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Case Studies

More than 70 cases pair ethics concepts with real world situations. From journalism, performing arts, and scientific research to sports, law, and business, these case studies explore current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences. Each case includes discussion questions, related videos, and a bibliography.

A Million Little Pieces

James Frey’s popular memoir stirred controversy and media attention after it was revealed to contain numerous exaggerations and fabrications.

Abramoff: Lobbying Congress

Super-lobbyist Abramoff was caught in a scheme to lobby against his own clients. Was a corrupt individual or a corrupt system – or both – to blame?

Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices

Is tech company Apple, Inc. ethically obligated to oversee the questionable working conditions of other companies further down their supply chain?

Approaching the Presidency: Roosevelt & Taft

Some presidents view their responsibilities in strictly legal terms, others according to duty. Roosevelt and Taft took two extreme approaches.

Appropriating “Hope”

Fairey’s portrait of Barack Obama raised debate over the extent to which an artist can use and modify another’s artistic work, yet still call it one’s own.

Arctic Offshore Drilling

Competing groups frame the debate over oil drilling off Alaska’s coast in varying ways depending on their environmental and economic interests.

Banning Burkas: Freedom or Discrimination?

The French law banning women from wearing burkas in public sparked debate about discrimination and freedom of religion.

Birthing Vaccine Skepticism

Wakefield published an article riddled with inaccuracies and conflicts of interest that created significant vaccine hesitancy regarding the MMR vaccine.

Blurred Lines of Copyright

Marvin Gaye’s Estate won a lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for the hit song “Blurred Lines,” which had a similar feel to one of his songs.

Bullfighting: Art or Not?

Bullfighting has been a prominent cultural and artistic event for centuries, but in recent decades it has faced increasing criticism for animal rights’ abuse.

Buying Green: Consumer Behavior

Do purchasing green products, such as organic foods and electric cars, give consumers the moral license to indulge in unethical behavior?

Cadavers in Car Safety Research

Engineers at Heidelberg University insist that the use of human cadavers in car safety research is ethical because their research can save lives.

Cardinals’ Computer Hacking

St. Louis Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa hacked into the Houston Astros’ webmail system, leading to legal repercussions and a lifetime ban from MLB.

Cheating: Atlanta’s School Scandal

Teachers and administrators at Parks Middle School adjust struggling students’ test scores in an effort to save their school from closure.

Cheating: Sign-Stealing in MLB

The Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme rocked the baseball world, leading to a game-changing MLB investigation and fallout.

Cheating: UNC’s Academic Fraud

UNC’s academic fraud scandal uncovered an 18-year scheme of unchecked coursework and fraudulent classes that enabled student-athletes to play sports.

Cheney v. U.S. District Court

A controversial case focuses on Justice Scalia’s personal friendship with Vice President Cheney and the possible conflict of interest it poses to the case.

Christina Fallin: “Appropriate Culturation?”

After Fallin posted a picture of herself wearing a Plain’s headdress on social media, uproar emerged over cultural appropriation and Fallin’s intentions.

Climate Change & the Paris Deal

While climate change poses many abstract problems, the actions (or inactions) of today’s populations will have tangible effects on future generations.

Cover-Up on Campus

While the Baylor University football team was winning on the field, university officials failed to take action when allegations of sexual assault by student athletes emerged.

Covering Female Athletes

Sports Illustrated stirs controversy when their cover photo of an Olympic skier seems to focus more on her physical appearance than her athletic abilities.

Covering Yourself? Journalists and the Bowl Championship

Can news outlets covering the Bowl Championship Series fairly report sports news if their own polls were used to create the news?

Cyber Harassment

After a student defames a middle school teacher on social media, the teacher confronts the student in class and posts a video of the confrontation online.

Defending Freedom of Tweets?

Running back Rashard Mendenhall receives backlash from fans after criticizing the celebration of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden in a tweet.

Dennis Kozlowski: Living Large

Dennis Kozlowski was an effective leader for Tyco in his first few years as CEO, but eventually faced criminal charges over his use of company assets.

Digital Downloads

File-sharing program Napster sparked debate over the legal and ethical dimensions of downloading unauthorized copies of copyrighted music.

Dr. V’s Magical Putter

Journalist Caleb Hannan outed Dr. V as a trans woman, sparking debate over the ethics of Hannan’s reporting, as well its role in Dr. V’s suicide.

East Germany’s Doping Machine

From 1968 to the late 1980s, East Germany (GDR) doped some 9,000 athletes to gain success in international athletic competitions despite being aware of the unfortunate side effects.

Ebola & American Intervention

Did the dispatch of U.S. military units to Liberia to aid in humanitarian relief during the Ebola epidemic help or hinder the process?

Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?

Was Edward Snowden’s release of confidential government documents ethically justifiable?

Ethical Pitfalls in Action

Why do good people do bad things? Behavioral ethics is the science of moral decision-making, which explores why and how people make the ethical (and unethical) decisions that they do.

Ethical Use of Home DNA Testing

The rising popularity of at-home DNA testing kits raises questions about privacy and consumer rights.

Flying the Confederate Flag

A heated debate ensues over whether or not the Confederate flag should be removed from the South Carolina State House grounds.

Freedom of Speech on Campus

In the wake of racially motivated offenses, student protests sparked debate over the roles of free speech, deliberation, and tolerance on campus.

Freedom vs. Duty in Clinical Social Work

What should social workers do when their personal values come in conflict with the clients they are meant to serve?

Full Disclosure: Manipulating Donors

When an intern witnesses a donor making a large gift to a non-profit organization under misleading circumstances, she struggles with what to do.

Gaming the System: The VA Scandal

The Veterans Administration’s incentives were meant to spur more efficient and productive healthcare, but not all administrators complied as intended.

German Police Battalion 101

During the Holocaust, ordinary Germans became willing killers even though they could have opted out from murdering their Jewish neighbors.

Head Injuries & American Football

Many studies have linked traumatic brain injuries and related conditions to American football, creating controversy around the safety of the sport.

Head Injuries & the NFL

American football is a rough and dangerous game and its impact on the players’ brain health has sparked a hotly contested debate.

Healthcare Obligations: Personal vs. Institutional

A medical doctor must make a difficult decision when informing patients of the effectiveness of flu shots while upholding institutional recommendations.

High Stakes Testing

In the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act, parents, teachers, and school administrators take different positions on how to assess student achievement.

In-FUR-mercials: Advertising & Adoption

When the Lied Animal Shelter faces a spike in animal intake, an advertising agency uses its moral imagination to increase pet adoptions.

Krogh & the Watergate Scandal

Egil Krogh was a young lawyer working for the Nixon Administration whose ethics faded from view when asked to play a part in the Watergate break-in.

Limbaugh on Drug Addiction

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh argued that drug abuse was a choice, not a disease. He later became addicted to painkillers.

U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte’s “over-exaggeration” of an incident at the 2016 Rio Olympics led to very real consequences.

Meet Me at Starbucks

Two black men were arrested after an employee called the police on them, prompting Starbucks to implement “racial-bias” training across all its stores.

Myanmar Amber

Buying amber could potentially fund an ethnic civil war, but refraining allows collectors to acquire important specimens that could be used for research.

Negotiating Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy lawyer Gellene successfully represented a mining company during a major reorganization, but failed to disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Pao & Gender Bias

Ellen Pao stirred debate in the venture capital and tech industries when she filed a lawsuit against her employer on grounds of gender discrimination.

Pardoning Nixon

One month after Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency, Gerald Ford made the controversial decision to issue Nixon a full pardon.

Patient Autonomy & Informed Consent

Nursing staff and family members struggle with informed consent when taking care of a patient who has been deemed legally incompetent.

Prenatal Diagnosis & Parental Choice

Debate has emerged over the ethics of prenatal diagnosis and reproductive freedom in instances where testing has revealed genetic abnormalities.

Reporting on Robin Williams

After Robin Williams took his own life, news media covered the story in great detail, leading many to argue that such reporting violated the family’s privacy.

Responding to Child Migration

An influx of children migrants posed logistical and ethical dilemmas for U.S. authorities while intensifying ongoing debate about immigration.

Retracting Research: The Case of Chandok v. Klessig

A researcher makes the difficult decision to retract a published, peer-reviewed article after the original research results cannot be reproduced.

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

In the wake of questionable social media use by college athletes, the head coach at University of South Carolina bans his players from using Twitter.

Selling Enron

Following the deregulation of electricity markets in California, private energy company Enron profited greatly, but at a dire cost.

Snyder v. Phelps

Freedom of speech was put on trial in a case involving the Westboro Baptist Church and their protesting at the funeral of U.S. Marine Matthew Snyder.

Something Fishy at the Paralympics

Rampant cheating has plagued the Paralympics over the years, compromising the credibility and sportsmanship of Paralympian athletes.

Sports Blogs: The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

Deadspin pays an anonymous source for information related to NFL star Brett Favre, sparking debate over the ethics of “checkbook journalism.”

Stangl & the Holocaust

Franz Stangl was the most effective Nazi administrator in Poland, killing nearly one million Jews at Treblinka, but he claimed he was simply following orders.

Teaching Blackface: A Lesson on Stereotypes

A teacher was put on leave for showing a blackface video during a lesson on racial segregation, sparking discussion over how to teach about stereotypes.

The Astros’ Sign-Stealing Scandal

The Houston Astros rode a wave of success, culminating in a World Series win, but it all came crashing down when their sign-stealing scheme was revealed.

The Central Park Five

Despite the indisputable and overwhelming evidence of the innocence of the Central Park Five, some involved in the case refuse to believe it.

The CIA Leak

Legal and political fallout follows from the leak of classified information that led to the identification of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

The Collapse of Barings Bank

When faced with growing losses, investment banker Nick Leeson took big risks in an attempt to get out from under the losses. He lost.

The Costco Model

How can companies promote positive treatment of employees and benefit from leading with the best practices? Costco offers a model.

