0. Business Ethics Assignment 2.

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Business Ethics
Assignment 2

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In your opinion is it fair for Japanese universities to systematically
and deliberately marked down all female applicants to limit the
number of women studying at the school? Why and why not?
Japanese universities have found guilty for systematically and deliberately marking down all
female applicants in order to limit the number of women studying in the school. This action is
not fair, and it violates ethical principles. Female students face discrimination while getting
admission in these universities which makes it difficult for them to build a positive future in
the medical field. For example, Tokyo Medical University (TMU) deliberately rejects the
number of female student applications even if they are eligible to enter the university
(Sturmer, 2018). The management of the university deliberately keeps the ratio of women to
men at 30 percent because they believe on stereotypes such as women doctors take longer
leaves during child birth and marriage which could lead to a shortage of doctors in the
country. Business ethics provides guidelines for organisations which enable them to ensure
that they conduct their operations in an ethical manner without violating the interest of their
stakeholders. They have to take into consideration the impact of their operations in
stakeholders to minimise their negative impact and prioritising the achievement of common
objectives. In the case of TMU, the management failed to comply with these ethical
principles since they discriminated between the applicants based on their gender (McCurry,
2018).
This discrimination goes beyond gender as investigations found that many universities
prioritised the selection of those applicants who are relatives of alumni and they have even
boosted their scores and deducted scores of other students for selection of children of former
alumni. For example, Juntendo University has the largest gap between the pass rate for

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acceptance of male and female students since 10 percent of men passed whereas only 5
percent of women passed (Japan Times, 2018). The management of these universities take
selection decision based on gender discrimination rather than individual merit; they
prioritised unverified or unreasonable stereotypes or generalisation about members of the
particular gender while selecting students rather than their skill and knowledge level. This is
a gross violation of the rights of students which negatively reflect on the education system of
Japan which has also failed to address this issue (Wheeler, 2018). Even after the actions taken
by the Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, the issue of discrimination between the selection
processes of students in universities is not resolved in Japan. Discriminating between
applicants based on their gender is unfair, and it leads to disastrous consequences which
negatively affects the career and self-confidence of female medical students.
As women in Japan, how can they will they advocate for gender
equality to Japanese universities for the next generation? Recommend
possible solution(s) for them.
Supporting gender equality in Japanese universities is important to ensure that the next
generation did not face these issues and they receive equal education facilities in the country.
Gender equality in the education sector is important since it contributes to the economic
development of countries. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) reported that half of the economic growth over the past 50 years is attributed to the
increase in the number of girls in the education sector (UN Women, 2018). It shows that there
is a direct relationship between the economic growth of a country and gender equality in the
education sector. It also ensures that students who are preparing for admission examinations
are not discouraged by discriminatory practices. It also promotes and reinforces a positive
culture in which women receive equal growth opportunities as men. Thus, advocating gender

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equality is important in Japanese universities for the benefit of the next generations. There are
various solutions which can be implemented in order to achieve this objective. Women from
different areas in the education sector should join together in order to address this issue
(Estevez-Abe, 2013). They should join together to show the power of women to make sure
that the management of these universities did not go unaccountable for their operations.
Women should pressure the management of the university to provide why they have taken
these actions and what corrective actions are taken by them to address these issues in the
future. Another solution is that women and men should raise voice against this discrimination
by holding the management of these universities liable and they should enforce them to take
stricter actions regarding these measures prohibit similar practices in the future (Adema,
2013). They should protest against Japanese universities and file a legal suit to ensure that the
management that engages in these practices are held accountable for their actions. Educating
the next generation is also necessary to make sure that they are aware regarding their rights
and they did not face discrimination while filling an application for studying in the university.
Women should spread information regarding their rights and join the conversation by
disclosing how they have faced discrimination in universities to address this issue (Appleby,
2014). They can use social media sites to spread awareness regarding this campaign and
reach a wider audience to impose pressure on the management of Japanese universities.
Should the Vice Chancellors of the Japanese universities to be held
responsible for the scandal? Why or why not?
The Vice Chancellor in a university is responsible for overseeing the academic planning
process along with academic program review. The Vice Chancellor plays a major role in
curriculum development and maintains liaison with other campuses to harmonise the system.
The Vice Chancellor provides leadership, academic and administrative to the whole