PROJECT 22: Ethics |
OVERVIEW: |
The subject of ethics
is not only a personal matter, but it is also a social and sometimes moral issue.
What you believe to be right and wrong and how you conduct yourself in
certain situations can make an impact – from tiny to enormous – on you, your
company, your coworkers, and society in general. Consider all the legal
problems in the business world in recent years stemming from employees
violating ethical principles. This project will provide you with an
understanding of the powerful role of ethics in everyday activities and in
the business world. This is a project especially valuable to students planning
to work in public accounting or financial institutions and to students going
to graduate school. |
PROJECT
INSTRUCTIONS: |
Read Chapters 20 and
22 in the textbook. Complete ONE of the options listed
below. Your finished project
should fulfill ALL of the
requirements below. OPTION A: UNDERSTANDING ETHICS A. Article
Review: Using the Business/SPEA/Library
online references, select and read five recent articles concerning the
subject of ethics. Copy the articles which you selected and paste them in a
MS Word document for later review. B. Article
Synopsis: Select one of the
articles and write a one-page condensation of the article. C. Personalize: Write a concise paragraph explaining the meaning
of ethics to you. D. Ethics in
Practice: Write a two- to
three-page example of how the question of ethics has arisen in your college
career and explain how you handled the situation. You may write about an
event in which you were personally involved or one affecting others about
which you have knowledge. Include in the two to three pages a one-page
explanation of whether, in your opinion, you handled this properly and what
you would do in the same situation if it should occur again. Answer the following:
Why would you do what you would do? Why would it be right for you? Why would
it be right for everyone involved? Deliverables: If you choose Option A, you should turn in to your Career Counselor: Ø
Copies of five
articles Ø
One-page
summary of one of the articles Ø
One-paragraph
personal ethics statement Ø
Two to three
pages on ethics situation that you experienced. OPTION B: APPLIED ETHICS IN BUSINESS Business
professionals are frequently faced with ethical dilemmas. Whether it is
exaggerating the truth about a product line in order to make a sale or being
pressured by an important client to misrepresent facts or else he’ll “take his business elsewhere,” the
business world is particularly vulnerable to ethical challenges. This project
allows you to explore specific ethical situations and consider your reactions
from a business perspective. A. Business
Contact ID: Contact someone you
know who has been working for several years in the business world (or in your
chosen field). This can be a mentor, a family member, a friend, etc. B. Situation: Ask them to describe a situation in which their
ethics were challenged while conducting business and how they handled the
situation. C. Personal
Reactions: Consider how you would
handle this same situation, including the pros and cons of each possible
reaction and how the outcome would differ in each. For example, would
reacting in an unethical manner help your career but put you at risk if found
out? Would sticking to your ethics result in the loss of a client or,
possibly, your job? D. Situational
Action Plan: Write two to three
pages to include the professional position held by the person you contacted
(the individual may remain anonymous), a description of the situation, an analysis
of why this situation posed an ethical dilemma, a description of how it was
actually handled, a description of how you would handle it, and the pros and
cons of each possible reaction to the situation. E. Personal
Plan: Write one page giving at
least two additional examples of ethical challenges that you would expect
might be encountered in the business world. Discuss how you think you would
handle each. Deliverables: If you choose Option B, you should turn in to your Career Counselor: Ø
Two- to three-page
discussion of ethics situation Ø
One page of
two more examples that could be presented to you in the next 24 months.
Discuss how you plan to respond. OPTION C: ETHICS IN THE SECONDARY INTERVIEW A. Employment
Option Choice: Select a company
with which you have interviewed or in which you are sincerely interested. B. Follow-up
Interview: Write a half- to
one-page description of what you can expect during a second interview. How do
you prepare? How is it different? Who might interview you? C. Analysis
of Unethical Dilemmas: Select five
unethical practices from Figure 20.6 in the textbook and, for each practice,
write at least a half-page concerning “why”
that particular practice is unethical and what negative impact each would
have on the company conducting the interview. If you disagree with the fact
that they are unethical, write at least a half-page arguing your view. (You
should complete two to three pages for this part of the project.) D. Offer
Ethics: Write a paragraph stating “what happens now.” Address “how” and “when” you could expect an offer, and explain what you do
concerning expenses. Discuss the ethics of handling the offer and expenses. Deliverables: If you choose Option C, you should turn in to your Career Counselor: Ø
One-half to
one-page personal view of secondary interview scenario Ø
Two to three
pages on five unethical practices Ø
One paragraph
on “what happens now with interview.” |