Business Ethics Report: Individual Learning, EBL, and Ethical Dilemmas

This report examines the importance of business ethics, focusing on ethical dilemmas faced by companies and individuals. It explores the conflict between profit and ethical considerations, particularly in industries like alcohol and processed food. The report uses individual and EBL (Enquiry Based Learning) approaches to analyze ethical issues, including the impact of advertising, environmental concerns, and genetically modified foods. It details a case study of an ethical dilemma faced by a marketing manager, highlighting the application of ethical theories like consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. The report emphasizes the need for ethical decision-making and the importance of considering long-term consequences in business practices. It concludes with a discussion of how ethical theories can guide future decisions and improve the moral condition of a business.

Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS
BUSINESS ETHICS
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Individual learning.....................................................................................................................2
EBL learning..............................................................................................................................3
The business ethics.....................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
The report consists of the ethics that are important in business. The ethics are
necessary in any particular business. In order to give the profit more importance the owners
of the business tend to overlook the ethical issues. We get a situation where only the people
who can afford the facilities are paid attention to and the rest are not paid attention to. The
life of others is kept at sake sometimes for the sake of the profit that the companies look
forward to. For any company the profit is the most important factor which is the deciding
factor in the increase of the revenue. The purpose of the report is to focus on the issues
related to ethics that a company should maintain. The issues that are neglected and the steps
that should be taken are the main contents of the report. The report further contains the
learning outcome of the situation, the enquiry based learning and finally the business ethics
that demonstrates our new business ethics insight about the dilemma that was faced by us in
the past. It elaborates a concept that deals with the major ethical dilemma and the
consequences that was faced by us. It includes the causes of the dilemma and the solution of
the dilemma.
Individual learning
The leading companies in today`s world lays the focus on the profits rather than the
social outcomes of the same. The companies who manufacture tobaccos, alcohols, and the
processed foods concentrate on their sale and not the effects of the same. The company
makes effort on the promotion of the products and the selling strategies. Certain legal rule
does not support the ethics. The purpose of the company is to focus on the development of
the revenue of the company. The companies that manufactures alcohol, does it in spite of
knowing the fact that it is harmful for the environment and the people (Jennings 2014). It is
the same thing in the case of the companies who deals with the manufacture of the alcohol.

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The company concentrates on the larger sale of the products (May, Luth and Schwoerer
2014). Consumption of alcohol is not something which is desirable. It is harmful for the
health and mind. The advertisements in the national and the international television
encourage the people to buy the alcohols and it also attracts the children to do the same. The
sale of the alcohols is an unethical practice but the company goes beyond the ethical concern.
Apart from this the production of the processed foods and the adding of the external harmful
chemicals in the process of food are harmful for us. Ethics is considered to be the least factor
in all such cases. The ethics are neglected. The harmful factors are neglected and they are
associated with the products and are focused on the growth in the sale of the products.
(Hoffman, Frederick and Schwartz 2014).
EBL learning
In order to understand the business ethics of the above mentioned cases I used the
EBL process of learning. I chose the three approaches to analyze this process. I adopted the
process of problem-based learning, the small-scale investigations and conducted different
projects and researches. In order to do the same it was necessary for me to go through the
products of the company and the threats that are related to it. The company’s manufacturing
alcohol, tobacco, processed food and the baby products includes preservatives in their
products that are harmful for the consumers of the products (Hartman, DesJardins and
MacDonald 2014). It is serious threat for the environment as well. Through a detailed
analysis in the problem based learning the major problem was analyzed and rather identified.
The major problem was the ethics that the companies overlooked. Many international
companies did not think about the threats that were there in the market related to the launch
of their products. Firstly, while talking about the advertising to the children many issues can
be brought to the forefront. By conducted a detailed study on the issues it was found that the

