Ethics Assignment Help

Topic: ETHICS CASE STUDY

Word Count: 1200

Referencing Style:APA

BSB111 ETHICS CASE STUDY 2014, SEMESTER 1 (25 MARKS TOTAL)

Part A (15 marks)

Topic

Tom graduated from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in December 2013 with a degree in business, majoring in accountancy. In 2013, Tom applied for graduate positions with top and mid-tier accounting firms but was unsuccessful in all his applications. Many of his friends have also been unsuccessful in obtaining employment and many private and public sector organisations have either reduced or halted their graduate intake for 2014. 

One day he sees an advertisement on the Internet from a small accounting firm based in Milton seeking an accounting graduate. The advertisement stated that the successful applicant will start in February 2014 and also that accounting work experience would be highly desirable. Tom decides to apply for this position. He has a grade point average of 5.8 but no accounting work experience. Tom is concerned that his lack of accounting work experience will disadvantage his application.

Tom believes that if he were to put on his curriculum vitae (CV) that he has accounting work experience, this will give him the edge he needs to get the job. Tom did do some work experience with a small accounting firm in Ipswich in December 2012 but the work he did was primarily administrative, such as photocopying and data entry, not accounting related. He only worked there for two weeks before quitting because he was bored with the work. The accounting firm closed down in September 2013 when the principal partner retired. Tom wants to put on his CV his work experience with the Ipswich accounting firm, but instead of listing the administrative work he actually did, to say that the work Tom did was accounting related. He also wants to put on his CV that his work experience with the accounting firm was for eight weeks (December 2012 to January 2013), instead of two weeks.

Tom believes that because the Ipswich accounting firm had closed down with the principal partner having retired, the chances of the Milton accounting firm finding out the truth about his work experience with the Ipswich firm is minimal.

Assume the following:

• Tom currently lives with his parents in Ipswich. His father runs his own business as a butcher but in the last few years, his father’s business has not been doing well. His mother used to work as a hairdresser but lost her job a few years ago. She has not been able to find employment. His parents supported Tom through his university studies and have said that they would continue to support him until he finds full time employment. Tom does not pay any rent but contributes towards household expenses. If Tom were to secure the job, it would greatly improve the financial position of his parents.
• Tom’s only debt is his HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) obligation. However, a charity worker recently approached him on the Goodwill Bridge on the way to QUT. As a result of that meeting, he has a firm commitment to provide life-saving sponsorship for a child in a developing nation when he is earning a full time wage. Sponsoring the child will make a life-long change to the child’s life but Tom will only be able to provide sponsorship when he gets a full time job.
• Tom would be tightly supervised for the first year of work, minimising the risk to clients of his lack of experience.

Analyse Tom’s action using the three ethical theories of utilitarianism, Kantian ethics and virtue ethics. Based on this analysis, draw a conclusion for each theory as to whether it would be considered ethical or not ethical for Tom to exaggerate his work experience on his curriculum vitae (12 marks).

Which of these three ethical theories do you find the most useful for resolving your own ethical dilemmas? Why? Which do find least useful, and why? Answer these questions by ranking the ethical theories we cover (utilitarianism, Kantian ethics and virtue ethics) in order of usefulness (from most useful to least useful) and explaining your reasons for the ranking (3 marks).

Note:

• You do not need to do additional research into whether it is illegal in Australia to provide incorrect information on CVs. You only need to use the facts given to you and to apply the ethical theories to answer the question.
• For Kantian ethics, you must address the Kantian principles of universal acceptability and respect.
• For Virtue ethics, you must apply one virtue that is relevant to the dilemma. The relevant virtue must be selected from the list of virtues in the table titled ‘Aristotle’s moral virtues’ discussed in lectures. Additional reading on virtue ethics (authors: Fisher, Colin and Lovell, Alan; title: Ethical Theories and How to Use Them) is also available on CMD via Blackboard. On page 105 of this CMD reading you will also find the table ‘Aristotle’s moral virtues’
• For utilitarianism you must discuss at least five relevant stakeholders in your answer. You may use a table to help with your analysis (refer to the textbook page 13 for this). If you decide to use Tom’s parents as a stakeholder, you must regard his parents as one stakeholder. That is, you cannot regard Tom’s mother and father as two separate stakeholders.

