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Questions on Ethical Problems

Decent Essays

Describe an ethical problem you have confronted in a business situation
The employer used to cut corners on nearly everything, almost as if it were a hobby. Sometimes the actions were harmless, but much of the time they were not. The employer would pick up food that fell on the floor and serve it to customers. A fellow employee noted that the employer did not ring up every transaction so that he could lie about his profits. He refused to give away the leftovers to the homeless society because, as he put it, he wasn't in the charity business. It is impossible to narrow down the ethical problems with this employer and his business to one specific situation, because nearly everything this employer did was wrong. He was very nice to people in person, and had charming people skills, but behind the scenes he had no moral compass.
Describe the deontological implications of the ethical problem you have described
The term "deontology" comes from the Greek word meaning duty ("Business Ethics: Kantian Ethics (Deontology)," 2005). Therefore, deontological ethics refers to the moral duty to act a certain way. Deontological ethics are the opposite of consequentialist ethics, which suggest that an act is morally justified if no harm is done. In other words, deontological ethics suggest that an act can be judged according to rules of right versus wrong, as opposed to judging the outcomes of the act.
From a deontological perspective, everything described above would be considered morally

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