Signature Assignment for Written Communications – Introduced Level
Goal of this Session Long Project:
This assignment is the first of four SLPs where you will build a bank of takeaways pertaining to ethical and/or unethical behaviors.
After reviewing this SLP scenario:
Express your reactions
Apply your own background/experiences
Cite at least two background and course materials
State important takeaways
Add other comments you would like to make
Your SLP submission should be 2 to 3 pages of text, well organized, well written, and 100% error free. You may use first- or third-person voice. Write in full sentences. Demonstrate your critical-thinking skills. It is not required that you search the Trident Online Library for additional reference sources for this SLP 1; however, add at least 2 applicable background materials from the module. You may bring in reputable Internet sources. Be sure to cite all sources used. Be creative (for example, add color and/or small graphics) to enhance your writing.
Watch the following video showing examples of conflict of interest:
McCombs School of Business. (2019, February 19). Concepts unwrapped: Conflict of interest [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/aQpZnlWk9As
Written Communications Emphasis
The grading rubric for Written Communications has been developed to measure student success in meeting the ETH501 SLP 1 âintroducedâ expectations related to written communications. Other assessments of written communications at the âreinforcedâ and âemphasizedâ levels are included in future assignments in courses designed for that purpose.
General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers:
For a list of general reference sources related to locating library sources, using APA formatting, applying critical-thinking skills, and so forth, see General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Assignments. It is not required that you read these sources page-by-page, but rather use them as guides.
SLP Assignment Expectations
This signature assignment for written communications (introduced level) will be assessed utilizing the following rubric criteria:
Context and purpose for writing: A thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose that is responsive to the assigned task(s) and focuses all elements of the work.
Content: Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to illustrate mastery of the subject, conveying the writerâs understanding, and shaping the whole work.
Adherence to conventions in specific disciplines, syntax control, and mechanics: Detailed attention to and successful execution of a wide range of conventions particular to a specific discipline and/or writing tasks(s) including organization, content, presentation, formatting, stylistic choices, and subject-appropriate language that skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity, and is error-free.
Sources and Evidence: Demonstrates skillful use of high-quality, credible, relevant sources to develop ideas that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of the writing.
Citing Sources: Mastery using in-text citations of sources, proper format for quotations, and correctly formats full source information in the reference list using APA style (bibliography).
The goal for most who attend graduate school is to complete a degree.
A great way to start is having abundant motivation, great time management skills (no habit of procrastination), and your eye on the goal.
View the following highlights from the Trident 2018 Commencement. Picture yourself in the video.
Trident University International. (2018, July 18). Grad highlights_2018 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/280475824.
Introduction to Business Ethics
View the following video on universal ethical standards expected whenever people work together:
Workplace Ethics Made Simple
TrainingABC (Producer). (2017). Workplace Ethics Made Simple [Video file]. Retrieved from the Trident Online Library, Academic Video Online: Premium database.
Is it always that easy? Telling people what to do and what not to do? Of course not. This is why studying ethics is important. Why care about ethics in our lives, our business practices, and our professions?
Letâs continue by reading:
Byars, S., & Stanberry, K. (2018). Business Ethics. Rice University, OpenStax. Retrieved from https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.net/oscms-prodcms/media/documents/BusinessEthics-OP.pdf. pp. 7-22. CC BY 4.0 license
As you read this book, be sure to click on the links in the âLink to Learningâ sections. This will help add depth to the subject you are reading about.
We learn from Byars and Stanberry (2018) that ethics matter because being a professional of integrity matters. It also matters that organizations remain profitable and have ethical standards to follow.
âEthical business conduct permits us to sleep well at night.â (Byers & Stanberry, 2018).
As we have mentioned, ethics has philosophical underpinnings. Letâs take a look in more detail at four different normative perspectives that Byars and Stanberry mentionâutilitarianism, deontology (duty), virtue, and justice ethics. (Normative simply means establishing a norm or standard.)
First, read the following, which is the textbook we will utilize throughout this course. We will only read parts of the text, but you may also find the rest of the book of interest.
Byars, S., & Stanberry, K. (2018). Business Ethics. Rice University, OpenStax. Retrieved from https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.net/oscms-prodcms/media/documents/BusinessEthics-OP.pdf. pp. 40-58. CC BY 4.0 license
Utilitarian Ethics
Utilitarian ethics is also referred to as utility ethics or consequentialist ethics. Utility ethics is the theory that âan action is morally right if and only if it produces at least as much good (utility) for all people affected by the action as any alternative action the person could do insteadâ (Audi, 1999, p. 824).
Source: Audi, R. (Ed.). (1995). The Cambridge dictionary of philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Think of utilitarianism in terms of the benefit of the outcomes derived from a given action. This theory is largely concerned with the end result–doing the âgreatest goodâ for the largest number of persons.
Utilitarianism ethics is often criticized as being âthe ends justify the means.â This is because it is concerned with the outcome of a decision or action rather than whether or not the action is ethical in itself. For example, would you lie to avoid hurting your friend��s feelings, or is lying always wrong? Is it wrong to needlessly harm one person to save two other lives? Under this philosophy you examine these dilemmas strictly by looking at the consequences of these types of actions and not whether it is wrong to lie or wrong to needlessly harm.