Part B (8 marks) (Part B is unrelated to Part A)

Topic

Obesity has significant health, social and economic impacts for society. In 2008, Access Economics estimated the total annual cost of obesity in Australia including health system costs and productivity and carers costs to be around $58 billion. [1]

Childhood obesity is a particularly pressing problem, with the World Health Organization (WHO) identifying it as one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century [2] In 2010 there were an estimated 42 million overweight children throughout the world.[3] Childhood obesity is also an important health issue In Australia. In 2012 around a quarter of all Australian children aged 5-17 years (24% of boys and 27% of girls) were rated as overweight or obese according to measured Body Mass Index (BMI).[4] 

Commentators have argued that the marketing of unhealthy foods to children is a factor in the rise in obesity levels in children.[5] According to the Coalition on Food Advertising to Children (CFAC), children are a primary target group for food and beverage marketing.[6]  Food companies target children for two reasons. FIrst, children directly influence parental purchases of food and beverages.[7] This “pester power” phenomenon[8]  (the constant demand for parents to purchase items[9]) influences which products parents purchase at the store and which restaurants families frequent.[10] Second, children grow into consumers so marketing aimed at children can shape lifelong eating patterns and brand preferences.[11]

The Yale Rudd Centre reports that in the United States (US), “[T]he food industry spends $1.8 billion per year in the U.S. on marketing targeted to young people. On television alone the average U.S. child sees approximately 13 food commercials every day, or 4,700 a year; and teens see more than 16 per day, or 5,900 in a year. The food products advertised most extensively include high-sugar breakfast cereals, fast food and other restaurants, candy, and sugary drinks. In comparison, children see about one ad per week for healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, and bottled water”.[12]

Similar to the US, studies in Australia also found that the majority of food advertisements broadcast during children’s television programming were for junk food advertising.[13] Television advertising techniques used to engage and persuade children to purchase the products advertised include using catchy jingles and songs, competitions, prizes and give-aways (‘free’ toy give-away tied in with popular children’s movies) and using popular celebrities and sports stars to promote products.[14]

Today, food companies are able to make use of new media platforms, such as the Internet, to advertise to children. The potential to market to children with these new media platforms is staggering. Food companies can now market to children on their mobile phones; they can encourage children to send marketing messages to their friends through YouTube, Facebook and other social media. Food companies also create websites targeted at children; for example, websites that contain advergames (“advertiser-sponsored video games which embed brand messages in colourful, fun, fast-paced adventures which are created by companies for the explicit purpose of promoting their brands”[15]) and other entertaining content to keep them engaged with the brands as long as possible.[16]

Do you think food companies have a corporate social responsibility to help reduce childhood obesity rates?

Justify your answer using either the narrow view or the broad view of corporate responsibility (refer to CMD reading ‘Moral Issues in Business’ by Shaw et al, pp180-184). If you use the narrow view, you must incorporate Milton Friedman’s agency argument and the social taxes argument into your answer. If you use the broad view, you must incorporate at least two relevant stakeholders into your answer. Refer to week 2 power point slides for an explanation of who can be a stakeholder.

Where relevant, you should strengthen your answer with relevant references to any one or more of the following:

(1) ‘the invisible hand argument’;

(2) ‘the business-can’t-handle-it argument’

(3) ‘the let-the-government-do-it argument’

(refer to CMD reading ‘Moral Issues in Business’ by Shaw et al, pp185-188).

You must also provide at least one scenario (or example) to illustrate your justification. More relevant scenarios (or examples) demonstrate deeper understanding of the relevant arguments. You must provide at least one reference for this example. You can use any source available to you to obtain this example (for example, the Internet or a textbook or a newspaper article). You cannot use the same examples or references as the ones used in the topic above or use any examples or references from the text ‘Moral Issues in Business’ by Shaw et al or from the BSB111 prescribed textbook.

HOW TO DO WELL IN THE ECS

• Read the criteria sheet so you know how marks are allocated and what is required to get a good mark
• Look at the template provided because it provides an example of the correct formatting requirements and headings that you should use as well as examples on how to reference. The template is available on Blackboard, under the folder ‘Assessment’ ‘ECS’, that is, the same folder as the ECS Topic and Instructions
• Please use headings in your ECS. Suggested headings for you to use in your ECS:

ü  Part A

ü  Utilitarianism

ü  Kantian ethics

ü  Virtue ethics

ü  Ranking of ethical theories

ü  Part B

INSTRUCTION SHEET 

The criteria sheet and marking

The marker will allocate a mark out of 25 according to the criteria sheet (see the last page of this document).  Refer to these criteria when compiling your ethics case study as it gives a break down of what is required of you in order to obtain marks for the ethics case study. Your mark out of 25 will equate to a percentage mark out of 25, i.e. 1 mark equals 1% for the semester grade.

Length

The word limit for the ECS is 1200 words. This includes headings and the use of any tables or figures but does not include the reference list.

