discuss diminishing comparisons, displacement of responsibility,

answer the question 

1.  Discuss diminishing comparisons, displacement of responsibility, and diffusion of responsibility as examples of moral disengagement.  Explain how each of these prevents us from recognizing ethical demands.   Use at least one example to illustrate each.  

2.  In our online reading from Velasquez, he uses the example of the 2010 BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico as an example of how biased theories about the world can lead us to ignore important information about an ethical situation. Discuss the kinds of information that BP ignored and how a utilitarian analysis might have helped them prevent the disaster.

3.  Create and discuss an example that illustrates how the ethical climate of an organization and moral seduction can affect whether someone, particularly an inexperienced person, will act ethically.   Suggest how consideration of an element of virtue ethics, utilitarianism, or Kantianism might help someone resist an unethical organizational climate or moral seduction.

4.  Describe the elements of a fraud triangle. Are there ways in which applying virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics, and/or Kantian ethics might help people deal with circumstances where a fraud triangle exists? Use at least one example to illustrate.

5.  Given what your current life plans are, what do you expect may be one of the most likely moral dilemmas to arise in your work or personal life in the next five years? Describe this moral dilemma and discuss how a concept that we have studied this semester might offer some help in facing this moral dilemma.

6.  Use an example we discussed in class or create an example where an employee as an agent of a company has either an actual conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest. Discuss at least one way in which the employee could eliminate or avoid this conflict.  How might virtue ethics or utilitarianism, or Kantianism shed light on how to act?

7.  Explain in some detail the chief ethical issues raised by the Barbie and the Bratz Girls case.

8.  Explain two of the ethical issues arising out of confidentiality and non-competition agreements. Be sure to define your terms. Use at least one example to illustrate.

9.  Discuss what you take to be the strongest argument in favor of employment at will and some of the limitations of that argument. Explain how these relate to at least one of the ethical theories covered this semester.

10.  Discuss what you take to be the strongest reason offered for free market set wages being just and the strongest challenge against this. Explain where you come down given these opposing positions and why.

11.  Describe the exploitation and redistribution justifications for a minimum wage. Discuss at least one strength and one weakness of these justifications.

12.  Discuss at least two conditions that may lead businesses to engage in anticompetitive practices such as price-fixing, bid-rigging, or market allocation/division. If you were an owner or manager of a company, how would you guard against slipping into such practices?

13. Discuss at least three factors in a market that can lead people to engage in price-fixing and/or manipulation of supply. Use the “Archer Daniels Midland” case or another example (real or hypothetical) to illustrate.

14.  Describe two sales practices that are deceptive. Explain why a Kantian or a utilitarian would consider them to be unethical. Use at least one example.

15.  Compare and contrast utilitarian, Kantian, and principles of justice arguments against discrimination.  (See Boatright and Smith, 7.3 starting on page 140).

16.  Discuss the steps and measures that Boatright and Smith recommend a company take to help ensure that its hiring and promotion processes are nondiscriminatory.  Which of these do you find to be the most essential?  Why?

17.  Define affirmative action. Explain the compensation, equality, and utilitarian arguments associated with affirmative action.  Discuss key strengths and weaknesses of each.

18.  Describe the contract view of a business firm’s duties to consumers.  Discuss one strength and one weakness of this approach.  Use at least one example to illustrate.

19.  Describe the due care view of a business firm’s duties to consumers.  Discuss one strength and one weakness of this approach.  Use at least one example to illustrate.

20.  Discuss how rule utilitarianism and Kantianism may support the due care theory of the manufacturer’s duty to consumers.  Use at least one example to illustrate.

21.  Describe the strict liability view of manufacturers’ duties to consumers.  Explain how utilitarianism supports this view.  

22..  Describe the strict liability view of manufacturers’ duties to consumers.  Discuss one key strength and one key weakness of this approach.  Use at least one example to illustrate.