Sadat (IT) Academy
Dr. Gary H. Jones
Ethics - PROJECT
(For 2nd & 3rd Year
Students)
Required Reading for this
project:
An introduction covers the debate about the function and value of codes
of ethics.
http://ethics.iit.edu/codes/Introduction.html
This guide offers a context for using a code of ethics by considering a
sample case.
http://ethics.iit.edu/codes/Users_Guide.html
UN Global Compact, Ten Principles
http://www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheGC/TheTenPrinciples/index.html
The "Triple Bottom Line" The
consistent thread among the bigger corporations embracing social
responsibility is the long-term health of their economic bottom line.
While Shell, Weyerhaeuser and Alcan may have had moral leaders in the
boardroom, it’s easy to explain their motives in strict business terms.
Everyone in the CSR field, however, is fluent in the notion of the
‘triple bottom line’, a term coined in 1997 by United Kingdom business
consultant John Elkington (sustainability.co.uk
). Elkington argued – and much of the corporate world seems
to agree – that there should be more to a company balance sheet than a
profit number. There is also an environmental bottom line that tallies
a company’s negative impact in balance with its remediation efforts,
and a social bottom line that considers everything from how a company
treats its employees to how its operations affect the neighbors.
Read the entire article (optional)
http://www.bcbusinessmagazine.com/displayArticle.php?artId=183
Project Description:
I prefer that this project be done in groups of 2 students. In
some cases I will approve groups of 3.
Please email me:
a) The full names, school year,
and Ethics class group number
b) Your choice of organization to
analyzie
By WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, at dr_gary@itacademy.ca
Project Description
(basically, a short report):
1. INTRODUCTION. Why have a code of ethics; what
good, generally, does a code
of ethics serve? (The link to the introduction to the function
and value of codes of ethics, above, can help you with this
section.
2. Briefly describe the company (or the government agency, or the
professional association) that you chose for this project For
example, you might:
a. provide a very short history of the company [a short paragraph
or two].
b. briefly describe the company: what does it make, what
does it do? What is the
size of the company? What is the global reach of the company?).
c. Now, transition to
the company's code of ethics. Most companies will have a
description of their concern about the following issues. It is
best to choose ONE of the following issues to focus on in your
report. In a short paragraph or two, what does the code of ethics
you
chose to examine say about (best to pick only one of the following):
- Human rights
- Labor (employee) relations
- Respect for the environment
- Social responsibility / Community involvement
- Anti-corruption
(If necessary you can choose two of
these issues to discuss in your report.)
3. Analyze the code you chose in terms of one or two of
the five principles of ethics we have discussed in class (and as posted
on this web site). Codes of ethics usually incorporate elements
of the Utilitarian (cost/benefit) perspective, as well as Human Rights,
and--sometimes--Justice. Offer your own analysis of some of the
strengths of the code you chose, and some of the weaknesses.
See this link for a summary of the five principles
http://paws.wcu.edu/gjones/Five_Ethical_Perspectives.html
4. What is your impression of the social responsibility (or
'social contract') of this company? Perhaps you could write a
paragraph or two on this issue. See this link for a short summary
of social responsibility:
http://paws.wcu.edu/gjones/Ethics_Lecture_Notes_MARKET_THEORY.html
5. (Optional) Has the company or organization you chose
been in the news for ethically questionable behavior? Describe
the incident and the conflict between the organization's ethical code
and its actual behavior.
6. CONCLUSION. Offer a brief conclusion of your analysis of
the code of ethics (statement of values) you chose.
LENGTH: FIVE (5) PAGES, double-spaced. Use some headings to
help organize your paper (for example:
Introduction
The Value of a Corporate Code of Ethics
Brief History of [your company]
Brief Description of [your company]
[Your company's] Code of Ethics Concerning
[the Environment, Human Rights, or whatever area you choose]
(quote a few of the most relevant, or
most important passages)
Analysis of this section of the Code
(in terms of one or two of the five ethical principles; see link above)
[Your Company] and Social Responsiblity
(Does your company sound socially
responsible? How so? Explain. See link above)
[OPTIONAL] Recent news
regarding [your company] and Ethics
Conclusion
References
Cite any online
references you use at the end of the paper. Give proper credit to
sources that you use in the body of the paper itself. Do not copy
excessively from online sources, and when you do quote material
directly, put it in quotation marks and cite your source. Most of
this paper should be written in your own words--not somebody
else's. Plagiarism will be penalized. This is, after all,
an ethics course...
