International Management Ethics and Values - Assignment Example

>>>> answer each question with AT LEAST one paragraph 1. What is the difference between descriptive ethics and normative ethics? What role do values play in each of these two approaches to ethics? Provide examples to illustrate your points. Hints: define descriptive ethics and normative ethics? The importance (play important role in the ethical decision making) and the difference! Provide some examples. Descriptive ethics is founded on the belief that humans are ‘hard-wired’ to be selfish.

That is, they are for the most part absorbed in fulfilling their own desires and goals. The capitalist economy is a good example of this instinct in humans, whereby, ‘greed is good’ is an accepted mantra for business corporations and individuals alike. Descriptive ethics promotes a ego-centric decision making model, whereby, an individual is morally entitled to pursue his own happiness through independent action. Cultural relativism is another term coupled to descriptive ethics. This school of thought contends that what is right or wrong is specific to the particular cultural milieu.

Normative ethics, on the other hand, takes a more didactic approach to human action in that it prescribes ‘what’ is morally right through rational deliberation. . 2. In practice, what can be said for and against utilitarianism, or a results-based approach to ethics? [Class 2a lecture file] Hints: define utilitarianism (act and role) advantages and disadvantages, define results-based approach! The utilitarian totem is ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number of people’. This objective for the evaluation of ethics is very appealing intuitively.

It is also politically consistent with principles of democracy. But the issues with Utilitarianism crop up due to qualitative factors. For example, what exactly does ‘happiness’ mean? Moreover, are the values and conditions that create happiness universally the same? Even further, why should happiness or pleasure or utility be the arbiter of morality? Indeed, the purpose of moral inquiry is not so much happiness but justice. Under utilitarian ethics, the ends always justify the means. But to the extent that the means involve human action and assent, normative ethical evaluation comes into play.

So, practical issues such as this have given Utilitarianism the tag of being an idealistic or utopian ethical system. 3. In practice, what can be said for and against deontology, or ethical theories of the right? [Class 3a lecture file] Hints: define deontology, advantages and disadvantages, define the theory of right! Deontology is a sharp contrast to Utilitarianism, in that actions are deemed right or wrong not through their consequences. In the contrary, those actions that are considered to be duties, including obligations, responsibilities and commitments are valued as moral.

Deontological ethics aligns very well with the mandates of major religions of the world, including Christianity. For this reason, the theory has drawn criticism. It is easy to see how