The FBI & Apple Security vs. Privacy

How can tech companies and government organizations strike a balance between maintaining national security and protecting user privacy?

The Miss Saigon Controversy

When a white actor was cast for the half-French, half-Vietnamese character in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon , debate ensued.

The Sandusky Scandal

Following the conviction of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for sexual abuse, debate continues on how much university officials and head coach Joe Paterno knew of the crimes.

The Varsity Blues Scandal

A college admissions prep advisor told wealthy parents that while there were front doors into universities and back doors, he had created a side door that was worth exploring.

Providing radiation therapy to cancer patients, Therac-25 had malfunctions that resulted in 6 deaths. Who is accountable when technology causes harm?

Welfare Reform

The Welfare Reform Act changed how welfare operated, intensifying debate over the government’s role in supporting the poor through direct aid.

Wells Fargo and Moral Emotions

In a settlement with regulators, Wells Fargo Bank admitted that it had created as many as two million accounts for customers without their permission.

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Find ethics case studies on bribery, sourcing, intellectual property, downsizing, and other topics in business ethics, corporate governance, and ethical leadership. (For permission to reprint articles, submit requests to [email protected] .)

In this business ethics case study, Swedish multinational company IKEA faced accusations relating to child labor abuses in the rug industry in Pakistan which posed a serious challenge for the company and its supply chain management goals.

A dog may be humanity’s best friend. But that may not always be the case in the workplace.

A recent college graduate works in the finance and analytics department of a large publicly traded software company and discovers an alarming discrepancy in sales records, raising concerns about the company’s commitment to truthful reporting to investors.

What responsibility does an employee have when information they obtained in confidence from a coworker friend may be in conflict with the needs of the company or raises legal and ethical questions.

A manager at a prominent multinational company is ethically challenged by a thin line between opportunity for economic expansion in a deeply underserved community, awareness of child labor practices, and cultural relativism.

A volunteer providing service in the Dominican Republic discovered that the non-profit he had partnered with was exchanging his donor money on the black market, prompting him to navigate a series of complex decisions with significant ethical implications.

The CFO of a family business faces difficult decisions about how to proceed when the COVID-19 pandemic changes the business revenue models, and one family shareholder wants a full buyout.

An employee at an after-school learning institution must balance a decision to accept or decline an offered gift, while considering the cultural norms of the client, upholding the best interests of all stakeholders, and following the operational rules of his employer.

A senior vice president for a Fortune 500 savings and loan company is tasked with the crucial responsibility of representing the buyer in a multi-million dollar loan purchase deal and faces several ethical challenges from his counterpart representing the seller.

Extensive teaching note based on interviews with Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz. The teaching note can be used to explore issues around whistleblowing, leadership, the blocks to ethical behavior inside organizations, and board governance.

Short case study on business ethics with solutions

In the dynamic landscape of modern business, ethical dilemmas are inevitable. While practicing business ethics, one has to determine its importance in the workplace. One should also be aware of right and wrong in the working environment. After looking at the significance of short case studies on business ethics, universities put more stress on solving case studies by putting their minds and efforts into a better understanding of the concepts.

Whenever you go through a case study on business ethics, one of the main points of concern is that you have to see, i.e., How companies respond to these challenges speaks volumes about their commitment to integrity and corporate responsibility. Let’s explore the steps to solve the business ethics case study that illuminates the importance of practicing a short case study on business ethics with solutions for enhancing business skills.

Meaning & Importance of Short Case Study on Business Ethics with Solutions

If we talk about ethics, it means the way you interact, behave, and function. The choice of words and the manner of acting with other people also come under the heading of ethics. Subsequently, we are discussing Business ethics; these principles influence employees to treat their co-workers. In other words, business ethics are the legal guide that displays the rules of corporate social responsibility.

When students start solving the short case study on business ethics with solutions, these ethics focus on keeping the moral attitude of the company and letting management grow without spreading hatred. Importantly, company ethics make sure to treat every employee the same.

Key Challenges to Maintain Business Ethics: Need To Discuss In The Short Case Study

1. Ethical Compliance: Professors are always taught to ensure that their supply chain operations comply with ethical standards and labor laws, both domestically and internationally.

2. Reputation Management: The Company’s reputation was at stake due to the negative publicity surrounding the unethical labor practices. Restoring trust and credibility with customers, stakeholders, and the public was paramount.

3. Supplier Relations: Balancing ethical considerations with the need to maintain productive relationships with suppliers presented a delicate challenge. B usiness ethics case study assignments help in their case study to address the issue without jeopardizing its supply chain efficiency or supplier partnerships.

Key Rules To Fight with Those Challenges and Look Forward For Impressive Solution:

1. Supplier Audits and Accountability: For audit and accountability, the supplier conducted thorough audits of its supply chain to identify instances of unethical labor practices and ensure compliance with ethical standards. The company held suppliers accountable for adhering to labor laws and ethical guidelines through contractual agreements and performance evaluations.

2. Remediation and Worker Support: Upon uncovering instances of labor exploitation, Not only students and professionals who evaluate case studies also refer to the short case study on business ethics with solutions where it’s usually written to take immediate action to rectify the situation and support affected workers. This included providing financial assistance, access to education and training programs, and implementing corrective measures to improve working conditions.

3. Transparency and Communication: Always prioritized transparency and open communication with stakeholders regarding the ethical challenges within its supply chain. The company proactively shared information about its remediation efforts, ethical policies, and progress toward addressing the issue.

4. Supplier Engagement and Collaboration: Instead of severing ties with unethical suppliers outright, engage in constructive dialogue and collaboration to drive positive change. The company worked closely with suppliers to implement ethical sourcing practices, invest in worker welfare initiatives, and build a more sustainable supply chain.

Through a proactive and ethical approach while studying a short case study on business ethics with solutions, where you also read the impact of the labor controversy and strengthen creating a good reputation as a responsible corporate citizen. The company’s commitment to integrity and transparency resonated with customers, investors, and other stakeholders, reaffirming their trust and confidence in the brand.

Furthermore, the MBA case study assignment help will also make efforts to address the ethical challenges for tangible improvements in labor practices and working conditions. By prioritizing the well-being of workers and holding suppliers accountable, the company set a precedent for ethical conduct in the retail industry. It inspired positive change across the supply chain.

Conclusion:

The short case study on business ethics with solutions underscores the importance of business ethics in fostering trust, sustainability, and long-term success. By confronting ethical dilemmas head-on and implementing proactive solutions, companies can uphold their integrity, protect their reputation, and create value for all stakeholders involved. In today’s interconnected world, ethical considerations must remain at the forefront of business decision-making, guiding companies toward responsible practices that benefit society as a whole. Through collaboration, accountability, and a commitment to ethical leadership, organizations can navigate complex challenges with integrity and resilience.

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Ethical Business Practices: Case Studies and Lessons Learned

Introduction

Ethical business practices are a cornerstone of any successful company, influencing not only the public perception of a brand but also its long-term profitability. However, understanding what constitutes ethical behavior and how to implement it can be a complex process. This article explores some case studies that shine a light on ethical business practices, offering valuable lessons for businesses in any industry.

Case Study 1: Patagonia’s Commitment to Environmental Ethics

Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, has long set a standard for environmental responsibility. The company uses eco-friendly materials, promotes recycling of its products, and actively engages in various environmental causes.

Lessons Learned

Transparency : Patagonia is vocal about its ethical practices and even provides information on the environmental impact of individual products.
Consistency: Ethics are not an “add-on” for Patagonia; they are integrated into the very fabric of the company’s operations, from sourcing to production to marketing.
Engagement: The company doesn’t just focus on its practices; it encourages consumers to get involved in the causes it supports.

Case Study 2: Salesforce and Equal Pay

Salesforce, the cloud-based software company, took a stand on the gender pay gap issue. They conducted an internal audit and found that there was indeed a significant wage disparity between male and female employees for similar roles. To address this, Salesforce spent over $6 million to balance the scales.

Self-Audit: It’s crucial for companies to actively review their practices. What you don’t know can indeed hurt you, and ignorance is not an excuse.
Taking Responsibility: Rather than sweeping the issue under the rug, Salesforce openly acknowledged the problem and took immediate corrective action.
Long-Term Benefits: Fair treatment boosts employee morale and productivity, leading to long-term profitability.

Case Study 3: Starbucks and Racial Sensitivity Training

In 2018, Starbucks faced a public relations crisis when two Black men were wrongfully arrested at one of their Philadelphia stores. Instead of issuing just a public apology, Starbucks closed down 8,000 of its stores for an afternoon to conduct racial sensitivity training.

Lessons Learned

Immediate Action : Swift and meaningful action is critical in showing commitment to ethical behavior.
Education: Sometimes, the problem is a lack of awareness. Investing in employee education can avoid repeated instances of unethical behavior.
Public Accountability: Starbucks made their training materials available to the public, showing a level of transparency and accountability that helped regain public trust.

Why Ethics Matter

Ethical business practices are not just morally correct; they have a direct impact on a company’s bottom line. Customers today are more informed and more sensitive to ethical considerations. They often make purchasing decisions based on a company’s ethical standing, and word-of-mouth (or the digital equivalent) travels fast.

The case studies above show that ethical business practices should be a top priority for companies of all sizes and industries. These are not isolated examples but are representative of a broader trend in consumer expectations and regulatory frameworks. The lessons gleaned from these cases—transparency, consistency, engagement, self-audit, taking responsibility, and education—are universally applicable and offer a robust roadmap for any business seeking to bolster its ethical standing.

By implementing ethical business practices sincerely and not as a marketing gimmick, companies not only stand to improve their public image but also set themselves up for long-term success, characterized by a loyal customer base and a motivated, satisfied workforce.

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Gray Matters

Source: Photo courtesy of Sasha Wolff, www.flickr.com/photos/sashawolff/3388815964.

