Labour Outsourcing and Utilitarian Ethics - Assignment Example

Name Tutor Course Date Labour Outsourcing and Utilitarian Ethics Debate topic This topic may be discussed from two points of view. First, it is true that people may be willing to work for low pay in difficult conditions, especially those from poor and struggling economies. These people may be willing to even work in the toughest of working conditions since to them, getting food on the table is what they care. This may be true for a given population, and local employers maybe paying them very low wages. While this may be acceptable for the local employers, and multinational corporations may want to take advantage of the situation and pay similar wages, this would be very unethical on their part. Workers tolerating such low wages due to life’s hardships and struggles do not make these conditions ethical. On the other hand, multinational companies are motivated to export jobs to destinations where it is easier and cheaper to do business. The employees in the poor countries also willingly and readily accept the low wages. Since the multinational companies do not violate any minimum wage laws in destination country, they may be considered to offer more good than bad for these countries. It is best to let them pay such wages since the money may just be enough to support the families in the poor countries. Other discussion questions i. Moral stand based on utilitarian perspective While I was in high school, I once made the decision to change school at a time when my family was moving to a new city. It had happened that the family had to move since my father had found a new job in the new town. While my dad had proposed that I could remain behind with an aunt, I thought this would mean extra expenses for the family. Although staying in the old school would mean more comfort on my side, but I believed this decision would help the whole family in savings. Apart from the financial considerations, living away would mean that my family would need to keep worrying and calling frequently to find how I spent my days. My decision benefited the whole family. ii. Utilitarianism Utilitarianism holds the argument that individuals can determine the ethical significance of their actions by considering the consequences of the act. This approach to ethics supports the maximization of the overall good. Therefore, the best decision should be that which will benefit more people. Acts that cause harm are considered unethical. Bentham believed that only pleasure and pain should influence human decision making. He argued that the human acts should aim to bring pleasure and not pain. Mill, on the other hand, believes that not all opinions are equal and therefore a simple majority rule should not be used to determine that which is pleasurable. The decision should be left to well-informed and competent judges. iii. Key objections to utilitarianism It is difficult to find a defensible way to measure “overall good”, since the effects of acts should be considered for the whole society. Secondly, the decision maker may remain in dilemma since personal preferences may not cause “overall good”. The approach also supports the phrase “the end justifies the means” since consequences are given priority over processes. This defies the earliest ethical principle: “the end does not justify the means”. iv. Accepted argument for global business practice Globalization is considered a means of achieving free and open competition in a manner that will allocate resources to those that need it most and distribute resources across nations so that greatest good is produced for the greatest number of people. At the same time, globalization has had varied effects to the poor host countries. Multinational corporations have been known to engage in exploitation of workers and subjecting them to unacceptable working conditions. It is not guaranteed that economic benefits will be realised. Globalization is also cause for weakening of regulations for environment, labour safety and health which have been considered “barriers to trade” as well as violation of other noneconomic values in the host countries. v. Sweatshop Sweatshops are working environments that do not observe labour laws. In sweatshops, worker are exposed to poor working conditions, unreasonable hours, lack of benefits, unfair wages and other human rights violations. Sweat shops are considered unethical due to the severe inhuman conditions workers are subjected to. Utilitarian ethics finds sweatshops unethical since workers do not achieve significant level of happiness, if any, due to the exploitation and oppression in sweatshops. Kantian ethical approach does not vi. Findings of the FLA review FLA assessors found that Foxconn had made changes to the factory-level policies and procedures. In all the three companies, changes had been made regarding hours of work and 36 hours of overtime incorporated as required by law. It was also confirmed that Longhua and Chengdu workers worked no more than 60 hours per week between March and October 2013. Workers also received a day off every week at Longhua and Chengdu while at Guanlan, about a third of the workers did not receive any a day off in Match, April and September 2013. Among several other findings, the assessors found that workers were more involved in union committees with reduced management participation. vii. Is the matter resolved Most of the issues raised by the review were already attended to. All recommendations that were to be implemented by July 1, 2013 had been implemented except four. Great progress had been realised in working hours, but more was to be done to ensure total compliance with Chinese labour laws. Research topic questions viii. Summarising utilitarianism Utilitarianism approach to ethics seeks to encourage individuals to do good to society. In this sense, utilitarianism suggests that the good of the majority is superior to that of individuals. Researchers have proposed different means of assessing the benefits to society and deciding among options. As opposed to egoism that focuses on the happiness of individuals, utilitarian actions are