busn 5000 week 3 hw

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School

Webster University *

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Course

5000

Subject

Business

Date

Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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3

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BUSN 5000 Homework 3 Please open this document in Microsoft Word and respond directly in this document without modification of the text in bold. This way the answer will be in the same place and in the same format for every student. You will submit this Word file in Canvas. If you have any trouble, reach out to your instructor in a timely manner. Question 1 – McDonalds has drawn a great deal of unwanted attention due to the perceived unhealthiness of its menu. Evaluate the ethics of knowingly marketing unhealthy foods to children. Be sure to utilize each of the three ethical frameworks presented in the course material. Please use the provided headings for each framework to clearly delineate between the frameworks. Universalizability Principle I completely agree that marketing unhealthy foods to children can have severe long-term consequences on their health and well-being, including increased rates of obesity, diabetes, and other health issues. It is crucial to treat individuals as ends in themselves rather than as means to an end, as The Universalizability Principle emphasizes. Marketing unhealthy foods to children arguably treats them merely as a means to profit, without considering their long-term effects as ends in themselves. This is why this action, in my opinion, would likely be considered unethical. If such a tenet is universally adopted, it would lead to detrimental consequences for children's overall welfare and could not be consistently willed as a universal law without contradiction. Therefore, businesses, such as McDonald’s, need to consider the ethical implications of their marketing strategies, especially for products that can adversely affect vulnerable populations like children. Utilitarian Ethics Utilitarian ethics stress the importance of considering the well-being of children as a significant stakeholder group. McDonald's marketing of unhealthy food items could be viewed as prioritizing short-term profits over the long-term health and happiness of children, which would be ethically questionable. This could lead to public health concerns, increased healthcare costs, and decreased well-being, all of which conflict with the principle of maximizing utility. To align with ethical principles, McDonald's should prioritize promoting healthier food choices for children and adjust their marketing strategies accordingly. This would lead to better long-term outcomes for children's health and well-being while contributing to overall societal happiness. This approach would also suggest that McDonald's prioritize healthier options in their marketing strategies while still trying to maintain profitability, maximizing overall happiness for both the company and its customers.
BUSN 5000 Homework 3 Virtue Ethics Virtue ethics is a philosophical approach that places great emphasis on assessing the character traits and moral values of individuals and organizations. It determines the morality of an action by evaluating whether it aligns with traits such as honesty, compassion, integrity, and responsibility. For example, if McDonald's were to intentionally market unhealthy food items to children without providing clear information about their nutritional value, it would be seen as lacking these virtues and prioritizing profit over the welfare of kids. However, virtue ethics highlights the importance of balancing profit motives with ethical considerations. Even though McDonald's is primarily focused on profitability, this ethical approach argues that prioritizing ethical behavior, such as nutritional transparency and promoting healthier food choices for children, is crucial for long-term sustainability and reputation. By prioritizing its ethical considerations and serving as a responsible corporate citizen, McDonald's can confidently work towards balancing profits while contributing to the betterment of society. Question 2 – Provide an executive summary of your findings. What should McDonalds do and why? Do not quote directly from any source including ChatGPT. Rely on your own reasoning. Limit 300 words EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ethics of McDonald's promoting unhealthy foods to children can be assessed through three ethical frameworks, and they are the Universalizability Principle, Utilitarian Ethics, and Virtue Ethics. According to the Universalizability Principle, actions are only ethical if their underlying principles can be applied universally without contradiction. McDonald's marketing strategy, which targets children with unhealthy foods, undermines the well-being of minors for profit. Therefore, McDonald's actions are considered unethical under this principle. Utilitarian Ethics evaluates actions based on their consequences, aiming to maximize overall happiness or well-being. While McDonald's marketing of unhealthy foods to children may result in short-term gains in sales and profits, the long-term consequences, such as obesity and related health problems, are detrimental to children's health. Therefore, McDonald's marketing strategy is deemed unethical from a utilitarian perspective. Virtue Ethics focuses on the character of individuals and organizations, emphasizing traits such as honesty, integrity, and responsibility. As a major player in the fast-food industry, McDonald's has a responsibility to prioritize the health and welfare of its customers, especially vulnerable groups like children. By knowingly promoting unhealthy foods to kids, McDonald's fails to uphold the virtues of responsibility and integrity. Ethical behavior in this context would involve
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