To foster ethical discussion and understanding in the workplace, the Lockheed Martin company developed a quiz for employees called “Gray Matters.” The quiz is multiple choice, with a range of points awarded (or subtracted) depending on the response. Subsequently, the approach has been adopted by a wide range of corporations. Here’s a typical question matched with its possible answers and the corresponding points:

Six months after you hired an assistant accountant who has been working competently and responsibly, you learn that she departed from the truth on her employment application: she claimed she had a college degree when she didn’t. You’re her manager; what should you do?

Nothing because she’s doing her job just fine. (–10 points)
Bring the issue to the human resources department to determine exactly how company policy determines the situation should be handled. (10 points)
Fire her for lying. (5 points)
Carefully weigh her work performance, her length of service, and her potential benefit to the company before informing anyone of what happened or making any recommendations. (0 points)

Exercise $\PageIndex{1}$

The three principle components of business ethics are facts, values, and arguments. What are the facts pertinent to an ethical evaluation of this case? Is there any information not contained in the question that you’d like to have before making a decision about what should be done?
From the facts and information provided, can you sketch a set of values and chain of reasoning justifying the answer that the quiz’s original authors sanctioned as the right one? (Leave the decision in the hands of the HR department and existing company policy.)
You get some points for C (firing her). What values and reasoning may lead to that determination?
According to the quiz authors, the worst answer is A. Maybe they’re wrong, though. What values and reasoning may lead to the conclusion that doing “nothing because she’s doing her job just fine” is an excellent response?
Would it be reasonable to say that, ethically, this is an issue just between you and the woman who you hired after she lied on her résumé?
If you expand the answer about who’s involved to include other workmates at the company, as well as the company’s clients and shareholders, does that change the ethical perspective you have on what should be done with the lying (but capable) coworker?
Would you categorize response B (bring the issue to HR to determine exactly how company policy determines the situation should be handled) as leading to a decision more based on morality or more based on ethics? Explain.
Would you categorize response D (carefully weigh her work performance, her length of service, and her potential benefit to the company before informing anyone of what happened or making any recommendations) as leading to a decision more based on morality or ethics? Explain.

Who Made Your iPhone?

Source: Photo courtesy of Tobias Myrstrand Leander, http://www.flickr.com/photos/s8an/5207806926/

Connie Guglielmo, a reporter for Bloomberg news services, begins an article on Apple this way: “Apple Inc. said three of its suppliers hired 11 underage workers to help build the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh computer last year, a violation it uncovered as part of its onsite audit of 102 factories.” Connie Guglielmo, “Apple Says Children Were Used to Build iPhone, iPod (Update1),” Bloomberg , February 27, 2010, accessed May 11, 2011, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aiEeeQNHkrOY .

Her story adds details. The underage workers were fifteen in places where the minimum legal age for employment is sixteen. She wasn’t able to discover the specific countries, but learned the infractions occurred in one or more of the following: China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and the Philippines.

Following the discovery, the employees were released, and disciplinary action was taken against a number of the foreign suppliers. In one case, Apple stopped contracting with the company entirely.

The story closes with this: “Apple rose $2.62 to $204.62 yesterday in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares more than doubled last year.”

Exercise $\PageIndex{2}$

The ethical question is whether Apple ought to contract (through suppliers) fifteen-year-olds to work on factory floors. Is the fact that the stock price has been zooming up a pertinent fact, or does it not affect the ethics? Explain.
From the information given and reasonable assumptions about these factories and the living conditions of people working inside them, sketch an ethical argument against Apple enforcing the age workplace rule. What fundamental values underwrite the argument?
From the information given and reasonable assumptions about these factories and the living conditions of people working inside them, sketch an argument in favor of Apple enforcing the age workplace rule. What fundamental values underwrite the argument?
Within the context of the Apple situation, what’s the difference between making a decision in terms of the law and in terms of ethics?
What is an advantage of following the local customs when making economic decisions like the one confronting Apple?
Does the custom of employing young workers in some countries change your ethical consideration of the practice in those places? Why or why not?
The person is able to understand right and wrong.
The person acts to cause (or fails to act to prevent) a wrong.
The person acts knowing what they’re doing.
The person acts from their own free will.

Assuming it’s unethical for fifteen-year-olds to work factory shifts making iPhones, who bears responsibility for the wrong?

Do the fifteen-year-olds bear some responsibility? Explain.
Does Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple? Explain.
Are shareholders guilty? Explain.
Do people who use iPhones bear responsibility? Explain.

Since 2006, students at the Columbia Business School have been required to pledge “I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”

This is a substantial promise, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll create too many tremendous burdens or require huge sacrifices.

A somewhat more demanding pledge solidified in 2010 when a group of business school students from Columbia, Duke Fuqua, Harvard, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Rensselaer Lally, Thunderbird, UNC Kenan-Flagler, and Yale met to formalize the following MBA Oath:

As a business leader I recognize my role in society.

My purpose is to lead people and manage resources to create value that no single individual can create alone.
My decisions affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and tomorrow.

Therefore, I promise that:

I will manage my enterprise with loyalty and care, and will not advance my personal interests at the expense of my enterprise or society.
I will understand and uphold, in letter and spirit, the laws and contracts governing my conduct and that of my enterprise.
I will refrain from corruption, unfair competition, or business practices harmful to society.
I will protect the human rights and dignity of all people affected by my enterprise, and I will oppose discrimination and exploitation.
I will protect the right of future generations to advance their standard of living and enjoy a healthy planet.
I will report the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly.
I will invest in developing myself and others, helping the management profession continue to advance and create sustainable and inclusive prosperity.

In exercising my professional duties according to these principles, I recognize that my behavior must set an example of integrity, eliciting trust and esteem from those I serve. I will remain accountable to my peers and to society for my actions and for upholding these standards. “The MBA Oath,” MBA Oath, accessed May 11, 2011, http://mbaoath.org/about/the-mba-oath .

Exercise $\PageIndex{3}$

The second introductory clause of the MBA Oath is “My decisions affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and tomorrow.” “The MBA Oath,” MBA Oath, accessed May 11, 2011, http://mbaoath.org/about/the-mba-oath . What’s the difference between seeing this as a positive ethical stand in favor of a broad social responsibility held by those in business, and seeing it as arrogance?
Looking at the MBA Oath, can you list a set of values that are probably shared by those responsible for its creation?
What values underlie paulnyc’s perspective?
How is paulnyc’s vision different from the one espoused in the oath?

Is it plausible to assert that JerryNY shares most of the values of those who wrote the MBA Oath, it’s just that he sees a different business attitude as the best way to serve those values? If so, explain. If not, why not?

I would refuse to take that oath…on principle. The idea that an individual’s proper motive should be to serve “the greater good” is highly questionable. This altruistic ethic is what supported the collectivist of communism and national socialism. If my life belongs first and foremost to “the greater good,” it follows that the greatest virtue is to live as a slave. A slave’s existence, after all, is devoted primarily for the benefit of his master. The master can be a plantation owner or a King or an oligarchy or a society that demands your servitude.

The only oath I’d be willing to take is, “I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” Eric, May 30, 2009 (10:35 a.m.), comment on Leslie Wayne, “A Promise to Be Ethical in an Era of Immorality,” New York Times , May 29, 2009, accessed May 11, 2011, community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/business/30oath.html?sort=oldest.

In your own words, contrast the values the MBA Oath supporters espouse with the values the commenter Eric espouses.

Is it unethical to take the pledge without expecting to adhere to it simply because you think it will help in your job search, or is that strategy just a different kind of ethics? Explain.

When he says business school students are programmed, what does he mean? If someone is programmed to be an opportunistic parasite in business, can we blame them for what they do? If so, how? If not, who should be blamed?

Assume the MBA Oath does stress the importance of the greater good, and you too are going into the economic world with that as a privileged value. How could you respond to the argument that you really should be doing nursing or something more obviously serving the general good?

According to the Times , B-schoolers aren’t lining up for the MBA Oath: only about 20 percent take the pledge. How could you convince the other 80 percent to sign on?

I.M.P. (It’s My Party)

“Look at them!” he said, his eyes dancing. “That’s what it’s all about, the way the people feel. It’s not about the sellout performances and the caliber of the bands who appear here. It’s about the people who buy tickets, having a good time.” Avis Thomas-Lester, “A Club Owner’s Mojo,” Washington Post , December 28, 2009, accessed May 11, 2011, http://views.washingtonpost.com/on-success/what-it-takes/2009/12/seth_hurwitz.html .

Source: Photo courtesy of Kevin Dooley , http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/4530723795/ .

That’s Seth Hurwitz quoted in the Washington Post , talking about his 9:30 Club, a small venue playing over-the-hill bands on the way down, and fresh acts scratching their way up.

The story’s curious detail is that even though Hurwitz calls his company I.M.P. (It’s My Party), he doesn’t spend much time at his club. In fact, he’s almost never there. Part of the reason is that his workday begins at 6 a.m., so he’s actually back in bed preparing for the next day before his enterprise gets going in earnest each night. His job is straightforward: sitting in the second floor office of his suburban DC home, he scrutinizes the music publications and statistics, probing for bands that people want to see and that won’t charge too much to appear. He told the Post that he won’t book an act as a favor, and he won’t flatter a group into playing his club to keep them away from the competition by overpaying them. “I don’t subscribe,” he says, “to doing shows that will lose money.”

Hurwitz has been connected with music in one way or another for almost as long as he can remember. The Post relates some of his early memories:

He rigged a system to broadcast radio from his basement to his parents and brothers in the living room. “I used to bring my singles into class and play them,” Hurwitz said. When he was 16, he decided he wanted to be a deejay and got his chance when alternative rock station WHFS gave him a spot. “It was from 7:45 to 8—fifteen minutes,” he said, laughing. “But that was okay because I wanted to be on the radio, and I had my own show, as a high school student.” He said he was fired “for being too progressive.” Avis Thomas-Lester, “A Club Owner’s Mojo,” Washington Post , December 28, 2009, accessed May 11, 2011, http://views.washingtonpost.com/on-success/what-it-takes/2009/12/seth_hurwitz.html .

