Business Ethics and Global Perspective Module Homework

This assignment delves into the realm of business ethics, addressing fundamental concepts such as the definition of a professional and how it differs from everyday language usage. It explores the moral obligations of professionals, the concept of dilemmas, and provides an example to illustrate it. The assignment also examines informed consent in the workplace, highlighting situations where an employee's consent might not be fully informed. Finally, it discusses the purpose of ethics, providing direction for individuals to live together harmoniously. The assignment draws upon various sources, including Shaw et al. (2016), Donaldson, Werhane & Zandt (2008), and others, to support its arguments and definitions.

RUNNING HEAD: Business Ethics and Global Perspective
Business Ethics and Global Perspective

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1. What is a professional?
Answer- Professional is an individual who undergoes expert training at the concerned
university or who has acquired the membership of a professional institution and
therefore, required to abide by the code of conduct specified by that profession. They
possess expert knowledge and skills and are prepared for the application of such
knowledge and skills for the advantage others (Professional Standards Councils, 2017).
2. How does the definition of 'professional' that is provided in the textbook differ from how
it is used in everyday language?
Answer- In everyday language, people who are paid to do a particular job such as
footballers, hairdressers and other people are considered as professionals. But the real
meaning of professional is different from general understanding of the word. A
professional is an individual who undertakes elongated and specialized education at some
university and therefore forms part of a larger group.
3. Give two examples of a professional as described by Shaw et al (2016). Give two
examples of someone we might refer to as a professional but who does not meet the
criteria discussed in Shaw et al.
Answer- Shaw et al. (2016) describe doctors and accountants as professionals since both
of them possess specialized expertise and knowledge with the help of which they help
their clients. People such as hairdressers and footballers are often called professionals but
the criterion stated by Shaw et al. is different from the general meaning of the term.
4. Do professionals have any special moral obligations?
Answer- Yes, there are some special moral obligations of the professionals. The
specialized knowledge acquired by such professionals is trusted by the society and
therefore a special ‘social contract’ is created among the professional and society. This

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social contract brings some moral obligations along with it. In return, the society grants
special status to the professionals and compensate them for their contributions to society
(Shaw et. al., 2016).
5. Why/why not?
Answer- The specialized knowledge possessed by the experts is fully relied by society
(Walker & McLean, 2013). They approach the professionals in their hard times in order
to benefit from their specialized knowledge. It is believed that the professionals will work
in their interest and would not harm them. This in turn creates a special ‘societal contract’
between the professionals and society along with the moral obligations. The moral
obligations of professionals are towards the protection of the interests of the society.
6. What is a dilemma?
Answer- Dilemma can be defined as a problem when selection is to be made among a
variety of alternatives where no one option can be considered as a best solution. In such
cases, social and individual ethical recommendations do not provide any appropriate
result for the individual.
Ethical dilemma can be defined as a dilemma when the moral agent’s values may
be verified or there are chances of other contradictory interests. It even has the potential
to either help or cause damage to the investors of the business (Harding, 2017).
7. Give an example of a dilemma.
Answer- In the A7D Affair, Vendivier represented a great example of dilemma. He had
to arrive at a decision whether to write a report in order to protect his job at the cost of his
morality or else refuse it and honor his ethical code.
8. What is meant by informed consent?

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Answer- Informed Consent is the consent which is derived from an individual who is free
to make a choice without facing any pressure from others. Moreover, the person giving
the consent has all the necessary information in order to make an informed decision.
Moreover, the person is provided adequate time to make a judgement. In other words,
informed consent involves deliberation and free choice (Leary & Hunt, 2016).
9. When might an employee who has agreed to abide by a workplace policy not have given
informed consent?
Answer- When an employee has agreed to abide by the workplace policy, it is required
that proper disclosures of all the applicable facts must be made even after the
commencement of their employment without keeping any facts hidden. The assent of the
workforces must not be derived by putting pressure whether express or implied.
Employees are under an obligation to go through some personality and medical tests
which are agreed by them but their consent is not deliberate. Moreover, the setting up of
monitoring devices such as mirrors, cameras and electronic recorders can affect the
privacy of workers (Flylib, 2017). The announcement of such practices by the
organizations does not amount to the receipt of informed consent from the workers.
10. What is the purpose of ethics?
Answer- The purpose of ethics is to provide directions so that people can live together
happily and pleasantly. The understanding of ethics provides the capability to make
improved decisions along with helping the individual in consistently and logically
defending those decisions (Shaw, 2013). It also makes an individual able to accept the
cost of actions and decisions (Donaldson, Werhane & Zandt, 2008).

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References
Donaldson, T., Werhane, P. H. & Zandt, J. D. V. (2008). Ethical Issues in Business: A
Philosophical Approach. Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Flylib (2017). Informed Consent in the Workplace. Retrieved November 21, 2017 from
http://flylib.com/books/en/3.469.1.108/1/
Harding, C. (2017). Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Reasoning. Routledge.
Leary, Z. O. & Hunt, J. S. (2016). Workplace Research: Conducting small-scale research in
organizations. SAGE.
Professional Standards Councils (2017). What is a profession? Retrieved November 21, 2017
from https://www.psc.gov.au/what-is-a-profession
Shaw, W. H. (2013). Business Ethics: A Textbook with Cases. Cengage Learning.
Shaw, W., Barry, V., Issa, T., Shaw, W. H. & Muntean, D. (2016). Moral Issues in Business.
Cengage Australia.
Walker, M. & McLean, M. (2013). Professional Education, Capabilities and the Public Good:
The Role of Universities in Promoting Human Development. Routledge.