Question

1. The following conversation took place between two friends John and Peter. John is the general manager of XYZ Company while Peter is the CEO of LMN Company:

John: Hi Peter, it is nice to meet you. I want to share to you the new policies and procedures that we have implemented in my company.
Peter: Oh really, I want to know those new policies so maybe I can also use and apply those in my company specially at this time of Coronavirus Pandemic , such a very challenging time for us.
John : Yes indeed. Anyway, our first policy is “No Work, No Pay”. As you know, my company is involved in the tourism business, and this Pandemic has forced us to close our shops and stop our operations. So all our employees are not working, and they are just in their homes. So the top management decided to also stop giving their salaries because they are not working at all.
Peter: Really? So all your employees are not getting salary?
John: Well, actually, not all employees, only the rank and file. Our managers are still given half of their salaries. We do not want to lose them. But for the rank and file employees, we can always replace them anytime, so if they want to resign then we will not stop them. As a matter of fact, our second policy is “Give priority to Top Level Employees”. It means that if we have to provide trainings and opportunities, it will be for our top level employees only. These are the people who will stay with us. Actually, most of our rank and files are expatriates, sooner or later, they will go home to their countries.
Peter: Yes, you told me before, they are mostly Asians right?
John: Yes Asians, I hate those people. Most of them are lazy. We are both lucky, we have blue eyes and blond hair, we come from the West, we are the only expatriates who are very much welcome here in the Gulf, and we are given special privileges. We belong to the superior race. Anyway, our last policy is “Men leads, women follows”
Peter: Really? That is a written policy that you have in your company?
John: No, it is not written but we practice and follow it. All our top managers are men. Women are very sensitive and emotional. They really cannot handle pressure. Honestly, I believe they should only stay at home and work in the kitchen.
Peter: Okay John, let me think about those policies that you have shared. Thanks for this conversation.

Required : Based on the conversation above, what are your views and opinions on the policies mentioned by John? Discuss in full details all your points and cite any ethical principles and ethical issues in culture and diversity that you have learned in your Business Ethics class that has been violated or is in contradiction to the points made by John. Make a full discussion on those issues and suggest ways on how to address those issues.
    

2. The COVID 19 Pandemic has caused the loss of so many lives, increasing unemployment, economies crashing, cities in lockdown, schools and colleges, shops and malls, churches and mosques all closed. The past two months has been very challenging for everyone, regardless of your religion, race, nationality or social status, the Corona Virus Pandemic has really changed our lives and the world.

Required: Write a personal reflection on how this pandemic has affected your values, your attitude, your behavior towards yourself, your friends, your family and your communities. Write the challenges or any personal ethical dilemmas that you have faced or encountered and what courses of action you have taken. In your write-up, include a discussion of any ethical approaches that you have learned and used as you face these challenges and solve this dilemma.

Answer 1

1. As per my opinon the principles of business ethics that have been violated in the above conversation mentioned between John and Peter are as follows:

(i). Caring: In the given situation of Pandemic, John lacked care and concern for the lower level staff o the company. He was only concerned by the well being of the managerial level employees of the company. this is evident in the manner he stated the policy of "No work, no pay" which was functional for the lower level staff while the managers were paid 50% of their salaries even if they had not been working.

Ethical executives are caring, compassionate, benevolent and kind. They understand the concept of stakeholders (those who have a stake in a decision because they are affected by it) and they always consider the business, financial and emotional consequences of their actions on all stakeholders. Ethical executives seek to accomplish their business objectives in a manner that causes the least harm and the greatest positive good.

John should have shown care towards the lower level employees as they would be the one who would have been affected the most by not getting paid.

(ii). Fairness: The next principle which has been violated by John here is fairness. He doesnot seem to be fair towards all his staff as the company follows the policy of "Give priority to top level employees". They organise training programs for the top level employees only. The lower levels in the management chain are neglected and are thus not able to excel in their work because of lack of training from their employers. John says the company fears that these lower level staff. He also talks about being the superior race which is totally unethical.

Ethical executives strive to be fair and just in all dealings and are fundamentally committed to fairness. They do not exercise power arbitrarily nor do they use overreaching or indecent means to gain or maintain any advantage nor take undue advantage of another’s mistakes or difficulties. Ethical executives manifest a commitment to justice, the equal treatment of individuals, tolerance for and acceptance of diversity. They are open-minded; willing to admit they are wrong and, where appropriate, they change their positions and beliefs.

(iii). Respect for other: John is saying in the above conversation that "Men leads, women follow". A sense of superiority of gender is portrayed in his dialogue. An ethical executive should respect all the others mutually. He should respct the other genders and provide them with equal opportunities. Opportunities available to any person should be totally bases on the capabilities and not on the basis of their race/gender etc. Such respect is also lagged wgen he talks about being superior to the asians because he had blue eyes and blonde hair. This is no decisive factor to comment on someones capabilities and to keep them away from brighter opportunities.

An ethical executive should treat everyone with respect and demonstrate respect for the human dignity, autonomy, privacy, rights, and interests of all those who have a stake in their decisions; they are courteous and treat all people with equal respect and dignity regardless of sex, race or national origin. Ethical executives adhere to the Golden Rule, striving to treat others the way they would like to be treated.

2. The pandemic is something that none of us had anticipated. We all had welcomed the year with a lot of oomph and made our to do list for the year, the list we all really wanted to achieve and feel happy about out achievements. Move ahead with life one step at a time. But we all are locked up and cant do much because of the pandemic. We are majorly stuck at our houses and are even unable to do the bare minimum that we earlier used to do - go to the mall, beach, park, hangout with friends. The importance of a trip to the amusement park is now known. The importance of hanging out with friends is now known. All this has made me realise the importance of small moments that we usually didn’t pay attention to. My attitude towards life has changed a bit in the sense that I will now on start to live in the little moments and enjoy every bit of it. You never know which will be your last ride in the bus or last trip to the mountain. I will cherish every moment that I spend with my family and my friends. The community has come together and made it evident that we all can win only if we all stay together, stay united. The ethical principles of fairness, caring, respect for others have been motivatig me to deal with this situation of pandemic. All the facilities that are available for the citizens should be avilable in a fair manner to everyone. Also, I understood that we should care for each other. Our mutual care should help us go through this difficult phase. If we look at the problems being faced, they are being faced by the entire world. We are not alone. Everyone is dealing with the same situations no matter what their caste, race, colour, gender is. This has improved the sense of respect for others in me. The governments are doing a lot to help us be able to live our lives properly again. But to help the achieve this goal we need to stand with the government and follow the law. We have t follow the principles of Law abiding.