It’s a long way from getting fired for playing music too obscure for alternative radio to where Hurwitz is now: putting on concerts by bands selected because they’ll make money.

Exercise $\PageIndex{4}$

What, if anything, is Hurwitz the older concert promoter compromising to get ahead? Is there an ethical objection that could be raised here? If so, what? If not, why not?
When Hurwitz was a deejay, he played records that led people to change the station. Then the station changed him. Is this an example of business regulating itself? Is there an ethical side to this, or is it just the way money works? Explain.
From the information given, would you judge that Hurwitz is successful in business? Why or why not?
Are all these questions part of institutional business ethics or personal business ethics? Explain.
Do people who run their own company have an ethical responsibility to separate friends from business?
One nice thing about Hurwitz working upstairs in his own house is that he can show up for work in the morning in his pajamas. Should all places of business be like that—with people free to wear whatever they want for work? Explain your answer from an ethical perspective.
If you go to a concert on a Wednesday and are too hung over to make it to work on Thursday, what should you tell your boss on Friday? That you were hung over? That your car broke down? Something else? Justify.
Should Hurwitz accept some responsibility and blame for absent employees? Explain.

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Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics Provided by Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business, during the period 1987-94 Arthur Andersen funded a $5 million joint project with 525 universities to raise awareness of ethical issues in business. This collection of 90 case studies is one product of that effort. All participating universities, including Carnegie Mellon, have license to use these materials and reproduce them as needed for instructional purposes.
The Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI) ECI is a membership association and research institution that empowers organizations to build and sustain the programs that are proven to increase integrity in organizations. They help leaders create strong ethical workplace cultures and successful businesses that do the right thing.
Ethics Unwrapped Ethics Unwrapped is a free educational program that combines the latest ethics research with top experts and creative zing to make learning easy, memorable, and fun. This accessible, research-based resource is used around the world by more than 1,700 colleges and universities, in hundreds of businesses and organizations, and by tens of thousands of ethics learners. This program has been made possible by generous contributions from the Pratt Endowment, the Teagle Foundation, the The University of Texas at Austin, and the McCombs School of Business.
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics has been the leader in applied ethics since 1986. Our comprehensive approach to enlightening people and organizations through materials offered on our website, customized engagements with organizations, and our commitment to Santa Clara University students to be trained in applied ethics has continued to increase our impact. Our Framework for Ethical Decision-Making is recognized by the people and organizations that reach out to the Center for resources as a clear and helpful process to make better decisions.
MIT- Management Sloan School Teaching Resources Library provides links to multiple leadership and Ethics Case Studies.
Society of Business Ethics Diverse, global group of students, scholars and business professionals from all disciplines, interested in the research, discussion, teaching and application of ethical business practices.
Ted Rogers Leadership Centre -the ethical Leadership Case Study Collection The Ted Rogers Leadership Centre’s Case Collection, developed in collaboration with experienced teaching faculty, seasoned executives, and alumni, provides instructors with real-life decision-making scenarios to help hone students’ critical-thinking skills and their understanding of what good leaders do. Cases come in both long and short forms. The long cases provide instructors with tools for delving deeply into subjects related to a variety of decision making and organizational development issues. The short cases, or “minis,” are quick in-class exercises in leadership.
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Arthur Anderson Case Studies in Business Ethics During the period 1987-94 Arthur Andersen funded a $5 million joint project with 525 universities to raise awareness of ethical issues in business. This collection of 90 case studies is one product of that effort. All participating universities, including USC, have license to use these materials and reproduce them as needed for instructional purposes. Other users are advised to consult an attorney regarding copyright issues.
CasePlace.org A free service of The Aspen Institute's Business and Society Program, casePlace.org is a practical and dynamic resource for up-to-date case studies, syllabi and innovative teaching materials on business and sustainability— from corporate governance to sustainable development.
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Marketing Mini-Cases A collection of 1-page cases on marketing ethics. Includes both a copy for students and teaching notes.
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Case Studies in Business Ethics

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Alan Kitson &
Robert Campbell

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Business and management education has the purpose of improving business practice. Many other claims are made for it but none is as intuitively or philosophically appealing as this. Employers and practitioners may sometimes take the view that business and management education exists to serve their needs for competent employees who can carry out the tasks necessary for successful operation. Therefore, education should aim to provide people with the requisite skills and appropiate attitudes as well as knowledge of business practice. Others take the view that an education should enrich the mind and develop critical faculties. Therefore, a good critical and theoretical understanding is central to the process of business education and skills and attitudes can be acquired during the early stages of employment.

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Aristotle (1947) Metaphysics (W.D. Ross trans.) in T.L. Beauchamp, Case Studies in Business Society and Ethics , Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1989.

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Malloy, D.C. and Lang, D.L. (1993) ‘An Aristotelian Approach to Case Study Analysis’, Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 12, 5 pp. 11–516.

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Mathews, J. B. et al. (1994) Policies and Persons: A Case-book in Business Ethics (2nd edn), McGraw-Hill, New York.

Simon, H. A. (1947) Administrative Behaviour: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organisations , Macmillan, New York.

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Kitson, A., Campbell, R. (1996). Case Studies in Business Ethics. In: The Ethical Organisation. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24405-8_2

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Business Ethics: Cases Analysis and Solutions Case Study

In this case, the girl was faced with a professional dilemma, which was to break the rules set by the supervisor, but in favor of improving performance. The most significant factors for the decision are the supervisor’s prohibition on personal communication, the need for the girl to learn a new program, and the remaining free time at the end of the work day. A girl’s decision to violate the supervisor’s instructions may, at worst, affect the girl, who will be reprimanded. The boss would like the software not to be used for personal purposes, and the girl would like to learn all of the shading nuances as quickly as possible. The options in this situation include: consciously breaking the rule, risking her career, enlisting the help of colleagues, as well as learning the software on her own. The first and last options would be a loss of time or reputation, so the most appropriate scenario is to ask more experienced people in the office for help.

Sophia’s case raises the problem of using her job benefits for personal gain. Significant to the solution are the fact that her son needs to print documents, the lack of a tracking system in the program, and the fact that her son brought his own paper. In the worst case, the use of the printer will cause it to wear out more or the girl’s deed may be noticed. The woman would like to be able to print personal documents so that it goes unnoticed and does not have any negative consequences. Options include not using a working printer, using it with management permission, and secretly printing papers (Moriarty, 2021). The second scenario is the best; the girl should ask her supervisor and use the equipment with his permission.

Nora’s problem is to take advantage of access to information at work through personal connections. Nora’s friend’s intention to get the job and the girl’s knowledge of all the interview questions are significant for the decision. In the worst-case scenario, the arrangement between Alice and Norv is found out at the firm. The girl would like to help her friend, but without facing the consequences of this action. Options for action include handing over all the information she has to Nora and refusing her friend. Moreover, it is possible to pass on only a portion of the information that would leave Alice needing to prove herself to HR and make the interview useful to the companyz; the latter option is the most sensible

Andres is faced with a choice between sharing information about her colleague, causing her trouble, or not telling the supervisor anything. Significant to the decision is the fact that Andres heard the conversation and the reason why the girl plans to abuse the program. In the worst-case scenario for Andrea, the supervisor learns both about the abuse and that the former knew about the abuse. The man would like to avoid having to deceive the supervisor and, in doing so, not to set the girl up. Options include the employee completely covering up the violation, telling the supervisor about the latter, and confirming the rumors without revealing names. Andres should confirm the supervisor’s concern by not naming the employee.

Max’s ethical problem is to make a decision about the abuse of authority. The facts of this situation are that the company gives the computers to the school every year, that no records are kept of the equipment being written off, and the son’s urgent need for a computer. In the worst-case scenario, Max’s bosses will find out about his actions and fine or fire him. Max would like to make the least effort to provide his child with the technology he needs to learn. Options for behavior include abuse of authority and theft of the computer, buying it with personal money. Moreover, it is possible to make an agreement with his superiors to buy back the equipment at a discount; the last scenario is the most rational.

Moriarty, J. (2021). Business Ethics . Routledge.

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7 Favorite Business Case Studies to Teach—and Why

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Case Teaching
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The Army Crew Team . Emily Michelle David of CEIBS

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To dig into what makes a compelling case study, we asked seven experienced educators who teach with—and many who write—business case studies: “What is your favorite case to teach and why?”

The resulting list of case study favorites ranges in topics from operations management and organizational structure to rebel leaders and whodunnit dramas.

1. The Army Crew Team

Emily Michelle David, Assistant Professor of Management, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

“I love teaching The Army Crew Team case because it beautifully demonstrates how a team can be so much less than the sum of its parts.

I deliver the case to executives in a nearby state-of-the-art rowing facility that features rowing machines, professional coaches, and shiny red eight-person shells.

After going through the case, they hear testimonies from former members of Chinese national crew teams before carrying their own boat to the river for a test race.

The rich learning environment helps to vividly underscore one of the case’s core messages: competition can be a double-edged sword if not properly managed.

Executives in Emily Michelle David’s organizational behavior class participate in rowing activities at a nearby facility as part of her case delivery.

Despite working for an elite headhunting firm, the executives in my most recent class were surprised to realize how much they’ve allowed their own team-building responsibilities to lapse. In the MBA pre-course, this case often leads to a rich discussion about common traps that newcomers fall into (for example, trying to do too much, too soon), which helps to poise them to both stand out in the MBA as well as prepare them for the lateral team building they will soon engage in.

Finally, I love that the post-script always gets a good laugh and serves as an early lesson that organizational behavior courses will seldom give you foolproof solutions for specific problems but will, instead, arm you with the ability to think through issues more critically.”

2. ATH Technologies

Devin Shanthikumar, Associate Professor of Accounting, Paul Merage School of Business

“As a professor at UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business, and before that at Harvard Business School, I have probably taught over 100 cases. I would like to say that my favorite case is my own, Compass Box Whisky Company . But as fun as that case is, one case beats it: ATH Technologies by Robert Simons and Jennifer Packard.

