Business Law & Ethics - Case Study

BSB111 Business Law & Ethics – Case Study

Name: Lydia Merrin

Student Number: N9181580

Word Count: 1175 words

Part A

Utilitarianism

Stakeholders Tell Don’t Tell

Harms Benefits Harms Benefits

Customers None 0 Cheaper medication +9 More expensive medication -9 None 0

Ming No commission,

Possibly fail probation and lose job -8 Save customers money +4 Worry about customers -4 Extra money, Pass probation +8

Roger Less money -8 None 0 None 0 More money +8

Total Happiness

(-10 to +10) -16 +13 -13 +16

= -2 = +3

The stakeholders identified were the customers (as a group), Ming and Roger. Ming’s wife was not included as it appeared, through the information given, that her happiness would align with that of Ming’s and as such, the outcome would be no different from her inclusion. The scale used was from -10 to +10, from deeply unhappy to very happy. From the information in the table it can be shown that the action which would create the greatest amount of happiness overall would be for Ming to not tell the customers about the cheaper medication.

Kantian ethics

The universal maxim for Ming’s situation:

“In situations where an individual can increase their income and improve their job security, he or she will do as they supervisor instructs.”

When applied universally, this maxim is logical. Therefore, this maxim passes the first test of contradiction in conception. There would be nothing which would make no one want to live in a world where this maxim was true. Therefore, this maxim passes the second test of contradiction in will. Passing both these tests it can be considered universally acceptable.

The final test of ‘Respect’. Ming is respecting his supervisor by following instructions. It ...

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.... Through accepting these two facts, I came up with the solution. I had passed stage 3 as it was not just behaving in a stereotypical ‘good’ manner, but what was legally right. I had also not reached stage 5 as with this situation, what would be considered ethically right was both morally and legally right, with there being no conflict between the two.

Reference List

Duska, R, Duska, B & Ragatz, J. (2011). Accounting Ethics (2nd ed). Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.

Low, R. (2013). Business Law and Ethics. Qld: John Wiley & Sons

Mijuskovic, Ben Lazare (2007). "Virtue Ethics". Philosophy and literature, 31 (1), p. 133. DOI 10.1353/phl.2007.0013

Trevino, L & Nelson, K. (2011). Managing Business Ethics (5th ed). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Vaughn, L. (2010). Doing Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues (2nd ed). New York: Norton & Co.