Question

Amir works for a foreign company that has engineering offices in Canada. He notices that his boss has hired several men rather than more qualified women. He asks his boss about it and the boss explains that he doesn’t want women in the office because they are distracting to the male engineers. Amir knows that such a policy violates the Ontario Human Rights Code, but doesn’t want to upset his boss. The office in Canada is very small and he doubts that anyone will realize that his boss is doing this. He asks several ethics professors for advice.

What would a cultural relativist say? What would an Act Utilitarian say? What would a Rule Utilitarian say? What would a Virtue Ethicist say? What advice would you give (and why)?

Answer 1

The cultural relativist say that all the belief, ethics and customs in the organization are relative to every individual within his own context. Means, Right and Wrong is the culture specific. For any person anything is right but for any other person the same thing is wrong. So, it is totally depend on the culture. Here, For Amir and Human Rights Code it is wrong to not hire the woman. because it is discrimination. But for Amir's Boss it is totally fair that office space is small and women can distract the engineers from work. So, culture relative is different in different organization.

Act Utilitarian say that no matter what the situation or condition is. Any individual takes an action which is morally right and provide the happiness and pleasure to the mankind and society. Here, also in the case Amir's Boss should have to hire the female employee. Which is morally right and helpful for the society.

Generally, Rule Utilitarian is same as the Act of Utilitarian. Where any individual must have to do anything which maximizes the utility.Means, the action that that leads to the greatest goods. Here also in the case, Amir's boss should have to do something. which can maximize the utility in the organization and also must have to hire the female employee.

Virtue Ethicist tell about the individual's moral character, virtues of mind and sense of honesty.It focus on the consequence of action.In the case Amir's boss character shows two thing that he may not like the female employees or he don't want to distract his male employee and not to achieve there targets.

According to the Ontario Human Rights Code, Any employer can't discriminate any employee on the basis of gender.So, Boss should have to hire the female employee. Also, it can motivate the male employee to achieve there targets as competition can increase and it's a female candidate moral rights to work in the organization if she desireve.