Applied Business Ethics

Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS
Applied Business Ethics

2BUSINESS ETHICS
A security company advertises its products by a powerful advert aimed at elderly people
living on their own, designed to create fear and terror in the viewer.
describing the matter of case, how it is unethical and how it has affected the stakeholders
involved in it and other things.
 Ethics is a code of rules and regulations that must be followed by the employees working
within an organization. It is these rules and regulations that the employees must refer to while
they are falling into any unforeseen kind of situations. Dilemmas or confusions might occur
at any and every place. This will surely take place at some or the other point of time. The
employees have to decide what is right or what is wrong by referring to this code of ethics.
Ethical theory is the systematic study of procedures for deciding on the right course of action
in any given situation (Bruni 2018). In particular the ad agencies often fall a prey to the
ethical dilemmas. This is mainly because of the fact that they have to use many strategies for
making an appeal to their potential customers.
 However at times the contents of the advertisements might not be good or positive enough
for the rest of the audiences. As for instance, this example talks about one of the powerful
social ads that have been started by a certain ad agency. It is mainly talking about the social
evil that has crept into the society in the modern times. This ad is mainly hinted at the
immoral and the poor treatment that the elderly people are often subjected to. This ad is
coming up with the elderly people trying to be independent (Barrow 2015). This
advertisement mainly shows how the elder and the aged people are trying to take up their
own responsibilities and love their knives on their own. However this is really very good on
one end that will be supporting and encourage a large number of old people to become

3BUSINESS ETHICS
independent. However on the other hand this ad might also provoke many evil and bad
thoughts within the elder people.
 As it is mentioned that this is a very powerful and strong advertisement that creates a kind of
terror and fear among the viewers. Thus, there is a chance that it might alienate the viewers.
There is a chance that the advertisement might show the deadly diseases which will crop up
if the elders are not capable of taking a proper care of their own. This is common as in the
old age people are usually weak and they might be rendered physically impaired. In such
aces they might be having very threatening and tough diseases. Apart from the physical
condition the elderly people might also suffer from mental conditions.
 They might feel that they are being treated as burden. The ad might aim at showing the poor
conditions of many old age homes. However all the other old age homes or old age are
centres might not be of the same way. This might at one end make the young members of the
family much more responsible but on the other hand this might also create a bad fear about
the old age hones within many others. In many cases the family members have no other way
but to keep their parents in some old age homes and they make sure that their parents are
being taken good care. This might not always mean that these young people want to get rid of
the responsibilities of their parents. They might be out for long time due to work so they feel
it wise to keep their parents or the other elder members of their families with their consent.
Thus, this kind of ads might create a shame or guilt within their minds. Thus, there is this
ethical dilemma that needs to be solved.

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Analyze the case with the help of ethical theories
 Utilitarianism can be used in order to understand this place. Utilitarianism associated with
Bentham (1747-1832), and Mill (1806-1873) – philosophy which underlies the modern
welfare state. This theory wants to make sure that the things having good and positive
consequences for people are most likely to happen and are good. On the other hand the
things or factors that are causing bad and harmful consequences for people are the
undesirable things. It is for this reason that the Security Company must try working over
their advertisement contents. Thus, it is seen that the given case can also be justified through
this case. The security company has also started some ad campaigns that show the element of
fear and tear among people. The ad campaigns are doing a bad work by retaining the fear
among the people. The good work that they are doing is trying to create awareness among
people the younger generation of people.
A company’s business strategy is based upon ‘planned obsolescence’ i.e. it designs its
products to need replacing often. These products use materials which are a limited
resource and in many cases cause toxic waste.
This is also one of the very important cases that the ad agencies have to be very careful
about. They have to make sure that they are not creating any negative impression within their
viewers through the kinds of advertisements that they are showing.
describing the matter of case, how it is unethical and how it has affected the stakeholders
involved in it and other things.