If you exceed 1200 words, we will not mark the portion of your ECS that has exceeded the 1200 word limit. Note that the portion exceeding the 1200 word limit may affect previous sections of your answer and may therefore affect your overall mark.

Format

You must format your case study according to the following specifications. We will mark your ECS using a template that follows these specifications. These specifications are:

·         the entire case study must be word processed in black ink on A4 size white paper

·         use size 11, Arial font 

·         use 1.5 line spacing

·         alignment of the ECS must be  justified (as an example, this document is aligned ‘justified’, that is, text aligns to both left and right margins)

·         do not use page breaks (even if only a couple of lines of the new section will fit on the page)

·         set the margins

Top      2.54cm	Bottom                        2.54cm
Left      2.54cm	Right                2.54cm

·         spacing before and after paragraphs should be set at 0

·         use headings

Staple the pages of your case study in the top left hand corner.  Do not use binders/covers/plastic sleeves/clips.

You must use headings in your ECS. Suggested headings for you to use:

Part A

Utilitarianism

Kantian ethics

Virtue ethics

Ranking of ethical theories

Part B

Style

You may use plain English, as this will help you to be concise. You may use the personal pronoun “I” when stating your opinion. The use of slang, swear words and jargon would be inappropriate. The use of ‘SMS speak’ (for example, the letter ‘u’ instead of ‘you’) is particularly inappropriate for formal business communication – use correct spelling and grammar!

Individual work

You must compile your case study on an individual basis.  This means that you are not permitted to compile it jointly with another student(s), or read another student’s case study before submitting your own.  It also means that you are not permitted to allow another student to read your case study before she or he has submitted their own. 

However, we do acknowledge that business ethics is a discipline that is best advanced and learnt by students who engage in debate and discussion on the matter.  For this reason, we encourage you to discuss and debate the topic and related issues with your peers.  However, you must be very careful not to plagiarise as your case study must be compiled on an individual basis.  If unsure, make sure that you refer to the School’s policy on plagiarism which can be accessed from the Blackboard site.

In summary, talk about the issues, but ensure you write the assignment individually. Making ‘cosmetic’ changes to a few sentences of another student’s work does not mean that you have written it individually.

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[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2010). Children who are Overweight or Obese. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/1301.0Chapter11062009%E2%80%9310#

[2] World Health Organization, (n.d.). Childhood Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/

[3] World Health Organization, (n.d.). Childhood Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/

[4] Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2013). Gender Indicators Overweight/Obesity. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4125.0main+features3330Jan%202013

[5] See for example, McClure, A., Tanski, S., Gilbert-Diamond, D., Adachi-Mejia, A., Li, Z., Li, Z., & Sargent, J. (2013). Receptivity to Television Fast Food Restaurant Marketing and Obesity Among U.S Youth. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 45, 560-568 and Harris, J., Pomeranz, J., Lobstein, T., and Brownell, K. (2009). A Crisis in the Marketplace: How Food Marketing Contributes to Childhood Obesity and What Can Be Done. Annual Review of Public Health, 30, 211-235.

[6] Coalition on Food Advertising to Children, (2007). Children’s Health or Corporate Wealth: The case for banning television advertising to children. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://cfac.net.au/downloads/briefing_paper.pdf

[7] Coalition on Food Advertising to Children, (2007). Children’s Health or Corporate Wealth: The case for banning television advertising to children. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://cfac.net.au/downloads/briefing_paper.pdf

[8] United States Federal Trade Commission,(2012). A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/reports/review-food-marketing-children-and-adolescents-follow-report/121221foodmarketingreport.pdf

[9] Parliament of Australia, (2011). Marketing Obesity? Junk Food, Advertising and Kids. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1011

[10] United States Federal Trade Commission,(2012). A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/reports/review-food-marketing-children-and-adolescents-follow-report/121221foodmarketingreport.pdf

[11] Harris, J., Pomeranz, J., Lobstein, T., and Brownell, K. (2009). A Crisis in the Marketplace: How Food Marketing Contributes to Childhood Obesity and What Can Be Done. Annual Review of Public Health, 30, 211-235.

[12] Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, (n.d). Food Marketing to Youth. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/what_we_do.aspx?id=4

[13] Parliament of Australia, (2011). Marketing Obesity? Junk Food, Advertising and Kids. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1011

[14] Coalition on Food Advertising to Children, (2007). Children’s Health or Corporate Wealth: The case for banning television advertising to children. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://cfac.net.au/downloads/briefing_paper.pdf

[15] Parliament of Australia, (2011). Marketing Obesity? Junk Food, Advertising and Kids. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1011

[16] Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, (n.d.). Food Marketing to Youth. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/what_we_do.aspx?id=4

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