Ethics and Sustainability in Uber: An Analysis Using Ethical Frameworks

Running Head: ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY
ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY
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1ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Part A
Introduction
It is worth mentioning that in the global business environment of the 21st century, many
corporations and companies of every size are faced with the challenge of addressing several
ethical issues that exist in the corporations or the companies. Businesses have the social
responsibility of developing codes of ethics and conduct for the purpose of conforming to the
norms and the regulations of several ethical theories (Smith & Wong, 2016). In this assignment
the ethical issues that exist in the business model of Uber will be analyzed by several ethical
theories and ethical frameworks.
Identification of the first ethical issue
Sexual harassment in the workplace is constituted by acts such as unwanted and unwelcome
sexual advances by any individual in the workplace which affects the employment of another
individual. The legal definition of sexual behavior is unwelcome visual, verbal and physical
conduct which is sexual in nature which is pervasive and severe in nature and which creates a
hostile work environment. It is worth mentioning that there are two legally defined forms of
sexual harassment in the workplace (Bolman & Deal, 2017). The first is Quid Pro Harassment.
Quid Pro harassment can be defined as unwanted sexual advancement by the employer for career
advancement of an employee. It is worth mentioning that this type of sexual harassment is
unlawful in nature whether the employee submits to the unwanted sexual advances of the
employer for the purpose of resisting the threatened harm or resists the unwelcome behavior and
suffers the consequences. The second type of sexual harassment can be considered to be Hostile
Environment Sexual Harassment. It can be stated that this type of sexual harassment occurs

2ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY
when an employee in the workplace is subjected to comments which are sexual in nature, which
are sexually offensive or unwanted unwelcome physical contact as a regular part of the work
environment. As mentioned before occurrences of sexual harassments have been reported in the
workplace of Uber. Uber has also been involved in controversies where the passengers have
reported instances of sexually harassed by the Uber drivers.
Ethical Framework for addressing the first ethical issue
In this given scenario, the ethical framework which can be used to analyze the ethical issue in
consideration is the Duty Framework. This framework can also assist an employer to assess
whether an action is line with the ethical obligations and whether a duty is required to be
exercised (Eskerod & Jepsen, 2016). Thus in relation to the chosen company, Uber it can be
stated that the management of the company has the duty to ensure that the employees in the
organization are not subjected to any unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances in the
workplace. For the purpose of preventing any occurrence of sexual harassment in the workplace
the management of the company has the duty to formulate a policy which would stipulate the
strict actions to be taken against anyone who has been accused of sexually harassing an
employee.
Identification of second ethical issue in consideration
The second ethical issue that can be associated with the organization in consideration, Uber is the
privacy of the customers. U.S senator AL Franken had sent Uber a letter accusing the company
of disregarding public policy. Franken, the chairman of the subcommittee on Technology,
Privacy and Law had been angered by the policies of the company in consideration. The
application that is used by the company allows the same to track the location of the customers.