral ReasoningRequirements for a sound argument: If its
statements (premises and conclusion) are true and its form (or
structure) is validValidity: If the assumption that an argument's
premises are true guarantee that the conclusion is true, then it's
validInvalid arguments: If the assumption that an argument's
premises are true do not guarantee that the conclusion is true,
then it's invalidDetermining whether an argument is valid or
invalid requires familiarity with the rules of logic.
*
(3) Moral ReasoningMoral arguments: Those conflicting
theories and beliefs whose conclusions are moral judgments,
based on the premise of moral standards and statements of
factExample: If an action violates the law, it is morally
wrong.Affirmative action on behalf of women and minorities in
personnel matters violates the law.Therefore, affirmative action
on behalf of women and minorities in personal matters is
11. morally wrong.
*
(4) Moral ReasoningWhat makes a moral judgment defensible?
If it is supported by a defensible moral standard and relevant
factsEvaluating moral arguments: Clarifying the terms of the
premisesExamining the factual claimsAssessing the moral
standard
*
(5) Moral ReasoningThus, an argument can be challenged
by:Uncovering ambiguity in the termsQuestioning the factual
claimsChallenging the moral standards
*
(6) Moral ReasoningCriteria for moral judgments:Should be
12. logicalEmbedded in valid argumentsCompatible with moral and
nonmoral beliefsShould be based on factsShould be based on
acceptable moral principles
*
Argument
An argument is a group of statements, one of which (called the
conclusion) is claimed to follow from the others (called the
premises).
Argument 1
If a person is a mother, the person is a female.
Fran is a mother.
Therefore, Fran is a female.
Valid vs. Invalid Argument
Valid argument
Premises logically entail its conclusion.
Example: Argument 1
Invalid argument
Premises do not entail its conclusion.
13. Example: Argument 2
Argument 2
If a person is a mother, the person is a female.
Fran is a female.
Therefore, Fran is a mother.
Counterexample
An example that is consistent with the premises but is
inconsistent with the conclusion.
Argument 2 Counterexample
“Fran is a two-year-old” is consistent with premises but
inconsistent with conclusion since could not be a mother.
Argument 3
If a person is a female, she must be a mother.
Fran is a female.
Therefore, Fran must be a mother.
Sound vs. Unsound Argument
Sound argument
Have true premises and valid reasoning
Example: Argument 1
14. Unsound argument
Have at least one false premise, as in Argument 3, or
invalid reasoning, as in Argument 2, or both.
Moral Arguments
Arguments whose conclusions are moral judgments.
Moral Reasoning or argument typically moves from a moral
standard, through one or more factual judgments about some
person, action, or policy related to that standard, to a moral
judgment about that person, action, or policy.
Argument 4
If an action violates the law, it is morally wrong.
Affirmative action on behalf of women and minorities in
personnel matters violates the law.
Therefore, affirmative action on behalf of women and minorities
in personnel matters is morally wrong.
Defensible Moral Judgments
If a moral judgment or conclusion is defensible, then it is must
be supportable by a defensible moral standard, together with
relevant facts.
Patterns of Defense and Challenge
1. Evaluating factual claims.
2. Challenging the moral standard.
16. • Examine our business environment and debate the extent to
which business ethics
differs from ethics in other contexts.
• Connect personal moral codes to behavior.
• Recognize some of the social and psychological factors that
can affect moral
decision making.
• Use standard logic and argument processes to make moral
judgments.
Glossary
1. argument: Perhaps the most important element of moral
reasoning, which is a
group of statements. One or more of these statements are
premises and one of them
is a conclusion. The premises are reasons to believe the
conclusion.
2. argument form: The form of reasoning an argument uses. The
same form of
reasoning can underlie different arguments and statements. The
argument “All men
are mortal, Socrates is a man, therefore Socrates is mortal” uses
the argument form
“All A are B, C is a B, therefore C is an A.” Argument forms
can be valid or
invalid.
3. conclusion: A statement of an argument. Arguments are
18. scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible
website, in whole or in
part.
1-2
8. sound arguments: Arguments that are valid and have true
premises. An argument
is unsound when these conditions aren't met.
9. valid arguments: Argument forms are valid when it's
impossible for the premises
to be true and the conclusion to be false at the same time.
Invalid arguments can
have true premises and a false conclusion at the same time. It's
important for
arguments to be valid or they're unreliable. We can't trust the
conclusions of invalid
arguments even if the premises are true.
Chapter Summary Points
1. Morality deals with individual character and the moral rules
that are meant to
govern and limit our conduct. It investigates questions of right
and wrong, duty
and obligation, and moral responsibility. 'Ethics' can be used as
a synonym for
'morality' but it can also refer to 'moral philosophy.'
Philosophy is a quest for
knowledge through reason. Moral philosophy can help us attain
improved moral
opinions by learning how to apply logic and good reasoning to
19. morality. We can
do this (in part) by considering multiple perspectives, arguing,
and theorizing.
2. Business ethics is a form of moral philosophy that helps us
determine what's
morally right or wrong in a business (or organizational) context.
3. Moral standards concern behavior that has serious
consequences for human well-
being, and they take priority over other standards, including
self-interest. Their
soundness depends on the adequacy of the reasons that support
or justify them.
4. Morality must be distinguished from etiquette (rules for well-
mannered behavior),
from law (statutes, regulations, common law, and constitutional
law), and from
professional codes of ethics (the special rules governing the
members of a
profession).
5. Morality is not necessarily based on religion. Although we
draw our moral beliefs
from many sources, for philosophers the issue is whether those
beliefs can be
justified.
21. 1-3
personal interests. In general, though, following your moral
principles will enable
you to live a more satisfying life.
9. Morality as a code of conduct can be distinguished from
morality in the broader
sense of the values, ideals, and aspirations that shape a person’s
life.
10. Several aspects of corporate structure and function work to
undermine individual
moral responsibility. Organizational norms, group commitment,
and pressure to
conform (sometimes leading to bystander apathy or groupthink)
can all make the
exercise of individual integrity difficult.
11. Moral reasoning consists of forming moral judgments,
assessments of the moral
worth of persons, actions, activities, policies, or organizations.
Moral reasoning
and argument typically appeal both to moral standards and to
relevant facts. Moral
judgments should be entailed by the relevant moral standards
and the facts, and
they should not contradict our other beliefs. Both standards and
facts must be
assessed when moral arguments are being evaluated.
22. 12. Philosophical discussion generally involves the revision and
modification of
arguments; in this way progress is made in the analysis and
resolution of moral and
other issues.
13. We must be careful not to consider all our moral beliefs to
be true without first
examining them closely. Conformity with our considered moral
beliefs is an
important consideration in evaluating moral principles. A
considered moral belief
is one held only after we have made conscientious effort to be
conceptually clear,
to acquire all relevant information; and to think rationally,
impartially and
dispassionately about the belief and its implications. We can
provisionally assume
that our considered moral beliefs are true and we should doubt
any moral principle
that clashes with many of our considered beliefs. Considered
moral beliefs are
based on “refined” common sense.
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