Case Study Material
A Guide to a Successful Symposium
- The case discussion session is the heart of the Ethics Symposium. Small group interactions form the basis of ethical dialogue.
- Reading each of the 12 cases beforehand is necessary.
- The purpose of discussing the cases is to understand the process whereby one arrives at an ethically responsible decision. You will find that the cases do not have a simple right-wrong answer by design.
- The discussion leaders are facilitators. The emphasis will be upon student participation with the sharing of different views and the exploration of the ethical issue.
- Four ethical Frameworks are provided for your use and reference. Please refer to them and practice using them in your thinking and discussion.
Case Study Introduction
Case Studies
Business, Organizational, and Personal Ethics
- CASE #1: EVERY DAY ACTIONS AND PERSONAL HARM LIABILITY - Everyday activities where ethical behavior is carried out as if on autopilot. When does an activity or behavior become an ethical issue?
- CASE #2: RELIGIOUS ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE AND SOCIETY - Freedom of expression. Where is the dividing line between expressions of faith and beliefs in the workplace?
- CASE #3: CURRENT CULTURAL AND SOCIETAL VALUES ISSUE - (A) Privileged celebrities. Does big money in sports trump ethical behavior? (B) Sexual orientation discussion have become pervasive across society. What happens when it runs up against freedom of religion and beliefs?
- CASE #4: PRODUCT LIABILITY ISSUES - Weighing liability risks against potential financial loss when internal analysis discovers a problem. Should businesses recall or live with the risk.
- CASE #5: PERSONAL RELATIONS IN THE COMPANY ENVIRONMENT & WITH COMPANY PEERS. - Sexual Harassment. Workers crossing the line. When does no mean no?
- CASE #6: RESUME & WORK HISTORY ACCURACY - An embellished resume. Does exaggerating on your resume matter? Are resumes ever fact checked?
- CASE #7: CULTURAL CONFLICT VS. IMPROVING WORK, SAFETY & LIVING STANDARDS. The dilemma of the mindful miner. How does management cope with cultural/traditional labor practices across the globe?
Public Policy and the Common Good
- CASE #8: THE DEATH PENALTY - FOR OR AGAINST - Sanctity of life. Are all lives important, even criminals?
- CASE #9: SOCIAL MEDIA-ETHICAL ISSUES AND MORAL BOUNDARIES. Living in a virtual world. Is personal privacy a right? Does what you do on social media matter in your professional life?
- CASE #10: ETHICS AND THE "#ME TOO" MOVEMENT - A time of reckoning for sexual misconduct. Can the powerful get away with it?
Public Policy
- CASE #12: INCOME/WEALTH INEQUALITY, POVERTY, AND JUSTICE - The wealth gap. Does government and/or business have a social responsibility to reduce income inequality by redistribution wealth?
- CASE #13: THE TUBERCULOSIS OUTBREAK - This case mirrors the Co-Vid 19 pandemic. Balancing public welfare against infringement on civil liberties. Where do you draw the line?
