OVERVIEW
Module 4 explores contemporary ethical issues facing employers and employees in the workplace. The module discusses the responsibilities of employers and employees in supporting the conditions of an ethical workplace, including assessing factors influencing individual ethical decision-making in a professional setting.
TOPICS
Module 4 covers the following topics:
- Conditions of an ethical workplace environment
- Contemporary ethical issues facing employers and employees such as financial integrity, cybersecurity, and transparency
- Personal ethical behavior in the workplace and strategies for improvement
OBJECTIVES
After successfully completing Module 4, you should be able to:
MO 4.1 Identify ethical duties employers owe employees in the workplace. [CO 2]
MO 4.2 Explain contemporary issues and ethical challenges facing employers and employees in a business context. [CO 2]
MO 4.3 Evaluate your personal ethical behavior in the workplace and devise strategies for improvement. [CO 3]
STUDY MATERIALS
Textbook Readings
- Read Chapters 6 and 7 in Byars and Stanberry, Business Ethics.
Videos
- McCombs School of Business, Ethics Unwrapped. (2019, December 18). Being your best self, Part 2: Moral decision-making [Video]. University of Texas.
Written Assignment 5
Write a 1- to 2-page paper (250 to 500 words) in APA format answering the following:
Review Business Ethics Sections 6.2 and 6.3 including “European Approaches to the Gender Pay Gap” (from the Ethics Across Time and Cultures feature in Section 6.2), “Experiments in Compensation” (Section 6.2), and “Is Management Compensation Fair?” (Section 6.3). Respond to ONE of the following sets of critical thinking questions. [MO 4.1, MO 4.2]
- Critical Thinking Question 1: Do you think workers pay should be based on comparable worth or salary history?Why?Which of the policies described in “European Approaches to the Gender Pay Gap” do you think would be the most likely to be implemented in the United States and why? How would each of the normative theories of ethical behavior (virtue ethics, utilitarianism, deontology, and justice theory) view the arguments in favor of equal pay? Be sure to support your statements with evidence.
- Critical Thinking Question 2: What do you think is a fair pay ratio between CEOs and employees? What do you think of Dan Price’s decision to increase the base pay for all of his Gravity employees discussed in the section entitled, “Experiments in Compensation?” How can a decision like this impact stakeholders such as management, employees, customers, and stockholders? How would one of the normative theories of ethical behavior (virtue ethics, utilitarianism, deontology, and justice theory) view the arguments in favor of a fair wage? Be sure to support your statements with evidence.
Submit your paper to your mentor for grading. Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