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sale of the alcohols, tobaccos the children gets attracted towards these products that are
extremely harmful for the children. It causes cancer and other health issues (Michaelson, et
al. 2014). It is a health hazard especially for children. The children are affected in this
manner. The company fails to understand this threat. A research was conducted in which the
materials that were used to make the products were examined by us. Through a detailed
evaluation of the results it was found that the materials that the company used the raw
materials used for the finished product was harmful for the consumption of the people. In
spite of all this it has also been studied that it was not possible for the companies to stop the
production. In order to find a solution of this the company should stop the advertisements in
the national and international televisions. The children can at least be saved from this
(DesJardins and McCall 2014).
While analyzing the situation of the facets related to the environmental awareness of
the products it is worth mentioning that the release of the tobacco is harmful for the
environment as it pollutes the environment. Knowing this the company manufactures the
company manufactures the products as the profit is more important to them than the
environmental factor is least important to them. The release of the tobaccos and the alcohols
is unethical on the part of the company in spite of this the manufacture of the tobacco and the
alcohols have not deceased. The advertisement has also increased with much innovation and
the perfect marketing strategy of the same (Ferrell and Fraedrich 2015). The environment
gets polluted for the release of the smoke in the environment and it gives rise to the global
warming and the other environmental threats. The use of the alcohol also has certain
environmental threats like the ill conduct of the person towards the opposite sex (which is
usually females). It interrupts the smooth functioning of the environmental and the social
conduct. It has many health hazards, yet the company knowing all these releases the products
with an advanced marketing strategy. The ethical issue is violated in this case as well. During

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the making of the alcohol all the company uses the materials that are not good for the health
of the consumers. It disrupts the functioning of the cerebrum. The functioning of the
cerebrum is hampered temporarily. To rectify this and to maintain the ethics in this situation
the company can use which can reduce the intoxication that is caused due to the consumption
of the alcohol. The ethics can be maintained in this case by the maintenance of this procedure
(Crane and Matten 2016).
In case of the genetic modification of food it has been found by conducting a detailed
research that the highly developed and technologically advanced companies look forward in
processing the genetically modified food which has been found unsafe for the consumers of
the same. In this case the company uses the preservatives to keep the food fresh for few days
which sometimes prove to be dangerous as the things that are used to keep the food fresh is
harmful. It includes the chemicals that are harmful for human health. The chemicals are
harmful for the consumption. Moreover it sometimes fails to keep the food fresh and avoid
staling of the foods. The food technicians of the company know this fact yet they go against
the ethics of selling the products (Shaw 2016). The genetically modified foods are the food
products that are from the organisms that have been found to be extracted by applying the
process of genetic engineering. It is in favor of the allowance of the introduction of the new
genetic traits and a larger control over the trait compared to all other earlier methods. The
processing of these products is harmful as the external uses of chemicals are present in this
which is harmful. The consumption of such products is harmful. The ethics are again found to
be violated in this case. (Chell, Perrini and Harris 2016).
The business ethics
a) Based on the studies above a situation can be mentioned where I faced a dilemma
where I had to launch the product and the launching could not be stopped. It was the launch

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of an alcohol product. I had to follow the consequentialism ethics. According to this the
consequence of the ethics was not analyzed. Being the marketing manager of the company
there was no way to intervene in the release of the products. The temporary outcome of the
action was thought not the future of the same was thought. However, the use of the
percentage of the alcohol could have been checked and reduced. There was a dilemma
between making profit and the health concern of the entire mass. I had to choose profit over
the well being of the people. This was an ethical dilemma for me. The advertisements could
not be stopped however; it could be made inaccessible to the children by not allowing the sale
of it among the children (Trevino and Nelson 2016). The dilemma was solved through the
decrease of the amount of the alcohol in the products. The alcohol of high quality was used in
the products. The advertisement was designed in such a way in which the worst was not that
highlighted. The stylish and the positive side were highlighted so that it does not create worst
environmental effects. Being a marketing manger it was not possible for me to stop the
production and in spite of knowing the worst effects of it I had to work there for my bread
and butter. This was the biggest ethical dilemma that was faced by me as a marketing
manager (Bowie 2017).
b) The application of the ethical theories is essentially needed in any condition and in
any business type. From the above scenario the ethics of deontology comes into the picture.
Being a manager I had to focus on the decisions rather than the outcome of the decision. The
ethics sometimes proves to be more important than the legal system. The legal system even
sometimes overlooks the ethics of a business. The application of the ethics makes a person
morally rich. The ethics are the basis of moral foundation. The morality of a person is
sometimes judged by the maintenance of the ethics. This is the reason I had to focus on the
decision of releasing the product in spite of knowing the worst consequences of the same. An
ethical theory is not just a moral theory to understand the moral lessons (Weiss 2014). It is