ATH presents a young entrepreneurial company that is bought by a much larger company. As part of the merger, ATH gets an ‘earn-out’ deal—common among high-tech industries. The company, and the class, must decide what to do to achieve the stretch earn-out goals.

ATH captures a scenario we all want to be in at some point in our careers—being part of a young, exciting, growing organization. And a scenario we all will likely face—having stretch goals that seem almost unreachable.

It forces us, as a class, to really struggle with what to do at each stage.

After we read and discuss the A case, we find out what happens next, and discuss the B case, then the C, then D, and even E. At every stage, we can:

see how our decisions play out,

figure out how to build on our successes, and

address our failures.

The case is exciting, the class discussion is dynamic and energetic, and in the end, we all go home with a memorable ‘ah-ha!’ moment.

I have taught many great cases over my career, but none are quite as fun, memorable, and effective as ATH .”

3. Fabritek 1992

Rob Austin, Professor of Information Systems, Ivey Business School

“This might seem like an odd choice, but my favorite case to teach is an old operations case called Fabritek 1992 .

The latest version of Fabritek 1992 is dated 2009, but it is my understanding that this is a rewrite of a case that is older (probably much older). There is a Fabritek 1969 in the HBP catalog—same basic case, older dates, and numbers. That 1969 version lists no authors, so I suspect the case goes even further back; the 1969 version is, I’m guessing, a rewrite of an even older version.

There are many things I appreciate about the case. Here are a few:

It operates as a learning opportunity at many levels. At first it looks like a not-very-glamorous production job scheduling case. By the end of the case discussion, though, we’re into (operations) strategy and more. It starts out technical, then explodes into much broader relevance. As I tell participants when I’m teaching HBP's Teaching with Cases seminars —where I often use Fabritek as an example—when people first encounter this case, they almost always underestimate it.

It has great characters—especially Arthur Moreno, who looks like a troublemaker, but who, discussion reveals, might just be the smartest guy in the factory. Alums of the Harvard MBA program have told me that they remember Arthur Moreno many years later.

Almost every word in the case is important. It’s only four and a half pages of text and three pages of exhibits. This economy of words and sparsity of style have always seemed like poetry to me. I should note that this super concise, every-word-matters approach is not the ideal we usually aspire to when we write cases. Often, we include extra or superfluous information because part of our teaching objective is to provide practice in separating what matters from what doesn’t in a case. Fabritek takes a different approach, though, which fits it well.

It has a dramatic structure. It unfolds like a detective story, a sort of whodunnit. Something is wrong. There is a quality problem, and we’re not sure who or what is responsible. One person, Arthur Moreno, looks very guilty (probably too obviously guilty), but as we dig into the situation, there are many more possibilities. We spend in-class time analyzing the data (there’s a bit of math, so it covers that base, too) to determine which hypotheses are best supported by the data. And, realistically, the data doesn’t support any of the hypotheses perfectly, just some of them more than others. Also, there’s a plot twist at the end (I won’t reveal it, but here’s a hint: Arthur Moreno isn’t nearly the biggest problem in the final analysis). I have had students tell me the surprising realization at the end of the discussion gives them ‘goosebumps.’

Finally, through the unexpected plot twist, it imparts what I call a ‘wisdom lesson’ to young managers: not to be too sure of themselves and to regard the experiences of others, especially experts out on the factory floor, with great seriousness.”

4. Lincoln Electric Co.

Karin Schnarr, Assistant Professor of Policy, Wilfrid Laurier University

“As a strategy professor, my favorite case to teach is the classic 1975 Harvard case Lincoln Electric Co. by Norman Berg.

I use it to demonstrate to students the theory linkage between strategy and organizational structure, management processes, and leadership behavior.

This case may be an odd choice for a favorite. It occurs decades before my students were born. It is pages longer than we are told students are now willing to read. It is about manufacturing arc welding equipment in Cleveland, Ohio—a hard sell for a Canadian business classroom.

Yet, I have never come across a case that so perfectly illustrates what I want students to learn about how a company can be designed from an organizational perspective to successfully implement its strategy.

And in a time where so much focus continues to be on how to maximize shareholder value, it is refreshing to be able to discuss a publicly-traded company that is successfully pursuing a strategy that provides a fair value to shareholders while distributing value to employees through a large bonus pool, as well as value to customers by continually lowering prices.

However, to make the case resonate with today’s students, I work to make it relevant to the contemporary business environment. I link the case to multimedia clips about Lincoln Electric’s current manufacturing practices, processes, and leadership practices. My students can then see that a model that has been in place for generations is still viable and highly successful, even in our very different competitive situation.”

5. Pal’s Sudden Service—Scaling an Organizational Model to Drive Growth

Gary Pisano, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

“My favorite case to teach these days is Pal’s Sudden Service—Scaling an Organizational Model to Drive Growth .

I love teaching this case for three reasons:

1. It demonstrates how a company in a super-tough, highly competitive business can do very well by focusing on creating unique operating capabilities. In theory, Pal’s should have no chance against behemoths like McDonalds or Wendy’s—but it thrives because it has built a unique operating system. It’s a great example of a strategic approach to operations in action.

2. The case shows how a strategic approach to human resource and talent development at all levels really matters. This company competes in an industry not known for engaging its front-line workers. The case shows how engaging these workers can really pay off.

3. Finally, Pal’s is really unusual in its approach to growth. Most companies set growth goals (usually arbitrary ones) and then try to figure out how to ‘backfill’ the human resource and talent management gaps. They trust you can always find someone to do the job. Pal’s tackles the growth problem completely the other way around. They rigorously select and train their future managers. Only when they have a manager ready to take on their own store do they open a new one. They pace their growth off their capacity to develop talent. I find this really fascinating and so do the students I teach this case to.”

6. The United States Air Force: ‘Chaos’ in the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron

Francesca Gino, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

“My favorite case to teach is The United States Air Force: ‘Chaos’ in the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron .

The case surprises students because it is about a leader, known in the unit by the nickname Chaos , who inspired his squadron to be innovative and to change in a culture that is all about not rocking the boat, and where there is a deep sense that rules should simply be followed.

For years, I studied ‘rebels,’ people who do not accept the status quo; rather, they approach work with curiosity and produce positive change in their organizations. Chaos is a rebel leader who got the level of cultural change right. Many of the leaders I’ve met over the years complain about the ‘corporate culture,’ or at least point to clear weaknesses of it; but then they throw their hands up in the air and forget about changing what they can.

Chaos is different—he didn’t go after the ‘Air Force’ culture. That would be like boiling the ocean.

Instead, he focused on his unit of control and command: The 99th squadron. He focused on enabling that group to do what it needed to do within the confines of the bigger Air Force culture. In the process, he inspired everyone on his team to be the best they can be at work.

The case leaves the classroom buzzing and inspired to take action.”

7. Warren E. Buffett, 2015

Robert F. Bruner, Professor of Business Administration, Darden School of Business

“I love teaching Warren E. Buffett, 2015 because it energizes, exercises, and surprises students.

Buffett looms large in the business firmament and therefore attracts anyone who is eager to learn his secrets for successful investing. This generates the kind of energy that helps to break the ice among students and instructors early in a course and to lay the groundwork for good case discussion practices.

Studying Buffett’s approach to investing helps to introduce and exercise important themes that will resonate throughout a course. The case challenges students to define for themselves what it means to create value. The case discussion can easily be tailored for novices or for more advanced students.

Either way, this is not hero worship: The case affords a critical examination of the financial performance of Buffett’s firm, Berkshire Hathaway, and reveals both triumphs and stumbles. Most importantly, students can critique the purported benefits of Buffett’s conglomeration strategy and the sustainability of his investment record as the size of the firm grows very large.

By the end of the class session, students seem surprised with what they have discovered. They buzz over the paradoxes in Buffett’s philosophy and performance record. And they come away with sober respect for Buffett’s acumen and for the challenges of creating value for investors.

Surely, such sobriety is a meta-message for any mastery of finance.”

More Educator Favorites

Emily Michelle David is an assistant professor of management at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Her current research focuses on discovering how to make workplaces more welcoming for people of all backgrounds and personality profiles to maximize performance and avoid employee burnout. David’s work has been published in a number of scholarly journals, and she has worked as an in-house researcher at both NASA and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Devin Shanthikumar is an associate professor and the accounting area coordinator at UCI Paul Merage School of Business. She teaches undergraduate, MBA, and executive-level courses in managerial accounting. Shanthikumar previously served on the faculty at Harvard Business School, where she taught both financial accounting and managerial accounting for MBAs, and wrote cases that are used in accounting courses across the country.

Robert D. Austin is a professor of information systems at Ivey Business School and an affiliated faculty member at Harvard Medical School. He has published widely, authoring nine books, more than 50 cases and notes, three Harvard online products, and two popular massive open online courses (MOOCs) running on the Coursera platform.

Karin Schnarr is an assistant professor of policy and the director of the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program at the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada where she teaches strategic management at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. Schnarr has published several award-winning and best-selling cases and regularly presents at international conferences on case writing and scholarship.

Gary P. Pisano is the Harry E. Figgie, Jr. Professor of Business Administration and senior associate dean of faculty development at Harvard Business School, where he has been on the faculty since 1988. Pisano is an expert in the fields of technology and operations strategy, the management of innovation, and competitive strategy. His research and consulting experience span a range of industries including aerospace, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, health care, nutrition, computers, software, telecommunications, and semiconductors.

Francesca Gino studies how people can have more productive, creative, and fulfilling lives. She is a professor at Harvard Business School and the author, most recently, of Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life . Gino regularly gives keynote speeches, delivers corporate training programs, and serves in advisory roles for firms and not-for-profit organizations across the globe.

Robert F. Bruner is a university professor at the University of Virginia, distinguished professor of business administration, and dean emeritus of the Darden School of Business. He has also held visiting appointments at Harvard and Columbia universities in the United States, at INSEAD in France, and at IESE in Spain. He is the author, co-author, or editor of more than 20 books on finance, management, and teaching. Currently, he teaches and writes in finance and management.

