Ethics Theory and Practice Jacques P Thiroux Keith

Ethics: Theory and Practice Jacques P. Thiroux Keith W. Krasemann Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter Fifteen Business and Media Ethics Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction • Business and the media are specialized areas in which ethics can be applied • Ethics in business has to do with establishing and maintaining good working relationships among employers, employees, businesses, and consumers Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rights and Obligations In Business • Rights are those things to which human beings are entitled by law, morality, or traditions • An obligation is a responsibility or duty that people have toward one another to see that their rights are protected • No rights are absolute; conflicts are solved by establishing a priority of rights Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Two Ways of Approaching Rights and Obligations in Business • The competitive approach, also called “free enterprise, ” “survival of the fittest, ” or the “dog-eat-dog” approach – The main objective is to make money in any way one can – Laissez-faire is the best approach for a local or national economy to take because eventually it solves all economic problems – This is the only approach for a free democracy Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Two Ways of Approaching Rights and Obligations in Business • The government control approach advocates government control of business – Free enterprise puts power in the hands of a few to the detriment of the many – Aggression and competition bring out the worst in human beings – The only ethical way to conduct business is to put it in the hands of the government – Everyone shares equally in good and bad Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Justice, Truth Telling, and Honesty in Business • There are different types of justice in business: – Exchange justice involves reimbursement for services rendered or products made/sold – Distributive justice involves the distribution of profit among owners, managers, employees, and shareholders – Social justice is concerned with how businesses and their members treat consumers and members of society in general Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical Approaches to Advertising • Advertising constitutes a large part of any business • Two divergent approaches: – The anything-goes approach argues that advertising does little harm to anyone and is good for business, the economy, and society as a whole Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical Approaches to Advertising • Two divergent approaches cont’d: – The approach based on truth telling decrees businesses have the right to advertise freely but not to lie to the public about their products or services Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Business and the Environment • Business should not take total blame for environmental problems, but it bears a large share of the blame • Two extreme positions: – Business should always come first – The environment should always come first Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Primacy of Business • It is not business’s fault that environmental problems exist • Interference by nature-loving do-gooders will ruin business, our economy, and our society Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Primacy of Business • Business and science will eventually answer environmental problems • Business could not have foreseen these problems • Changes for the environment cost too much Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Primacy of the Environment • We have been ruining the environment; the only solution is to halt all destructive activities now • Business must take major blame for our environmental problems Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Primacy of the Environment • Business created a consumerist society • Government should pass legislation to protect the environment and conduct a massive reeducation of people and business Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Affirmative Action and Reverse Discrimination • Prejudice means the prejudgment of someone or something from a biased point of view • To discriminate means to differentiate among people in a prejudiced way when hiring, promoting, or firing them Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Affirmative Action and Reverse Discrimination • Affirmative action describes the process of trying to avoid present and future discrimination and trying to make up for past discrimination Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Affirmative Action and Reverse Discrimination • Reverse discrimination is discrimination practiced against white males in the course of implementing affirmative action Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Affirmative Action and Reverse Discrimination • Two extreme arguments: – In favor of discrimination: • Private businesses can conduct their affairs however they want – Against discrimination: • Discrimination in business is insidious and must be stopped Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sexual Harassment • Sexual harassment is defined as “unwanted sexual advances, or visual, verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature” Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sexual Harassment • Not immoral: – Actions now considered harassment enliven the workplace and make it fun – Women and men are naturally attracted • Immoral: – Harassment is unfair treatment and creates a hostile work environment Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Global Economy and the International Business Scene • The 21 st century has brought unprecedented global change that now structures the dynamic environments in which business is conducted Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Global Economy and the International Business Scene • In the new global economy, the world’s major corporations are multinationals – Multinational corporations are powerful institutions that maintain operations in various “host” countries Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Global Economy and the International Business Scene • Cultural relativism (ethical/moral relativism or cultural particularism) claims that no culture’s ethics are better than any others – There are many standards of morality Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Global Economy and the International Business Scene • Ethical or moral absolutism (cultural universalism) holds that basic truths about the nature of right and wrong actions can be defined universally Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Global Economy and the International Business Scene • Successful multinational corporations must uphold transcultural, universal principles, and human core values that are distinct from religious beliefs and cultural values and, at the same time, respect cultural values and local traditions Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Global Economy and the International Business Scene • The challenge for ethical leadership in the new global economy is to balance two imperatives: – Business results and human values Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Media Ethics • Public right to know v. individual right to privacy – This is probably the most significant ethical issue in media ethics – Examples: Clinton/Lewinsky affair, Elian Gonzalez events – Where should the line be drawn for the media to report but also act ethically? Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Media Ethics • Ethical news values: – Dignity for subjects – Reciprocity – Sufficiency – Accuracy – Tenacity – Equity and fairness – Community – Diversity Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Corporate Greed – Enron • Enron was one of the worst scandals and violations of business ethics • Ironically, Enron had a long code of conduct that it was supposed to follow – Why did the Code of Conduct fail? – What could have happened differently at Enron to ensure success? Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.