MBA Business Ethics: session 5

Dr Robert ShawGraduate School of BusinessGuangdong University of Foreign Studies

15 December 2012

Agenda1. Lecture 5:

Governance & rights theory

2. Paper writing

3. Group work

2

30 November 2012

Rights theory - sources

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rights//

Your textbook: Rights 72-73, 75-76

3

Rights are a logical form

So how do we justify rights?

Political process

Ethical argumentVirtue ethicsDeontology

Utilitarianism

Rights are always up for negotiation

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Rights claims

The ethics of business participants

Claims to rights

Western countriesAnd now, China

The ethics of those without powerDemocracy & governance

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Nature of rights

Every right implies a duty or responsibility

A right imposes a duty on someone else

Positive rightsNegative rights

Do rights depend on the bearer being reasonable?

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Rights

Slogans

Right not might

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Where is rights theory?

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Right

“Right(s)” – a word with many uses

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Classification of rights

Contractual rightsCompany ownershipMarriage

Political rightsConstitutional rightsLegal rightsEnforcement of contractual rights

Human rights / Natural rights

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Human rights

United Nations

Global struggles

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Historical development

Islamic concepts The Zoroastrian religion taught Iranians that citizens have an

inalienable right to enlightened leadership and that the duty of subjects is not simply to obey wise kings but also to rise up against those who are wicked

Stoics – no one is a slave

Jeremy Bentham

John Locke

John Stuart Mill

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John Locke

Life, liberty, estate

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Constitutional rights

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The rights of the citizen

Historical development Great BritainFranceUnited States of America

Charter of Medina, 622AD

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The Magna Carter, 1215

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Declaration of Arboath, 1320

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Declaration of Arboath, 1320

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Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, 1789

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The United States Constitution, 4 March 1789

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The Bill of Rights, 1789 (first ten amendments of the Constitution)

How democracy works

Phenomenology study

Where is democracy?

CompaniesSports clubsLocal governmentCentral government

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Local government

The essence of local government Be with ...

Try to eliminate categories

What is the essence?

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Company ownership

When we decide to go into businessOwnership structures

Stock holder & share holder

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Company ownership

When we decide to go into businessOwnership structures

Stock holder & share holder

Boards of Directors

Chief executives

Other officers

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The Governance Management Divide

Divided interests – stakeholder analysis

The rights of the owners

The problem of votes

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The two currencies

Decision-making & power

Western structures – checks, balances and abuses

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MBA Business Ethics: session 5

End of the lecture.

Agenda1. Lecture 5:

Governance & rights

2. Where do your marks come from?

3. Paper writing

4. Group work

31

32BUSINESS ETHICS 11c RESULTS 2012-2013

Weightings → 30% 20% 50% 100%

Number Name Group Work Progress Assignmen

t FINAL

1 20112750001

2 20112750008

3 20112750015

4 20112750018

5 20112750025

6 20112750027

7 20112750035

8 20112750037

9 20112750039

Task – due 1 January

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Your paper is due

5 pm, 9 January 2013

One copy to MBA Centre with cover sheet

One copy email to me, also with cover sheet please

Put “Business Ethics” in the subject line

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Paper writing: Basic approach

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Your essay should consist of the following parts:

a.Concise statement of your ethical proposition (X ought to Y).

b.Background to the problem (your Introduction section).

c. Three arguments in support of your proposition. a. Your argumentsb. Support your arguments with the theory of ethics

a. State the theory of ethics (one theorist or a theory eg deontology virtue ethics, utilitarianism). You can use two theories/theorists, no more.

b. Show how theorist/theory relates to your argument.c. Criticize the theory and/or your argument.

• Conclusions about both the theory used and the problem you have selected.