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40 Case: Business communication ethics

Case authors: Jerred Flynn, James Hills, and Ravneel Prasad

This case/scenario is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 International license.

Activity Guidelines

Suggested course level

Lower level undergraduate course

Activity purpose

Students will complete a case relating to conflict management

Materials required

Activity instructions

Enron was a multibillion-dollar energy company who, through dishonest accounting practices, was able to hide their losses till the point where their next major merger fell through. They did this with shell companies that they would off load their losses to, to make their own financials look pristine. At the point of the failed merger, they filed for bankruptcy as their liabilities were too much for them to stay afloat. This resulted in tens of thousands of people to lose millions, both in pensions and shares of the company they could not sell.

Questions before the case

1) Is it alright to exaggerate anything when submitting official documents? Be it a resume, timesheet, or something else.

2) Back when all of this happened, the incentivization for people who came forward with information (whistleblowers) was almost non-existent. Should there be incentives beyond the social recognition of “doing the right thing” for whistleblowers?

3) If you are a manager, is it ever right to bend the truth so that you and those under you can keep your jobs or tell the truth and possibly lose them?

Revenue Recognition: Why Doing Something Different Isn’t Always Better.

In the case of Enron, they, like most of their competition, had a system of “historical cost” principles they had to follow when they booked their revenue. Basically, they bought the natural gas they sold at a given price, and when they sold it at whatever price they could get for it, they took the costs off and reported that as profit. This was how it worked in any given year to account for fluctuations in the selling price; they had to wait until they sold the gas before they could record revenues.

However, their executives lobbied for, and got, the permission from the SEC to change the way they reported their revenues. Instead of following the “historical cost” model, they switched to a “mark-to-market” model, which allowed them to record the profits on their contracts before the contracts were fulfilled. This led to several concerning outcomes. They were booking hypothetical profits as actual profits before they had sold their natural gas, based on forecasts of what the market would do. But they were booking this profit on contracts that had 20 years to fulfil, in some cases. The first concern is what they would do if they couldn’t continue signing these contracts, and revenues dropped off. The second is what would happen if they wound up having to sell the gas at lower prices than forecasted.

In short, they switched from a system of recognizing revenue after the transaction happened to a system where they recognized revenue at some value which they thought they would get for it at some time in the future. By using this “fair-value” system, it became a system that was almost entirely dependent on manager forecasting, which is almost impossible for managers to accurately calculate and even closer to impossible for anyone else to check (Benston, 2003).

Insider Trading: Making Sure the Boss Gets His…Money, That Is

Alongside the issues Enron was beginning to face from their CEO’s resignation for “personal reasons,” both internal and external sources began to realize that there were issues with the accounting processes at Enron (Healy, 2003). An Enron VP began to raise concerns about the issues with some of the reporting happening, and as such, got both internal and external auditors involved. The external auditors, Arthur Andersen LLP, had their lawyer contact Enron to “remind” them that the official action to take with old documentation was to shred it. All of this eventually led to October 2001.

On October 16, 2001, Enron filed their quarterly earnings statements. When they did this, it came to light that they had incurred their first (recognized) loss in four years. Also included in this figure is the write-down, or loss of income, of more than $1 billion. Finally, one of their subsidiaries which they were using to hide debt was terminated before Enron would be called on to exercise 58 million share options, which caused Enron to have to clear another $1.2 billion dollars from their balance sheet (Thomas, 2002). At this point, the Securities and Exchange Commission began to get involved. However, this isn’t where the insider trading began.

At this point, many of the Enron employees had been compelled to use their company pensions to buy Enron stock. More importantly, many of them had wanted to: the company was doing phenomenally well up to this point, and they saw opportunities for massive returns. However, on October 17, the day after the damning earnings statements, the company announced that their pension plan administrators had changed. This meant, by law, that no trading could happen with Enron’s pension plan assets for 30 days (Healy). So, in the wake of the most terrible earnings statement Enron had released, the employees had their pensions frozen and were unable to do anything about it. The worst aspect of this, however, was that the executives were still free to exercise their stock options and sell the stocks in the open market: this ban on trading only meaningfully affected the rank-and-file employees.

So, not only did Enron’s employees wind up by losing their jobs when Enron filed for bankruptcy in December 2001, they also wound up by losing their entire pension as well (Healy).

There were no good outcomes to the Enron saga; millions of investors lost billions of dollars, the employees wound up unemployed with their life savings wiped out, many of the executives spent years in jail, and two major corporate entities wound up bankrupted. But the conclusions to be learned are quite simple: in the absence of truthful, good faith communication, it doesn’t matter how good you engineer yourself to look. If you lie, cheat, falsify, you will wind up losing everything in the end.

With this information discuss with your group how Enron’s exaggeration of their financials and other unethical dealings led to their bankruptcy. Also discuss the questions posed at the beginning of the case, and if any of your perspectives have changed after reading this case.

Benston, G., Bromwich, M., & Litan, R. E. (2003). Following the money : The Enron failure and the state of corporate disclosure. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Healy, Paul and Krishna Palepu (2003). The Fall of Enron, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 17, No. 2. Retrieved from http://www-personal.umich.edu/~kathrynd/JEP.FallofEnron.pdf

Thomas, C. William (2002). The Rise and Fall of Enron, Journal of Accountancy. Retrieved from https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2002/apr/theriseandfallofenron.html

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Tags: business communication case, business communication scenario, business communication ethics, Enron

