Question

What Is Your Ethical Responsibility?

In Chapter 3, we learn that the environment and ethics have strong impacts on the practice of Management. Read the scenario below and carefully craft your responses.

You are a business student with the dream of owning your own business some day. You've participated in a few events like learning how to write a business plan and giving a pitch. Recently, you entered a regional business plan competition, and you took third place! Another student you know took home the grand prize. At first you were not upset, but a friend called you last week and told you she read the winner's business plan; it was remarkably similar to one published on the Internet a few months ago. You obtain a copy and su re enough, the product concept is the same, the analysis of the competition is pretty much the same (though the names are different), and the only real difference you find is that the name of the business is different than the one found on the internet. Though some numbers in the financial analysis were changed, a majority of the document is the same. Tomorrow is the banquet honoring the winners of the competition, and the winner will of course be there.

1 In your initial post, describe what you would do.

2.Think about the Four Approaches to Resolving Ethical Dilemmas, along with the Levels of Moral Development (Kohlberg) when developing your response.

3. Are there any changes that you would recommend to the Reginal Business Conference for the future?

Answer 1

1. After carefully analyzing the situation , I would build a case to support my argument on the fact that the business plan prepared by the said party is kind of copied content from elsewhere or does not possess anything significant than the other competitors . In order to do that, one need to collect all relevant information about the person’s previous work and the source of the work. Once ample evidence is collected, the case can be brought into the notice of the Regional Business Conference board via email. It is important to note that, when one raises such a case to a forum, a documented evidence via an electronic media is more powerful than a physical note.

2. In responding to such a situation the virtue/ character approach could be adapted .In this approach the decision maker (you) respond takes a decision by virtue of his or her responsibilities. To that end , in the case it is important to bring the situation to the notice of the concerned because as an individual you also hold a responsibility not only for your own future but also for the improvement of the society .A post conventional level of moral development is inevitable when one handles such a situation

3. I would recommend rather demand the Regional Business Conference board to reevaluate the business plans submitted again or to recon duct the competition. Once the board gets a written allegation, they cannot dismiss the case, so the board has to find out an amicable solution for the case.