View the following video to learn more about utilitarianism:
CrashCourse. (2016, November 21). Utlitarianism: Crash Course Philosophy #36 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a739VjqdSI.
Deontology (Duty) Ethics
The next video is about deontology or often called duty ethics:
Duty ethics are rooted in the maxim that a person must act in a certain way for no reason other than because it is the right way to act – in essence, I should act this way because it is my duty to do so.
The following short video does a very good job categorizing the ethical theories.
Carneades.org. (2017, May 21). What is deontology? (normative ethics) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMCeaXyrl7k.
Immanuel Kant, well-known deontologist, provided a new way of looking at the nature of the human mind. The mind has an inherent and unconditional duty to act ethically. There are no contradictionsâcharacter and being a good person counts.
Kantâs Categorical Imperative, requires that an act is ethical only if we can consider that act as being acceptable by everyone everywhere (a universal law). In this context, murder is wrong because we would not will the act of murder to become a universally acceptable behavior. Therefore, Kant would say that it is my duty not to murder another person. To do otherwise (i.e., to actively harm other people knowing that it is my duty not to harm them), according to Kant, is irrational – and it is unethical.
To learn more about Kantâs deontological thinking, view the following video:
Philosophy Tube. (2016, June 10). Beginner’s guide to Kant’s moral philosophy [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ2fvTvtzBM&t=127s.
Also read:
Duty-based ethics. (2014). BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/duty_1.shtml
Virtue Ethics
And the next-to-the-last normative theory we will look at is virtue ethics, a moral theory. This line of thought goes back to the great ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato but is still widely applied in the study of business ethics. Viewing this video will help you understand virtue ethics and how to apply it to real-world business situations:
CrashCourse. (2016, December 5). Aristotle & virtue theory: Crash course philosophy #38 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/PrvtOWEXDIQ.
Justice Ethics
In this video we will learn about John Rawls and his universal system of fairnessâtaking care of the most disadvantaged. For example, should you have to pay into a system that provides medical coverage to other people less health conscious than you?
CrashCourse. (2016, December 19). What is justice? Crash course philosophy #40 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/H0CTHVCkm90.
Your exposure to the different philosophical perspectives should come in handy in the rest of this course. Since ethics is all about âbehaviors,â that is what we focus on. Ethics philosophy is just the tip of the âbusiness ethicsâ iceberg, so keep up your momentum and look at ethics dilemmas and how the theories might help guide (or at least categorize) our thinking.
Francis and Murfey (2016) provides these examples of ethical problems business encounters today:
If I don’t have to pay tax in the countries where I do business, should I? And if so, how much?
What are the impacts on the consumers of the product?
What are my responsibilities to suppliers? Do I drive a hard bargain without regard for their profitability?
Do I need to be concerned about the employees of a subcontractor in a developing economy?
What are the environmental impacts of this decision?
How do I balance my values with the very different values of a business partner from another culture?
How much do I sacrifice profit for something that is perceived as a social good? What is the balance between profit and responsibility to the wider community?
How do I create a culture of integrity and set standards for employees?
How do I deal with informers (whistleblowers) who are ethically right but an embarrassment to the company?
How do I deal with a problem of ethnicity in the workplace without seeming to be racist?
Under what conditions is it all right to accept gifts?
How should I deal with sexual impropriety by employees?
If national espionage is acceptable does that make it all right to indulge in industrial and commercial espionage?
Source for the information above: Francis, R. and Murfey, G. (2016). Global business ethics: Responsible Decision-Making in an international context. Available from the Trident Online Library, Skillsoft Books, 24×7.
General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers:
For a list of general reference sources related to locating library sources, using APA formatting, applying critical-thinking skills, and so forth, see General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers. It is not required that you read these sources page-by-page, but rather you refer to them for guidance.
What do âFirst Personâ and âThird Personâ Mean?
First-Person Voice:
Personal Writing, such as for a reflective essay, “personal response,” opinion piece, and discussion posting, can be written in the first person (using “I” and “me”), and may use personal opinions and anecdotes as evidence for the points you are making.
Example of writing in first person:
I am sure that his philosophy was correct for his time, however, this is the technology era and I feel â¦
The SLP assignments and the Discussion Forums in ETH501 allow first-person voice since they are less structured and more personalized than an academic paper.
Third-Person Voice:
Academic essay papers at Trident should be written in the third person and should use valid academic sources as evidence to support your writing.
Example of writing in third person (citing a fictional source):
The speaker concludes that the Stone Age was the beginning of our current technology era. Other speakers reject the idea. In Basics of Thought and Action, Dr. Stan Sanbola identifies four reasons for supporting the Stone Age idea and four reasons why the thinking is faulty. Sanbola has provided the needed perspective on the argument (2018, pg. 132).
The Case assignments in ETH501 should be written in third person.
Signature Assignment for Written Communications – Introduc
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