Case: Business communication ethics Copyright © 2020 by Melissa Ashman; Arley Cruthers; Sarah Duncan; John Grant; Karen Inkster Vance; and Panteli Tritchew is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Defining Rule of Law
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Legal Sources & UN CT Strategy
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Core Principles of IHL
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Relationship between IHL & intern. human rights law
Limitations Permitted by Human Rights Law
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Topic 2. Contemporary issues relating to the right to life
Topic 3. Contemporary issues relating to foreign terrorist fighters
Topic 4. Contemporary issues relating to non-discrimination and fundamental freedoms
Module 16: Linkages between Organized Crime and Terrorism
Thematic Areas
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Acknowledgements
1. Introducing United Nations Standards & Norms on CPCJ vis-à-vis International Law
2. Scope of United Nations Standards & Norms on CPCJ
3. United Nations Standards & Norms on CPCJ in Operation
1. Definition of Crime Prevention
2. Key Crime Prevention Typologies
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4. Issues in Implementing Restorative Justice
1. Gender-Based Discrimination & Women in Conflict with the Law
2. Vulnerabilities of Girls in Conflict with the Law
3. Discrimination and Violence against LGBTI Individuals
4. Gender Diversity in Criminal Justice Workforce
1. Ending Violence against Women
2. Human Rights Approaches to Violence against Women
3. Who Has Rights in this Situation?
4. What about the Men?
5. Local, Regional & Global Solutions to Violence against Women & Girls
1. Understanding the Concept of Victims of Crime
2. Impact of Crime, including Trauma
3. Right of Victims to Adequate Response to their Needs
4. Collecting Victim Data
5. Victims and their Participation in Criminal Justice Process
6. Victim Services: Institutional and Non-Governmental Organizations
7. Outlook on Current Developments Regarding Victims
8. Victims of Crime and International Law
1. The Many Forms of Violence against Children
2. The Impact of Violence on Children
3. States' Obligations to Prevent VAC and Protect Child Victims
4. Improving the Prevention of Violence against Children
5. Improving the Criminal Justice Response to VAC
6. Addressing Violence against Children within the Justice System
1. The Role of the Justice System
2. Convention on the Rights of the Child & International Legal Framework on Children's Rights
3. Justice for Children
4. Justice for Children in Conflict with the Law
5. Realizing Justice for Children
1a. Judicial Independence as Fundamental Value of Rule of Law & of Constitutionalism
1b. Main Factors Aimed at Securing Judicial Independence
2a. Public Prosecutors as ‘Gate Keepers’ of Criminal Justice
2b. Institutional and Functional Role of Prosecutors
2c. Other Factors Affecting the Role of Prosecutors
Basics of Computing
Global Connectivity and Technology Usage Trends
Cybercrime in Brief
Cybercrime Trends
Cybercrime Prevention
Offences against computer data and systems
Computer-related offences
Content-related offences
The Role of Cybercrime Law
Harmonization of Laws
International and Regional Instruments
International Human Rights and Cybercrime Law
Digital Evidence
Digital Forensics
Standards and Best Practices for Digital Forensics
Reporting Cybercrime
Who Conducts Cybercrime Investigations?
Obstacles to Cybercrime Investigations
Knowledge Management
Legal and Ethical Obligations
Handling of Digital Evidence
Digital Evidence Admissibility
Sovereignty and Jurisdiction
Formal International Cooperation Mechanisms
Informal International Cooperation Mechanisms
Data Retention, Preservation and Access
Challenges Relating to Extraterritorial Evidence
National Capacity and International Cooperation
Internet Governance
Cybersecurity Strategies: Basic Features
National Cybersecurity Strategies
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Cybersecurity Posture
Assets, Vulnerabilities and Threats
Vulnerability Disclosure
Cybersecurity Measures and Usability
Situational Crime Prevention
Incident Detection, Response, Recovery & Preparedness
Privacy: What it is and Why it is Important
Privacy and Security
Cybercrime that Compromises Privacy
Data Protection Legislation
Data Breach Notification Laws
Enforcement of Privacy and Data Protection Laws
Intellectual Property: What it is
Types of Intellectual Property
Causes for Cyber-Enabled Copyright & Trademark Offences
Protection & Prevention Efforts
Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Cyberstalking and Cyberharassment
Cyberbullying
Gender-Based Interpersonal Cybercrime
Interpersonal Cybercrime Prevention
Cyber Organized Crime: What is it?
Conceptualizing Organized Crime & Defining Actors Involved
Criminal Groups Engaging in Cyber Organized Crime
Cyber Organized Crime Activities
Preventing & Countering Cyber Organized Crime
Cyberespionage
Cyberterrorism
Cyberwarfare
Information Warfare, Disinformation & Electoral Fraud
Responses to Cyberinterventions
Framing the Issue of Firearms
Direct Impact of Firearms
Indirect Impacts of Firearms on States or Communities
International and National Responses
Typology and Classification of Firearms
Common Firearms Types
'Other' Types of Firearms
Parts and Components
History of the Legitimate Arms Market
Need for a Legitimate Market
Key Actors in the Legitimate Market
Authorized & Unauthorized Arms Transfers
Illegal Firearms in Social, Cultural & Political Context
Supply, Demand & Criminal Motivations
Larger Scale Firearms Trafficking Activities
Smaller Scale Trafficking Activities
Sources of Illicit Firearms
Consequences of Illicit Markets
International Public Law & Transnational Law
International Instruments with Global Outreach
Commonalities, Differences & Complementarity between Global Instruments
Tools to Support Implementation of Global Instruments
Other United Nations Processes
The Sustainable Development Goals
Multilateral & Regional Instruments
Scope of National Firearms Regulations
National Firearms Strategies & Action Plans
Harmonization of National Legislation with International Firearms Instruments
Assistance for Development of National Firearms Legislation
Firearms Trafficking as a Cross-Cutting Element
Organized Crime and Organized Criminal Groups
Criminal Gangs
Terrorist Groups
Interconnections between Organized Criminal Groups & Terrorist Groups
Gangs - Organized Crime & Terrorism: An Evolving Continuum
International Response
International and National Legal Framework
Firearms Related Offences
Role of Law Enforcement
Firearms as Evidence
Use of Special Investigative Techniques
International Cooperation and Information Exchange
Prosecution and Adjudication of Firearms Trafficking
Teaching Methods & Principles
Ethical Learning Environments
Overview of Modules
Module Adaption & Design Guidelines
Table of Exercises
Basic Terms
Forms of Gender Discrimination
Ethics of Care
Case Studies for Professional Ethics
Case Studies for Role Morality
Additional Exercises
Defining Organized Crime
Definition in Convention
Similarities & Differences
Activities, Organization, Composition
Thinking Critically Through Fiction
Excerpts of Legislation
Research & Independent Study Questions
Legal Definitions of Organized Crimes
Criminal Association
Definitions in the Organized Crime Convention
Criminal Organizations and Enterprise Laws
Enabling Offence: Obstruction of Justice
Drug Trafficking
Wildlife & Forest Crime
Counterfeit Products Trafficking
Falsified Medical Products
Trafficking in Cultural Property
Trafficking in Persons
Case Studies & Exercises
Extortion Racketeering
Loansharking
Links to Corruption
Bribery versus Extortion
Money-Laundering
Liability of Legal Persons
How much Organized Crime is there?
Alternative Ways for Measuring
Measuring Product Markets
Risk Assessment
Key Concepts of Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment of Organized Crime Groups
Risk Assessment of Product Markets
Risk Assessment in Practice
Positivism: Environmental Influences
Classical: Pain-Pleasure Decisions
Structural Factors
Ethical Perspective
Crime Causes & Facilitating Factors
Models and Structure
Hierarchical Model
Local, Cultural Model
Enterprise or Business Model
Groups vs Activities
Networked Structure
Jurisdiction
Investigators of Organized Crime
Controlled Deliveries
Physical & Electronic Surveillance
Undercover Operations
Financial Analysis
Use of Informants
Rights of Victims & Witnesses
Role of Prosecutors
Adversarial vs Inquisitorial Legal Systems
Mitigating Punishment
Granting Immunity from Prosecution
Witness Protection
Aggravating & Mitigating Factors
Sentencing Options
Alternatives to Imprisonment
Death Penalty & Organized Crime
Backgrounds of Convicted Offenders
Confiscation
Confiscation in Practice
Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA)
Extradition
Transfer of Criminal Proceedings
Transfer of Sentenced Persons
Module 12: Prevention of Organized Crime
Adoption of Organized Crime Convention
Historical Context
Features of the Convention
Related international instruments
Conference of the Parties
Roles of Participants
Structure and Flow
Recommended Topics
Background Materials
What is Sex / Gender / Intersectionality?
Knowledge about Gender in Organized Crime
Gender and Organized Crime
Gender and Different Types of Organized Crime
Definitions and Terminology
Organized crime and Terrorism - International Legal Framework
International Terrorism-related Conventions
UNSC Resolutions on Terrorism
Organized Crime Convention and its Protocols
Theoretical Frameworks on Linkages between Organized Crime and Terrorism
Typologies of Criminal Behaviour Associated with Terrorism
Terrorism and Drug Trafficking
Terrorism and Trafficking in Weapons
Terrorism, Crime and Trafficking in Cultural Property
Trafficking in Persons and Terrorism
Intellectual Property Crime and Terrorism
Kidnapping for Ransom and Terrorism
Exploitation of Natural Resources and Terrorism
Review and Assessment Questions
Research and Independent Study Questions
Criminalization of Smuggling of Migrants
UNTOC & the Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants
Offences under the Protocol
Financial & Other Material Benefits
Aggravating Circumstances
Criminal Liability
Non-Criminalization of Smuggled Migrants
Scope of the Protocol
Humanitarian Exemption
Migrant Smuggling v. Irregular Migration
Migrant Smuggling vis-a-vis Other Crime Types
Other Resources
Assistance and Protection in the Protocol
International Human Rights and Refugee Law
Vulnerable groups
Positive and Negative Obligations of the State
Identification of Smuggled Migrants
Participation in Legal Proceedings
Role of Non-Governmental Organizations
Smuggled Migrants & Other Categories of Migrants
Short-, Mid- and Long-Term Measures
Criminal Justice Reponse: Scope
Investigative & Prosecutorial Approaches
Different Relevant Actors & Their Roles
Testimonial Evidence
Financial Investigations
Non-Governmental Organizations
‘Outside the Box’ Methodologies
Intra- and Inter-Agency Coordination
Admissibility of Evidence
International Cooperation
Exchange of Information
Non-Criminal Law Relevant to Smuggling of Migrants
Administrative Approach
Complementary Activities & Role of Non-criminal Justice Actors
Macro-Perspective in Addressing Smuggling of Migrants
Human Security
International Aid and Cooperation
Migration & Migrant Smuggling
Mixed Migration Flows
Social Politics of Migrant Smuggling
Vulnerability
Profile of Smugglers
Role of Organized Criminal Groups
Humanitarianism, Security and Migrant Smuggling
Crime of Trafficking in Persons
The Issue of Consent
The Purpose of Exploitation
The abuse of a position of vulnerability
Indicators of Trafficking in Persons
Distinction between Trafficking in Persons and Other Crimes
Misconceptions Regarding Trafficking in Persons
Root Causes
Supply Side Prevention Strategies
Demand Side Prevention Strategies
Role of the Media
Safe Migration Channels
Crime Prevention Strategies
Monitoring, Evaluating & Reporting on Effectiveness of Prevention
Trafficked Persons as Victims
Protection under the Protocol against Trafficking in Persons
Broader International Framework
State Responsibility for Trafficking in Persons
Identification of Victims
Principle of Non-Criminalization of Victims
Criminal Justice Duties Imposed on States
Role of the Criminal Justice System
Current Low Levels of Prosecutions and Convictions
Challenges to an Effective Criminal Justice Response
Rights of Victims to Justice and Protection
Potential Strategies to “Turn the Tide”
State Cooperation with Civil Society
Civil Society Actors
The Private Sector
Comparing SOM and TIP
Differences and Commonalities
Vulnerability and Continuum between SOM & TIP
Labour Exploitation
Forced Marriage
Other Examples
Children on the Move
Protecting Smuggled and Trafficked Children
Protection in Practice
Children Alleged as Having Committed Smuggling or Trafficking Offences
Basic Terms - Gender and Gender Stereotypes
International Legal Frameworks and Definitions of TIP and SOM
Global Overview on TIP and SOM
Gender and Migration
Key Debates in the Scholarship on TIP and SOM
Gender and TIP and SOM Offenders
Responses to TIP and SOM
Use of Technology to Facilitate TIP and SOM
Technology Facilitating Trafficking in Persons
Technology in Smuggling of Migrants
Using Technology to Prevent and Combat TIP and SOM
Privacy and Data Concerns
Emerging Trends
Demand and Consumption
Supply and Demand
Implications of Wildlife Trafficking
Legal and Illegal Markets
Perpetrators and their Networks
Locations and Activities relating to Wildlife Trafficking
Environmental Protection & Conservation
CITES & the International Trade in Endangered Species
Organized Crime & Corruption
Animal Welfare
Criminal Justice Actors and Agencies
Criminalization of Wildlife Trafficking
Challenges for Law Enforcement
Investigation Measures and Detection Methods
Prosecution and Judiciary
Wild Flora as the Target of Illegal Trafficking
Purposes for which Wild Flora is Illegally Targeted
How is it Done and Who is Involved?
Consequences of Harms to Wild Flora
Terminology
Background: Communities and conservation: A history of disenfranchisement
Incentives for communities to get involved in illegal wildlife trafficking: the cost of conservation
Incentives to participate in illegal wildlife, logging and fishing economies
International and regional responses that fight wildlife trafficking while supporting IPLCs
Mechanisms for incentivizing community conservation and reducing wildlife trafficking
Critiques of community engagement
Other challenges posed by wildlife trafficking that affect local populations
Global Podcast Series
Apr. 2021: Call for Expressions of Interest: Online training for academics from francophone Africa
Feb. 2021: Series of Seminars for Universities of Central Asia
Dec. 2020: UNODC and TISS Conference on Access to Justice to End Violence
Nov. 2020: Expert Workshop for University Lecturers and Trainers from the Commonwealth of Independent States
Oct. 2020: E4J Webinar Series: Youth Empowerment through Education for Justice
Interview: How to use E4J's tool in teaching on TIP and SOM
E4J-Open University Online Training-of-Trainers Course
Teaching Integrity and Ethics Modules: Survey Results
Grants Programmes
E4J MUN Resource Guide
Library of Resources
Integrity & Ethics
Module 12: Integrity, Ethics & Law
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University Module Series: Integrity & Ethics

Module 12: integrity, ethics and law.

