Ethical Scrapbook Adam Kief Abercj S21 April 25, 2016
Ethical Scrapbookadam Kiefabercjs211april 25 2016ms Manning19goodsa
Ethical Scrapbook Adam Kiefaber CJS/211 April 25, 2016 Ms. Manning Good Samaritan Acts of a Good Samaritan refer to the kind acts one volunteers to offer another person in need without the needy party necessarily requesting for the help. A man’s vehicle broke down in the middle of the road. A stranger then decided to stop and help fix the car for him. (HammyTV, 2015) A New York police officer gives a homeless man a pair of all weather boots and thermal socks. The police officer noticed the man had blisters on his feet (Clark, 2012). The third act of Good Samaritan is when a group in Manchester decided to pay a visit to the homeless in the region (Cosslett, 2015). Vigilantism Acts of vigilantism involves acts by a group of individuals in the society known as the vigilantes, which tend to enact the law by maintaining order in the society where there is deficit by the legal authorities.
Vigilantes invade a home of suspected drug cartels in Mexico. (Jacobs, 2014) Another act in this category is about the rise of vigilante acts in Peru, where they beat people on the streets (Hayward, 2015). The third vigilante act that seems unlawful is Jester hacking of Jihadists internet accounts. Jester is an anonymous who focuses on bringing down accounts of Islamic extremists who are fond of being propagandists (Pagliery, 2015). Unlawful Acts to maintain order There are various instances where people conduct unlawful acts to defend the laws. The first instance is about mob justice in South Africa, where a man was chopped using an axe for robbery and rape charges. (This is Africa, 2014) (Covert, 2013) The image above shows the police injuring a worker in Cambodia when they were rioting about the death of a garment worker.
One person was shot dead in the riots (Covert, 2013) The last story in this category regards a highway police who decided to beat a woman for not meeting the traffic requirements (Action CAM, 2014). (Action CAM, 2014) Unprofessional acts (Marcius & Otis, 2016) The first event is about a police cop of the New York Police Department who hit a man on the head during arrest as if he was going to kill him (Marcius & Otis, 2016). The next story is about a woman, 27 years of age in Texas was raped by a doctor while she was sedated. She called for help but no nurse came to offer help (Konstantinides, 2015). ( Clutch , 2015) The last instance of unprofessional act is shown above, where a teacher at Prince George’s County decided to stop a fight of students by beating them up using a belt ( Clutch , 2015) References HammyTV (2015). I Broke Down! This INCREDIBLE Guy Stopped To Help Me! YouTube. Jacobs, H. (2014). Mexican vigilantes battle drug cartels in Mexico. Konstantinides, A. (2015). Woman, 27, speaks out about night she was 'raped by a doctor as she lay heavily sedated in a hospital bed. Marcius, C.R & Otis, G.A. (2016). NYPD cop stomped on man’s head during arrest like he was a ‘roach’ he intended to kill, prosecutor says. This is Africa (2014). South African mob justice case: Investigations ongoing, arrests made. Covert, B. (2013). Person Shot Dead After Riot Police Respond To Cambodian Garment Worker Strike. Clutch (2015). Teacher Beats Students With Belt To Break Up Fight. Cosslett , R.L. (2015). ‘Rough sleepers deserve a bit of food and dignity’. Hayward, J. (2015). Peru: Vigilantes Upload Viral Videos of Street Justice. Pagliery, J. (2015). Meet the vigilante who hacks jihadists. Action CAM (2014). (VIDEO) California Highway Patrol Officer Beating Woman in the Head on Side of Road. YouTube. Clark, J. (2012). Picture of NY Police Officer’s Random Act of Kindness Goes Viral, Inspires Thousands. KOTEL, INC.
Paper For Above instruction
Introduction
The case of ethical dilemmas depicted in the scrapbook provides a broad overview of various moral actions—ranging from acts of kindness, vigilantism, unlawful enforcement of order, to unprofessional conduct by authority figures. These examples compel an ethical analysis focusing on the primary issues surrounding morality, legality, and responsibility within societal actions. This paper aims to identify the core ethical problem in Sebastian Cabot’s situation, analyze stakeholders, responsibilities, and propose ethical options, assessed through different moral standards, including Relativism, Core Values, Kantian ethics, and Moral Rights. Additionally, it discusses whether Milton Friedman would support the prevailing option, considering his economic-ethical views.
Primary Ethical Problem
The central ethical issue faced by Sebastian Cabot is the potential conflict between his professional integrity and loyalty to his employer versus his moral obligation to truthfully evaluate and report on I-Tech’s financial viability. The principal concern includes whether to remain silent or softly present unfavorable financial data to favor the continuation of the acquisition, which appears to be driven more by personal and corporate interest than by genuine business merit.
Supporting Reasons:
- Conflict of interest: Sebastian’s personal financial stability and career advancement are intertwined with the success of this acquisition, potentially biasing his analysis.
- Potential deception: Providing a positive but false or overstated analysis would mislead the decision-makers and could harm shareholders, stakeholders, and the corporate reputation if uncovered later.
- Complicity in unethical conduct: Participating in or implicitly endorsing a potentially manipulative acquisition, especially given the close ties with associates, risks violating principles of honesty and transparency.
