“Business Ethics Everywhere”

Abstract

This article introduces an experiential exercise that enhances students’ ability to identify ethical issues and to respond to them in ways that consider the relationship between organizational factors and ethical action. Students identify a required number of ethical incidents in their workplaces during a specified period. Students submit a written description for each incident, drawing from moral philosophical frameworks and/or other ethical concepts to label the issue as one that either exemplifies a “best practice” or “raises concern.” For “best practice” examples, students consider the implications of the practice on the organization and its stakeholders and whether and how the practice could be improved. For examples that “raise concern,” students explain what the ethically appropriate action would be, indicate whether they would take that action, report any reservations they have about taking that right action, and consider how to behave ethically in a way that would bring about desired outcomes without incurring negative outcomes. Then, a subset of submissions is selected for an in-class discussion. Using examples from students’ own experiences engages them and underscores for them the relevance of business ethics issues. Instructions for facilitating classroom discussion and variations for adapting the exercise are provided.