This module is a resource for lecturers

Case studies.

Choose one or more of the following case studies and lead a discussion which allows students to address and debate issues of integrity, ethics and law. If time allows, let the students vote on which case studies they want to discuss.

For lecturers teaching large classes, case studies with multiple parts and different methods of solution lend themselves well to the group size and energy in such an environment. Lecturers can begin by having students vote on which case study they prefer. Lecturers could break down analysis of the chosen case study into steps which appear to students in sequential order, thereby ensuring that larger groups stay on track. Lecturers may instruct students to discuss questions in a small group without moving from their seat, and nominate one person to speak for the group if called upon. There is no need to provide excessive amounts of time for group discussion, as ideas can be developed further with the class as a whole. Lecturers can vary the group they call upon to encourage responsive participation.

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Supported by the state of qatar, 60 years crime congress.

The Ethical Leadership Case Study Collection

The Ted Rogers Leadership Centre’s Case Collection, developed in collaboration with experienced teaching faculty, seasoned executives, and alumni, provides instructors with real-life decision-making scenarios to help hone students’ critical-thinking skills and their understanding of what good leaders do. They will be able to leverage the theories, models, and processes being advanced. Students come to understand that workplace dilemmas are rarely black and white, but require them to think through and address competing claims and circumstances. Crucially, they also appreciate how they can, as new leaders and middle managers, improve decisions by creating realistic action plans based on sound stakeholder analysis and communication principles. These case studies are offered free of charge to all instructors.

group of students at a round table during the Top 200 Program summit

Cases come in both long and short forms. The long cases provide instructors with tools for delving deeply into subjects related to a variety of decision making and organizational development issues. The short cases, or “minis,” are quick in-class exercises in leadership.

For both the long cases and the minis, teaching-method notes are provided, which include not only recommended in-class facilitation methods, but also grading rubrics, references, and student feedback.

Testimonials

“I have been invited to judge the Leadership Centre’s Annual Ethical Leadership National Case Competition since its inception. Each year, competitors are given a Centre’s case to analyze and present. These cases are like nothing else. They bring the student into the heart of the situation. To excel, students must not only be able to cogently argue the options, but also demonstrate how to implement a decision based on a clear-eyed stakeholder analysis and an understanding of the dynamics of change.” Anne Fawcett, Special Advisor, Caldwell Partners

“I have worked with the Ted Rogers Leadership Centre to both develop and pilot test case materials. Feedback consistently shows that the Centre’s cases resonate with students, providing them with valuable learning experiences.” Chris Gibbs, BComm, MBA, PhD, Associate Professor

"As a judge in the recent national Ted Rogers Ethical Leadership Case Competition, I was very impressed with the quality of the case study prepared by the Leadership Centre. It was brief but well-composed. It exposed the students to ethical quandaries, of the sort they may well face in their business careers. It not only tested their reasoning, but it challenged them to develop a plan of action when faced with incomplete information and imminent deadlines.” Lorne Salzman, Lawyer

We value your feedback

Please inform us of your experience by contacting Dr. Gail Cook Johnson, our mentor-in-residence, at [email protected] .

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COMMENTS

Case Studies
More than 70 cases pair ethics concepts with real world situations. From journalism, performing arts, and scientific research to sports, law, and business, these case studies explore current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences. Each case includes discussion questions, related videos, and a bibliography.
Business Ethics Cases
A Business Ethics Case Study. An employee at an after-school learning institution must balance a decision to accept or decline an offered gift, while considering the cultural norms of the client, upholding the best interests of all stakeholders, and following the operational rules of his employer.
Short case study on business ethics with solutions
The short case study on business ethics with solutions underscores the importance of business ethics in fostering trust, sustainability, and long-term success. By confronting ethical dilemmas head-on and implementing proactive solutions, companies can uphold their integrity, protect their reputation, and create value for all stakeholders ...
Ethical Business Practices: Case Studies and Lessons Learned
by Seneca ESG. 2023-10-10. Introduction. Ethical business practices are a cornerstone of any successful company, influencing not only the public perception of a brand but also its long-term profitability. However, understanding what constitutes ethical behavior and how to implement it can be a complex process.
PDF The Ethical Dilemma
PART I: ETHICS & THE INDIVIDUAL 1 Business & Ethics: The Ethical Dilemma "WebTeb case" Beauchamp and Bowie, "Ethical Theory and Business Practice: Fundamental Concepts and Problems" Prepare case study Submit on-line poll 2 Giving Voice to Values: Responding to Values Challenges "Man in the Mirror (A)" Prepare case study
Research: Business Case Studies: Open Access Cases
Ethics Unwrapped - McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin More than 50 case studies match ethics concepts to real world situations. From journalism to performing arts to foreign policy to scientific research to social work, these cases explore a range of current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences.
Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics
During the period 1987-94 Arthur Andersen funded a $5 million joint project with 525 universities to raise. awareness of ethical issues in business. This collection of 90 case studies is one product of that effort. All participating universities, including Carnegie Mellon, have license to use these materials and reproduce them as needed for ...
1.6: Case Studies
The three principle components of business ethics are facts, values, and arguments. ... Case Studies is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, ... the California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program, and Merlot. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120 ...
Ethics: Articles, Research, & Case Studies on Ethics- HBS Working Knowledge
Corporate misconduct has grown in the past 30 years, with losses often totaling billions of dollars. What businesses may not realize is that misconduct often results from managers who set unrealistic expectations, leading decent people to take unethical shortcuts, says Lynn S. Paine. 23 Apr 2024.
Research Guides: Business Ethics: Case Studies & Web Resources
Web Resources. Provided by Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business, during the period 1987-94 Arthur Andersen funded a $5 million joint project with 525 universities to raise awareness of ethical issues in business. This collection of 90 case studies is one product of that effort. All participating universities, including Carnegie Mellon ...
PDF Business Ethics: The Case for Operating with Integrity
"Business ethics" is a broad term that defines "good" versus "bad" behavior in business. More specifically, the phrase encompasses policies and practices regarding controversial issues such as corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility and fiduciary responsibilities ("Business ...
Business Ethics: Case Studies
A large number of case studies looking at many different issues in international business ethics, including issues of intellectual property, social responsibility, and relations between business and governments. Marketing Mini-Cases. A collection of 1-page cases on marketing ethics. Includes both a copy for students and teaching notes.
A case study of ethical issue at Gucci in Shenzhen, China
We shall draw on two very different perspectives to conduct a moral evaluation of the labor management practices in the Gucci case. The first perspective is that of traditional Confucian ethics, the second is modern labor rights theory. 1. Confucianism. The core of Confucian ethics is comprised of five values.
PDF Case Studies in Business Ethics
Ethics 1 The Use of Cases in the Study of Business Ethics Business and management education has the purpose of improving business practice. Many other claims are made for it but none is as intuitively or philosophically appealing as this. Employers and practitioners may some times take the view that business and management education exists to ...
Business Ethics Short Case Studies
Business Ethics ICMR Case Collection provides teachers, corporate trainers, and management professionals with a variety of teaching and reference material. The collection consists of case studies and research reports on a wide range of companies and industries - both Indian and international. The collection contains several kinds of case studies like Business Environment, Business Ethics ...
Business Ethics: Cases Analysis and Solutions Case Study
Case 5. Max's ethical problem is to make a decision about the abuse of authority. The facts of this situation are that the company gives the computers to the school every year, that no records are kept of the equipment being written off, and the son's urgent need for a computer. In the worst-case scenario, Max's bosses will find out about ...
PDF Case Studies in Business Ethics Phil 3840F, 2020
Case Study: Not a Fool, Not a Saint (pp. 429-431) Case Study: Purifying an Image: Baxter International and the Dialyzer Crisis (pp. 55-63) Case Study: The New Year's Eve Crisis (pp. 154-159) Case Questions #3 (4%) Oct 19 (Note: Oct. 12 is a holiday) b. Criticisms Gini and Marcoux, Ethics, Business and Business Ethics (pp. 1-16)
7 Favorite Business Case Studies to Teach—and Why
1. The Army Crew Team. Emily Michelle David, Assistant Professor of Management, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) EMILY MICHELLE DAVID Assistant Professor, CEIBS. "I love teaching The Army Crew Team case because it beautifully demonstrates how a team can be so much less than the sum of its parts.
Free Case Studies
Society of Human Resources Management. The Open Case Studies project at UBC brings together faculty and students from different disciplines to write, edit, and learn with case studies that are free and open. Short video case studies covering topics including consumer goods, services, and technology. Learning, knowledge, research, insight ...
Case: Business communication ethics
Case: Business communication ethics. Case authors: Jerred Flynn, James Hills, and Ravneel Prasad. This case/scenario is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 International license. Activity Guidelines. Suggested course level. Lower level undergraduate course.
Integrity Ethics Module 12 Exercises: Case Studies
Case study 1. A manufacturing company provides jobs for many people in a small town where employment is not easy to find. The company has stayed in the town even though it could find cheaper workers elsewhere, because workers are loyal to the company due to the jobs it provides. Over the years, the company has developed a reputation in the town ...
PDF Short Case Study On Business Ethics
This is a twenty-first-century rule book for understanding the 'new normal' in business ethics--Publisher description. Case Studies in Business, Society, and Ethics Tom L. Beauchamp,1998 This text contains a collection of 35 original and reprinted contempoary cases that focus on ethical and social issues surrounding business.
Case Study Collection
The Ethical Leadership Case Study Collection. The Ted Rogers Leadership Centre's Case Collection, developed in collaboration with experienced teaching faculty, seasoned executives, and alumni, provides instructors with real-life decision-making scenarios to help hone students' critical-thinking skills and their understanding of what good ...