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Business Ethics Task 2:
Employees’ Rights and Responsibilities and Employer’s Ethical Responsibilities
Western Governors University
Student Name and ID Number
Date
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Note: The information in this document does not replace the task instructions
and/or rubrics. The information contained in this document is only intended to be a
supplement to the instructions and provide some helpful tips for you.
In using this template for formatting your task, please be sure to delete the bullet-
pointed items and this note from your completed document (leave only the headers).
A1. Employees’ Rights and Responsibilities
To meet competency: The 3 described rights and responsibilities of employees are
accurate, clear, and plausible.
Tips!
Identify 3 rights and responsibilities (3 total, not 3 each) AND explain why
each is important or significant.
Note that the duties do not have to relate to the hypothetical.
A2. Employers’ Ethical Responsibilities
To meet competency: The evaluation accurately describes 2 ethical responsibilities
of the employer within the context of the employer/employee relationship. The
evaluation is well reasoned and clear.
Tips!
Consider ethical duties an employer owes to an employee.
Note that the duties do not have to relate to the hypothetical.
A3. Ethical Business Dilemma
To meet competency: The ethical business dilemma is plausible, is relevant, and will
demonstrate employee understanding of the company’s ethical standards. This
understanding includes how the dilemma affects the company’s ethical standards.
Tips!
An ethical dilemma in business is defined as a decision-making situation where
employees or stakeholders are provided with various options that may violate
industry or organizational moral and ethical standards.
For something to be a dilemma, there must be a choice involved. For example,
do I report my boss for harassment or not? Once that choice has been made, it
is now a decision.
Reflect on your work/professional experience. What ethical dilemmas have you
witnessed at place(s) of work that you can describe here?
Describe one ethical business dilemma, and discuss the possible choices that
could be made to resolve the dilemma.
Explain how the dilemma affects the company’s ethical standards.
A4. Ethical Business Dilemma: Evaluation
To meet competency: The evaluation includes both a utilitarian and relativistic
perspective. The evaluation is both logical and clear.
Tips!
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First, define the theories of utilitarianism and relativism. then, apply each theory
to the dilemma you describe in A3. Imagine the employee is a utilitarian: how
would the employee view the dilemma? Imagine the employee or employer is a
relativist: how would the employee or employer view the dilemma?
A5. Ethical Decisions Employer and employee perspective
To meet competency: The description of 2 common ethical decisions is plausible
and aligns with corporate ethics and responsibilities.
Tips!
An ethical decision in business is defined as a strategy that prioritizes moral
principles as a set of standards, rather than economic considerations, for making
business decisions. For something to be a decision, a choice must have been
made.
Describe two (2) work scenarios with an ethical decision for each.
Discuss how the decision or action aligns with corporate policies or standards.
DO NOT USE THE SAME DILEMMA AS IN A3 ABOVE.
A6. Ethical Decisions: Explanation
To meet competency: The explanation addresses why each decision is an ethical
dilemma and provides common justifications of unethical behavior. The
explanation is well reasoned and plausible.
Tips!
Your discussion here must be based on the two examples from A5. For each
scenario in A5, discuss how the employee might justify (rationalize or defend)
his or her unethical behavior or decision AND how each example represents an
ethical dilemma (for example, why it creates a difficult situation or problem for
the employee or organization).
Additional Tips:
Sources -
1. List your sources ONLY If you are referencing work through quoted, paraphrased, or
summarized content.
2. If you use information from the course textbook, the textbook must be included as a reference
with at least one in-text citation.
3. The task scenario does not require a reference/in-text citation.
4. Sources must be given credit to the original author, and you must include the ‘Big Four’
requirements:
1.Author’s name
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2.Date Publish
3.Name of Book or Article with Publication
4.Source Location
5. Do Not list only a Weblink
a. If a website was used, you must include the name of the website and any identifiable
features, such as, the name of the article from the website.
Professional Communication –
1. You do not need to input any information in this section. Our Evaluators use this section to
assess your professional communication (sentence structure, grammar, etc.)
2. Please work with the Academic Coaching Center for additional assistance and watch the
Professional Communications Video on the Course Resource Page.
3. Grammarly is a helpful tool to ensure professional communication. Basic access to Grammarly is
free. The following Use Grammarly Effectively link to WGU’s Academic Coaching Center
demonstrates a short video on using Grammarly to minimize grammatical errors.
