Assignment: Course Overview:
Contract Law and Professional Ethics analyzes the primary legal structures governing business activity in the United States, and introduces students to state and international guidelines and interests. Students identify, apply, and anticipate legal issues relevant to advancement in the industries and regions relevant to their careers.
Course Introduction:
Let's explore the mortgage and housing situation after the year 2000.
Getting a mortgage back then was quite simple, even if you didn't have enough money for a down payment or suitable income. Obviously, companies were making a lot of money by selling these mortgages-selling them, sometimes, without recourse. A later assignment will allow you to delve into this situation, but suffice it now to say that there was a lot of unethical behavior. People lost their homes, and banks nearly collapsed. Others got rich. Was anything done illegally? So far, nobody has been indicted because of the housing collapse.
Studying the paradox of a company trying both to make money and to keep the public interest in focus is a constant challenge.
Both matters must be kept in mind; even as one studies the one, the other must be kept close at hand. Many companies would argue that their only duty is to increase the wealth of their shareholders. Others would argue that not only is public interest important, the way a company deals with many different issues is also important. Being an ethical public-oriented company is important.
This course will examine a company's ethics in light of various groups-the public, shareholders and other investors, and employees. Companies have spent a lot of time and effort drafting rules for engaging each of these groups. Sometimes, it is in reaction to new laws or the threat of new laws; sometimes, however, it's because companies want to be good corporate citizens.
Understanding this paradox is important for any business student. Whether it is to them help run a company some day or to improve their day-to-day interactions with other stakeholders, it is important to understand where lines are drawn and how to assess which side of the line to be on.
Module Overview:
What comes to your mind when you hear the word "unethical"?
According to Webster, unethical means "unwilling to adhere to proper rules of a profession or lacking in moral principles" ("Unethical," 2011). Nowhere do you see the word "illegal" in the definition. That means that something could be unethical but not illegal.
For example, your friend calls you up in panic because she just got fired from work. She and a few colleagues were planning to go out for St. Patrick's Day and wore green shirts to work. The company didn't like it, and even though it was explained that no one was protesting against the company, the company fired all eight people wearing green shirts.
This module introduces you to the legal and ethical principles necessary for a successful business enterprise. You will explore the juxtaposition of freedom versus responsibility and examine an ethical-decision-making "toolkit" developed for business leaders. Unethical. (2011). Merriam-Webster's online dictionary.
Module Readings and Assignment:Complete the following readings early in the module:
Module overview
From your course textbook, Law & Ethics in the Business Environment, 8th read the following chapter:
Law, Ethics, and Business: An Introduction
Assignment: Discussion-Ethics in Corporate Settings
Many companies have incorporated ethic policies to guide their staff. Additionally, almost all professional organizations have ethic policies to guide their professional's behavior.
Tasks:
Using the Argosy University online library resources or the Internet, research the background of ethics policies for companies. Then, respond to the following questions:
How do these ethical policies aid the company?
How do they guide the behavior of the staff of the various companies?
How strict should the company be in applying their policies?
Submission Details:
In a minimum of 500 words, summarize and post your responses to this Discussion Area. Support your work by citing sources according to APA standards.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.