Stakeholders and Their Impact
Primary stakeholders include:
- Sebastian Cabot: He is directly affected because his professional integrity, career, and moral values are at stake. His decision could also influence his family’s financial stability and ethical self-perception.
- KOTEL’s management and board: They are impacted by the legitimacy of the corporate actions and the long-term reputation of the company. A dishonest assessment could lead to financial misjudgments, legal issues, or shareholder loss.
- I-Tech’s management and shareholders: They are affected as the valuation and sale process may be influenced by Sebastian’s impartiality. A skewed report could result in undervaluation or overvaluation, affecting the company’s future.
- Shareholders and investors: Their investments are impacted by the accuracy of the acquisition analysis. Misleading evaluations can cause financial losses or gains based on unethical information.
- Broader society and industry: They are impacted indirectly by the ethical reputation of corporate practices and transparency standards in the tech sector.
Responsibility for Solving the Ethical Dilemma
The responsibility to resolve this ethical concern primarily lies with:
- Sebastian Cabot: As the analyst, his moral obligation is to provide an honest, unbiased evaluation based on facts, rather than succumbing to pressure or personal gain.
- The company’s top management and board: They hold the duty to ensure their decision-making processes align with ethical standards, avoiding manipulation or insider influence.
- Corporate ethics and governance structures: Implementing strong ethical policies and oversight mechanisms can help prevent the compromise of integrity in financial reporting and decision-making.
Proposed Options and Justifications
Option 1: Provide an honest, transparent analysis based solely on factual data.
- Supports integrity and maintains professional ethics, safeguarding long-term corporate reputation.
- Aligns with stakeholder interests by avoiding deception and legal risks associated with false reporting.
Connection to stakeholder: Sebastian’s honesty directly impacts shareholders’ trust and the company’s credibility.
Option 2: Slightly modify the report to highlight positives while downplaying negatives.
- May help secure the acquisition smoothly and protect jobs or personal investments.
- Reduces immediate conflict, aligning with corporate loyalty and personal stakes.
Connection: The management’s trust in Sebastian’s anonymized output influences corporate decisions.
Preferred Option and Ethical Justification
The ethical preference is Option 1: delivering an honest, fact-based report. This approach respects universal moral standards and addresses stakeholder rights.
Using Relativism, this choice considers the diverse moral perspectives and emphasizes the local professional norms of honesty in reporting.
- Core Values
- Integrity and transparency underpin sustainable business practices, and dishonesty erodes stakeholder trust.
- Kantian Ethics
- According to Kant, moral actions are those done out of duty and respect for moral law; honesty is an intrinsic duty regardless of consequences.
- Moral Rights
- Stakeholders have a moral right to truthful information to make informed decisions, making honesty a fundamental right.
By adhering to these standards, Sebastian upholds professional integrity, respects stakeholder rights, and maintains societal trust in corporate governance.
Friedman’s Support Assessment
Milton Friedman famously argued against corporate social responsibility beyond profit-maximization within legal constraints.
Would he support Sebastian’s honest report?
- Friedman would likely favor transparency because it enhances market efficiency and trust, which are essential for profit maximization.
- He would oppose manipulation or withholding information that harms shareholders’ ability to make informed decisions.
- Friedman emphasizes the importance of adhering to laws and ethical business practices, which honesty supports.
- In the case, providing a truthful report aligns with his view that corporate actions should serve the primary goal of maximizing shareholder value ethically.
Therefore, Friedman would probably support Sebastian’s choice to be honest, seeing it as essential for free-market functioning and corporate responsibility.
Conclusion
Sebastian’s dilemma encapsulates the enduring conflict between ethical responsibility and organizational pressure. The recommended course—honest and evidence-based reporting—upholds ethical standards, protects stakeholder rights, and aligns with philosophical moral principles. Recognizing the importance of integrity in corporate decision-making sustains long-term trust and viability, reinforcing that ethical conduct is ultimately beneficial for all stakeholders involved.
References
- Clark, J. (2012). Picture of NY Police Officer’s Random Act of Kindness Goes Viral, Inspires Thousands.
- Covert, B. (2013). Person Shot Dead After Riot Police Respond To Cambodian Garment Worker Strike.
- HammyTV. (2015). I Broke Down! This INCREDIBLE Guy Stopped To Help Me! YouTube.
- Hayward, J. (2015). Peru: Vigilantes Upload Viral Videos of Street Justice.
- Jacobs, H. (2014). Mexican vigilantes battle drug cartels in Mexico.
- Konstantinides, A. (2015). Woman, 27, speaks out about night she was 'raped by a doctor as she lay heavily sedated in a hospital bed.
- Marcius, C.R., & Otis, G.A. (2016). NYPD cop stomped on man’s head during arrest like he was a ‘roach’ he intended to kill.
- Pagliery, J. (2015). Meet the vigilante who hacks jihadists.
- This is Africa. (2014). South African mob justice case: Investigations ongoing, arrests made.
- Action CAM. (2014). (VIDEO) California Highway Patrol Officer Beating Woman in the Head on Side of Road. YouTube.