Global Business Ethics

MT220M2-2: Apply an ethical approach to a global business decision.

In the Module 2 Assessment, you will read a scenario and apply an ethical approach to address a business problem. Ethics are typically subtly embedded in various business decisions you may encounter on the job. Making the right decision in line with personal and company ethics is a critical skill that can impact both the individual’s and the company’s legal liability.

Scenario: You own a small U.S.-based organic cloth distributor and often source organic bamboo from other countries. Then, the organic fibers, such as bamboo, are woven into organic cloth in Maine and New Hampshire (U.S.). Recently, you received an email from an international labor group alleging that some of the local suppliers you use to purchase organic bamboo unfairly compensate the small foreign organic bamboo producers for their crops. The labor group asks that your company only purchase certified fair-trade organic bamboo so that you have the assurance that the farmers with smaller operations will receive fair market value for their crops.

Members of your management staff are concerned that certified fair-trade organic bamboo is often more expensive, which could increase your overall import costs. However, you also consider your long-standing relationships with the local suppliers in the organic bamboo market, as they can often access organic bamboo crops that other buyers cannot.

Research the fair-trade certification and its implications to aid your decision-making process. You will also want to review the Learning Activity entitled “Ethical Approaches.”

Checklist:

• Identify one of the ethical approaches presented in the Learning Activity that would most likely guide your actions in this situation. Explain your reasoning.
• Explain three considerations that will influence your decision about what to do next. These could be financial, operational, ethical, or legal.
• Explain how you will apply your chosen ethical approach to make the needed business decision.
• Describe your ethical reasoning regarding your next steps to the international labor group. Include detailed supportive reasoning.
• Utilize at least three external sources as part of your research. Sources might include your textbook, an academically credible website, or any other scholarly resource found in the university library. Only sources cited within the body of the paper should be included in the reference list.
• Your should be a minimum of 500 words and include a title page, introduction, main body, conclusion, and APA-formatted reference list. For assistance writing a paper or formatting a reference list in APA format, please see the “Academic Writer” link under “Academic Tools.”
• Proper notification of any resubmission, repurposing, or reworking of prior work per the.
• This assessment should be an informative essay in a Microsoft Word (minimum 500 words) document and include a title page, introduction, main body, conclusion, and APA-formatted reference list.
• Respond to the questions thoroughly, providing specific examples of concepts, topics, definitions, and other elements asked for in the questions. Your submission should be highly organized, logical, and focused.
• Your submission should provide a clearly established and sustained viewpoint and purpose.
• Your writing should be well-ordered, logical, unified, original, and insightful.
• Your submission must be written in Standard English and demonstrate exceptional content, organization, style, grammar, and mechanics.
• A separate page at the end of your submission should contain a list of references in APA 7th edition format. Use your textbook, the Library, and the internet for research.
• Be sure to include references for all sources and to cite them using in-text citations where appropriate. Your sources and content should follow current APA citation style. Review the writing resources for APA formatting and citation found in Academic Tools. Additional writing resources can be found within the Academic Success Center.
• Your submission should:
• include a title page;
• be double-spaced;
• be typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and
• be free of spelling or punctuation errors.

Submit your essay by accessing the Assignments tab above and submitting it to the Competency Assessment Dropbox.

If the work submitted for this competency assessment does not meet the minimum submission requirements, it will be returned for revision. If the work submitted does not meet the minimum submission requirements by the end of the term, you will receive a failing score.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty. It violates the University’s Code of Student Conduct, and the offense is subject to disciplinary action. You are expected to be the sole author of your work. Use of another person’s work or ideas must be accompanied by specific citations and references. Whether the action is intentional or not, it still constitutes plagiarism.

For more information on plagiarism and the University’s Code of Student Conduct, refer to the current