Select from the following list, or submit your own company site to
me. But you need to decide on your company or your organization
to analyze by MAY 24.
The List of Possibilities (or
submit your own to me by email)
dr_gary@itacademy.ca
Government
There are about 70 links here -- choose ONE good one
http://ethics.iit.edu/codes/gov.html
Codes
for Companies (and some codes
for associations)
http://www.ethicsweb.ca/resources/business/codes.html
- Ethics at Texas
Instruments (note environment, health, diversity, social
responsibility) [TI IS TAKEN, May 24, 6:00, by Nora el sayed
kotb, Zeinab ali hassan (year 2), Mina fawzy ghataze ]
- British
Petroleum [BP IS
TAKEN: Omar abd
el wahab, Amr essam el tohamy, Karim Moh. abd el hady]
- Cumins Engine Co. [TAKEN, MAY 27, 9:30, by sara mohammed
fathy and manal mohab year (2)]
- Deere
& Company [TAKEN, May
25, 9:00, by sara gamal
year 2 group one]
- Dow Corning
- Eaton Corp. [TAKEN, MAY 24, 11:55 pm, by Mai
Mohamed From year 3 Houda
Ahmed]
- Enron
Code of Ethics
- Enron,
two sections: Business Ethics, Human Rights [TAKEN, FRIDAY, Dina mohamed, abd el raouf,
Rami mohamed ibrahim, Amir adel.]
- Enron,
two sections: Business Ethics, the Environment TAKEN, May 25, 8:00 pm, by Ashraf Baghdady, from year3, hazem mostafa
(year 2) and tamer hassan( year 3).
- Exxon
(note Health and Education links) [TAKEN, May 25, 1:26 am, by Mahmoud Ibrahim Ibrahim, Hussein Mohamed
Abdel Salam, Kareem Ahmed Shawki, Year "2 " Group "2"]
- Shell
Oil Co.
- Shell Environment and Society [SHELL E&S IS
TAKEN: Ahmed
El-Hofi and Mohamed Amr Naser]
- Shell
Environment and Society, Data (not necessary for the project, but
some info perhaps useful)
- Shell
and Human Rights [TAKEN, MAY 24, 12:30 PM, BY Wessam ibrahim, Ame
Emad, Moustafa Gad]
- Shell
and Business Integrity [TAKEN,
May 24, 10:00, by Alaa El Din Amr & Randa Mostafa,
Year: 2, Ethics class group: 4]
- Weyerhaeuser [TAKEN, MAY 27, 10:00, BY 2nd group 1- khaled raged, 2-androw wasfy,
3- beshoy imal]
- Siemens [TAKEN, May 24, 7:30 am, by MOHAMED SHAMS and CHRISTEEN ADEL, &
SARA MOSTAFA]
- Nokia (message from CEO,
environmental & social) [NOKIA IS
TAKEN, May 23, 9:45 pm, by nashwa ahmed elkholy, mai
mokhtar, nahla Khaled]
- Johnson & Johnson (Our
Credo, [J&J IS TAKEN:
salma rafik atlam,
sara ahmed anwar, sherif hesham (yr 2)]
- Oriental Weavers (Egypt) [ORIENTAL
WEAVERS IS TAKEN, May 24, 11:00, by Mohamed abdelsalam & Mohamed fares,
year 2 group 1]
- HSBC
[Taken, by Mohamed Aly & Ahmed Khaled Younes, late]
- P&G
[TAKEN by ahmed el bishbishy &
mahmoud tharwat, late]
Associations, Business (You may choose one of these if you
really can't find a company or a government agency code that you like.)
http://ethics.iit.edu/codes/business.html