MAN202 - Business Ethics: Application of Ethics in Professional Life

This assignment delves into the realm of business ethics, exploring the application of ethical principles and moral values in both professional and personal contexts. It begins by examining the ethical theory of Deontology, emphasizing the importance of rules and duty, and contrasting it with Virtue Ethics, which focuses on an individual's character. The assignment then reflects on the topic of ethics in marketing, highlighting micro and macro-level issues, such as advertising harmful products and manipulating product details. Finally, it discusses moral imagination as a process for ethical decision-making, emphasizing the importance of aligning personal values with organizational values to foster a fulfilling work environment. The paper concludes by stressing the need to consider both ethical principles and potential outcomes when faced with complex moral dilemmas in the workplace. This assignment provides valuable insights into ethical considerations relevant to business and everyday life.

Running Head: Business Ethics
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Business Ethics
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Student Name
5/28/2019

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Question 1
The ethical theory of Deontology is chosen which is based on the concept that what is right and
what is wrong considering the moral rules. This ethical theory is related to Immanuel Kant and
focuses on the phrases like “Don’t lie, Don’t Cheat”.
This theory of ethics highlights the importance of rules and duty in an individual life. This helps
in knowing what is ethically correct. This principle in practice is little bit complicated as this
does not provide exact result as the principle is based on the subjective aspects and on set of
rules which are rigid. So people find it difficult to accept the deontology ethical principle
(Alexander & Moore, 2016).
For example, a software engineer has duty to keep an eye on the system and work according to
the rules and principles of the company. But he gets to know that a nuclear missile is getting to
launch that may harm many people. The software engineer can hack the system and stop the
launch as it is against person moral values, but engineer cannot hack the system without the
permission as it is against his professional code of ethics and resultant in lying or fraud or
cheating by the engineer. As per deontology to violate or beach the rules are not acceptable.
Understanding the right and wrong behavior or ethically correct situations is difficult as each
individual has their own perception in accordance with their moral values and ethics. Whereas
virtue ethics theory highlights the character of an individual and assumes that a person acquires
all this through practice. The character of an individual would be honorable and appreciable.
This theory emphasize on that by practicing the virtual habits an individual will make right
decision when face ethical issues (Bowie, 2017, p. 85).
So both the ethical principles give a way to solve the ethical dilemmas by using different
approaches. Every individual as to face some ethical issues during personal or professional life it
is how to get out of this by identifying what is wrong and what is right in that situation (Gill,
2009, p. 20). Ethical dilemma arises due to emotions and feeling in an individual, all decisions
are affected by moral values and sentiments of a person which guides whether it is ethical from
a perspective or not.

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Question 2
The most enjoyable topic was ethics in Marketing that I can relate easily with the practical
scenario. It was interesting to know that marketing involved ethical codes too as nowadays the
businesses are depends on how they market or present themselves in front of society or people
(Eagle & Dahl, 2015, p. 142). I personally enjoyed the issues in normative marketing ethics that
includes micro level and macro levels issues. Understanding the concept and these issues was a
challenging task as it is difficult to distinguish between what is ethical and unethical in the
business. Considering the micro marketing issues marketing of harmful products like cigarettes
and alcohol is illegal still companies advertise these on television and social media (Laczniak &
Murphy, 2019, p. 402).
On other side macro issues in marketing impacts on the society as whole or impact on large
number of person. Macro issues in marketing are advertising of anti-aging cream products using
young models, gender biasness and manipulating the product details to attract the customers
to larger extent (Drumwright, 2018, p. 511). All the marketing aspects need to be followed by
the ethical principles.
In relation to understanding these issues an example can be taken, advertisement of skin
lightening cream is directly concentrated on the differentiation in between black and white
people so ad campaign is legal or not is the questionable thing. Whereas the claim made in
advertisement by the companies that cream lighten the skin color and make it softer or
smoother are deceptive. This comes under product misrepresentation in the marketing.
I understood the concept of ethics in marketing and to what extent it is important to do ethical
marketing in current scenario as customers are knowledgeable. Increasing role of social media
marketing develops the need of ethical rules in the marketing (Charlesworth, 2018, p. 102).
However I was confused in related to Bottom of pyramid marketing but later on understand the
concept in a true manner that how companies target low income groups and gain the benefits
of untapped market (Jaiswal & Gupta, 2015, p. 114). Learning through practical implication
became an easy task that I did by taking knowledge of the above mentioned topics.

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Question 3
Moral imagination is a process that includes understanding the situation and reacting
accordingly. The first step in this process is ethical thinking and then generating the solutions
for the problem. For that ethical thinking values are important. It provides the basis to what is
right and wrong and what to do or not to do (Johnson, 2014, p. 185). I personally believe that
core values of a person affect his decision making and to live up to the personal values is
essential whether in workplace or any other circumstances. My personal values are calmness,
cooperation, teamwork, unity, reliability, human connection and insightfulness.
In order to relate my personal values with workplace I will try to discover my core value first
that is human connection. I like to work where people work in teams and have unity in their
actions for that I need to understand the work environment first and will have to analyses
whether are my values matches the workplace values and when my work and behavior match
my values life is fulfilling.
To put my values into practice firstly I identify my core values, analyses my ethical thinking, and
then familiarize myself with the organizational values. Knowing the organization value is
necessary for me because that will give me idea about what I have to deliver, whether my
values matches if not than I have to change accordingly for self-satisfaction.
Secondly I will talk to my immediate superior to solve the ethical issues or to talk about aligning
my values with the organization values. When my values are honored each day I will able to
work efficiently so it’s necessary to identify the personal values and organizational values and
then planning accordingly to find congruence.
As putting my values in the practice all the time is not possible sometimes situation might be
unfavorable that is the time when I have to follow my ethics and values to get the right thing
done. Sentiments and emotions are major criteria while taking any decisions as this affects an
individual ability to think and react on a particular scenario (Whitaker & Godwin, 2013, p. 70). I
am an emotional personality who will choose ethics and moral values first rather than personal
benefits but in organization or workplace moral theory is applicable. In that situation I have to

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put myself in imaginative outcomes as the moral actor and then have to analyses the different
alternatives.
In conclusion there are many ways to put values into practices by applying various theories of
behavior and values in workplace. The measures include understanding the core values and
then aligning with organizational values and coordinating with the superior in order to
understand the outcome required from an employee in the workplace. This helps in accepting
and putting the value in the practices.

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References
Alexander, L. & Moore, M., 2016. Deontological Ethics. [Online]
Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/
[Accessed 29 May 2019].
Bowie, N. E., 2017. Business Ethics: A kantian perspective. 2 ed. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Charlesworth, A., 2018. Digital Marketing: A Practical Approach. 3 ed. New York: Routledge.
Drumwright, M., 2018. Ethical issues in marketing, advertising and sales. London: Routledge.
Eagle, L. & Dahl, S., 2015. Marketing Ethics & Society. London: Sage Publications.
Gill, D. W., 2009. Doing Right: Practicing Ethical Principles. 2 ed. New York: Routledge.
Jaiswal, A. & Gupta, S., 2015. The influence of marketing on cpnsumption behavior at the
bottom of the pyramid. Journal of consumer marketing, 32(2), pp. 113-124.
Johnson, M., 2014. Moral Imagination: Implications of cognitive science for ethics. 2 ed. USA:
Oxford Publications.
Laczniak, G. & Murphy, P., 2019. The role of normative marketing ethics. Journal of Business
Research, Volume 95, pp. 401-407.
Whitaker, B. & Godwin, L., 2013. The antecedents of moral iamgination in the workplace: a
social cognitive theory perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(1), pp. 61-73.