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Read Opening Decision Point:
Opening Decision Point What Would You Do Imagine that you are the first person to arrive for your business ethics class. As you sit down at your desk, you notice an iPod on the floor underneath the adjacent seat. You pick it up and turn it on. It works just fine, and it even has some of your favorite music listed. Looking around, you realize that you are still the only person In the room and that no one will know if you keep it. Not being able to decide immediately, and seeing that other students are beginning to enter the room, you place the iPod down on the floor next to your own backpack and books. As the class begins, you realize that you have the full class period to decide what to do. What would you think about as you sat there trying to decide what to do? What would you do? Now let us change the scenario. Instead of being the person who finds the iPod, imagine that you are a friend who sits next to that person. As class begins, your friend leans over, tells you what happened, and asks for advice. The lesson for today’s business ethics class is chapter 2 of your textbook, Business Ethics: Decision Making for Personal Integrity and Social Justice. Finally, imagine that you are a student representative on the judicial board of your school. This student decides to keep the iPod and is later accused of stealing. How would you make your decision? What are the key facts that you should consider before making a decision, as either the person who discovered the iPod, the friend, or the judicial board member? Is this an ethical issue? What exactly are the ethical aspects involved in your decision? Who else is involved, or should be involved, in this decision? Who has a stake in the outcome? What alternatives are available to you? What are the consequences of each alternative? How would each of your alternatives affect the other people you have identi- fied as having a stake in the outcome? Where might you look for additional guidance to assist you in resolving this particular dilemma?
You are the first person to arrive in your classroom and as you sit down you notice an iPod on the floor underneath the adjacent seat. You pick it up and turn it on. It works fine and even has some of your favorite music listed. You realize that you are the only one in the room and no one will know if you keep it. You see other students entering the room so you place the iPod on the floor next to your belonging. You will have the whole class period to decide what to do.
Please answer each of the following questions in fully-formed, grammatically correct sentences. Your answer to each question should be 3-5 sentences in length.
QUESTION 1
What are the key facts that you should consider before making a decision?
QUESTION 2
Is this an ethical issue? What exactly are the ethical aspects involved in your decision?
QUESTION 3
Who else is involved, or should be involved, in this decision? Who has a stake in the outcome?
QUESTION 4
What alternatives are available to you? What are the consequences of each alternative?
QUESTION 5
How would each of your alternatives affect the other people you have identified as having a stake in the outcome?
QUESTION 6
Where might you look for additional guidance to assist you in resolving this particular dilemma?
Expert Answer
Q.1 What are the key facts that you should consider before making a decision?
The key facts I would consider before making the decision would be,
- How would the guy who has lost his iPod will feel like?
- Is it ethical to keep someone’s iPod and not return it?
Q.2 Is this an ethical issue? What exactly are the ethical aspects involved in your decision?
- Yes, it is an ethical issue. As someone has lost his iPod and despite you knowing about are not willing to help the other person.
- Ethical aspect involved in the decision would be doing what is right rather than what is acceptable.
Q.3 Who else is involved, or should be involved, in this decision? Who has a stake in the outcome?
- The other class members and teacher should be involved in this decision. The person who has lost his iPod and the person who would get the iPod has a stake in the outcome.
Q.4 What alternatives are available to you? What are the consequences of each alternative.
Other alternatives available are,
- Me being unethical and keeping the iPod. In this case the person who lost his iPod would feel bad.
- Me being ethical and informing the class about the iPod and ask them for help to find the person who has lost his iPod.
- Leaving the iPod to where it is until someone else sees it, and the person who saw the iPod tells the class about the iPod and help find the owner.
- Leaving the iPod to where it is until someone else sees it, and the person who saw the iPod keeps it with himself.
Q.5 How would each of your alternatives affect the other people you have identified as having a stake in the outcome?
In the first case, the person who lost his iPod would feel bad.
In the second case, if the classmates find the owner of the iPod then the person who lost the iPod will get it back.
In the third case, the other classmate is stealing the iPod and the person who lost his iPod will get it back.
In the forth case, the person who found the iPod is keeping it with himself and it would be a loss for the owner of the iPod.
Q.6 Where might you look for additional guidance to assist you in resolving this particular dilemma?
I might talk to a friend for additional guidance before making a decision.