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the guide to take ethical decisions to improve the moral condition of the business in future.
The ethical theory is a guide or a systematic way of thought to design the moral policies of
the conduct of the ethical conducts. Apart from the two ethics the virtual ethics has also been
violated. I did not make efforts to stop the release of the alcohol or to stop the advertisement
of the same. Certain given set of virtues has been violated in this case. However, the theories
will help to me to understand the ethical situations in future and solve the ethical issues that
are necessary. In future the ethical theories of Absolutism, Eudemonism, Natural Law,
Deontology and the utilitarianism theory would be applied by me in the future (Armstrong, et
al. 2015).
Conclusion
From the above report this can be concluded that the ethics consists of the judgment
of an individual regarding the decision of right and wrong. The decisions that are taken by the
organization, it may be by the group of individuals or some other groups it will be influenced
by the culture and the social conditions of the company. The decision of imparting ethical
behavior is a moral statement. The ethical decision sometimes may result in the short-term
profit. The ethical decision at times leads to making of the loss. In future the application of
the theories can help in attracting the clients towards the products of the firm thereby
boosting the sales and the profits of the company. It further increases the want of the
employees to remain with the company and support the company, which will reduce the
turnover of the labor and rather will increase the productivity. The attraction of the
employees will increase towards the company and it will bring down the reduction of the
recruitment costs and will allow the company to get the most eligible employees. Finally, it
will increase the attraction of the investors and will maintain the high share of the company
which will ensure protection of the company from the chances of takeover. The practice of

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ethics is always referred as a good practice. Good practice is always appreciated. In future the
ethical decision will increase the good will of the decision maker.

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References
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. and Brennan, R., 2015. Marketing: an introduction.
Pearson Education.
Bowie, N.E., 2017. Business ethics: A Kantian perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Chell, E., Spence, L.J., Perrini, F. and Harris, J.D., 2016. Social entrepreneurship and
business ethics: does social equal ethical?. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(4), pp.619-625.
Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
DesJardins, J.R. and McCall, J.J., 2014. Contemporary issues in business ethics. Cengage
Learning.
Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J., 2015. Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases.
Nelson Education.
Hartman, L.P., DesJardins, J.R. and MacDonald, C., 2014. Business ethics: Decision making
for personal integrity and social responsibility. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Hoffman, W.M., Frederick, R.E. and Schwartz, M.S. eds., 2014. Business ethics: Readings
and cases in corporate morality. John Wiley & Sons.
Jennings, M.M., 2014. Business ethics: Case studies and selected readings. Cengage
Learning.
May, D.R., Luth, M.T. and Schwoerer, C.E., 2014. The influence of business ethics education
on moral efficacy, moral meaningfulness, and moral courage: A quasi-experimental
study. Journal of Business Ethics, 124(1), pp.67-80.

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Michaelson, C., Pratt, M.G., Grant, A.M. and Dunn, C.P., 2014. Meaningful work:
Connecting business ethics and organization studies. Journal of Business Ethics, 121(1),
pp.77-90.
Shaw, W.H., 2016. Business ethics: A textbook with cases. Nelson Education.
Trevino, L.K. and Nelson, K.A., 2016. Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to
do it right. John Wiley & Sons.
Weiss, J.W., 2014. Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach. Berrett-
Koehler Publishers.