judged by the consequences for the overall good. In utilitarian ethics, the best means of achieving this is in decision making by educated citizenry through majority rule democracy. Fair Trade and Kantian ethics Debate Globalization has caused of serious global concerns and has been found to promote exploitation of poor nations while multinational corporations impose their interests for economic gains. Globalization has continued to raise concerns that have centred on labour, human rights and environmental issues. Fare trade has strived to establish alternative trading organizations that ensure safe working conditions, minimal returns and environmentally sustainable production processes. In an effort to solve inequalities, fare trade encourages reasonable prices, long term relations, sustainable environmental practices, democratic cooperatives and, among other values, partial payment to protect small producers (Hira and Ferrie, 2006). This is the best available alternative to international business for sustainable global business. Other discussion questions a. Difference between Kantian ethics and utilitarianism As opposed to utilitarian ethics that bases on consequences for decision making, Kantian ethics is an ethics of duty. Kant argued that ethical people are those who act from the right intensions. He believed that humans are the only free creatures that can use their own intelligence to make sound decision. Kant distinguished between two imperatives: hypothetical and categorical imperatives. Categorical imperatives, according to Kant, are those duties based on reason; that did not depend on any conditions. The three formulation of categorical imperative requires that an individual should: Always consider humanity in a person as an end, not as a means Act on maxims only, which can be willed to be universal nature laws So act as if he/ she was a member of an ideal kingdom of end where he/she is both sovereign and subject at the same time (Bowie, 2002). b. Difference between wants and interests Wants are things that someone desires to have, whether one needs them or not, while interests are things that are either objects of human needs or are related to a direct object of human need as a reliable means is to an end. Wants and needs greatly influence human behaviour and decision making. They therefore determine people’s actions and ethical orientation c. Importance of autonomy for Kantian ethics Kant’s description of autonomy means that humans should not only be able to make decisions without coercion, but even at the work place, they should choose freely and opportunities. According to Kent, autonomy makes humans worthy of respect d. Taken a moral stand based on principle When I decided to join the sports team in college, the decision was entirely based on principle, and not based on any expectations of winning any trophies and any kind of recognition. Most of my friends were already in the college sports team, mainly outdoor sports. I decided to join the team solely for companionship and to stay around my friends, while most of my friends were focused on winning trophies and rising up the ranks. This decision was, therefore, largely process based. e. What is fair trade Fair-trade refers to achievement of better prices, local sustainability, better working conditions and fair terms of trade for workers and farmers in the developing world (Fair-trade Australia and Newzealand, 2012). Fair-trade seeks to protect farmers and other workers from damaging global fluctuations, and ensure that they benefit from independent Fair-trade system. f. Conceptions of fair-trade The first conception considers problems in the most basic nature of global capitalism which includes trade, and tries to establish a whole new system. The second conception looks at possible means of promoting equitable trade and works within existing trade channels and structures, including mainstream retailers (Hira and Firrie, 2006). g. Four concerns of commodities production Hardships of agricultural enterprises due to weather conditions, pests, accessibility to loans That the centre of economics is a market governed by supply and demand Less amounts of food products are purchased by individuals as their income rises and the elasticity of demand and supply for food products is not similar to that of commodities from specialised manufacturers and services It is not easy to add value on the price of raw agricultural products since they do not change in nature like other commodities like computers and cameras h. Macquarie University selling fair-trade coffee Fair-trade as an organization is focused on supporting farmers and establishing business environments are fair and accommodating. Selling fair-trade coffee by the university would positively impact on the efforts of this organization to achieve its goals. In the spirit of supporting better business environments, the university should sell fair-trade coffee Research topic questions i. Kantian ethics summary Kantian ethics is based on two imperatives. The first one recognises that certain decisions are made due to particular conditions. This, he referred to as hypothetical imperative since it takes the form: if x should be done then y must be done. Categorical imperative, on the other hand, is concerned with decision making without any prior conditions. According to Kant, reason was the basis for categorical imperative. Kantian ethics, therefore, is ethics of duty and not consequences. One is ethical if he/ she acts from the right intentions. Works cited Bowie N.E. A Kantian Approach to Business Ethics. In Donaldson, T., Werhane, P.H., and Cording, M. Ethical Issues in Business: a philosophical approach. 7th. edn. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002 Fair labour association. (). Final Foxconn Verificatioon Status Report, 2013. Retrieved on 29th August 2014 from Fair-trade Australia and New Zealand. What is fair-trade? 2012. Retrieved on 29th August 2014 from Hira A. And Ferrie J. Fair-Trade: Three Key Challenges for Reaching the Mainstream. Journal of business Ethics. Vol. 63: 107-118, 2006 Desjardins Ch. 2 pp. 29-37 Desjardins Ch. 12 Read More