Ethics Business Studies

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NAME: WONG FUI YUN

UB NUMBER: 14032066

MODULE TITLE: ETHICS IN BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

MODULE CODE: MAN0812M

MODULE LECTURER: MR DARWIN JOSEPH

TITLE OF COURSEWORK: AN ETHICAL DILEMMA, PRODUCING TOYS – CHILD’S PLAY?

WORD COUNT: 999 WORDS

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 4TH AUGUST 2016

Introduction

Kantian deontology, also known as duty-based ethics, consists a Greek word, ‘deon’ meaning duty, was introduced by a great philosophers Immanuel Kant, states that activities must be guided by universalizable principles that apply regardless of the results of the actions (Fisher & Lovell, 2009). One’s decisions and morality about right or wrong were carried out as an obligation, not dependent on a particular situation and not in desire of a reward. From a Kantian perception, one can make decision in a situation by applying unchangeable principles – a set of priori moral laws, that have been established by deductive reasoning, independent of, or before, the facts of the decision in hand have been considered (Fisher & Lovell, 2009). Kant saw human as rational actors, hence one is a free moral actor who made own decisions concerning right or wrong (Crane & Matten, 2010).

I am using Kant’s theoretical framework – the categorical imperatives, the principles that must be obeyed without exception, which obeys the concept of universalizability, to analyse each option in order to choose the best among all.

Discussion

As a production manager of the company, I will consider few options by applying Kantian deontology before I make up my mind. The first option will be terminating the deal with Thai manufacturer and look for another. The second option will be continuing the deal but ignore practices and work environment of this manufacturer. The next option will be continuing the deal and compromise with the manufacturer by altering the working hours of the children. Last option will be continuing the deal by having child-free labour.

The first maxim checks that one should choose to act in consideration of every humankind, to act or treated by the same way (Weiss, 2009). We shall act in taking account of the reason and result of a decision if others are in the same circumstances. For the first and second option, terminate the deal causes the manufacturer loses a chance to earn, by means workers and their families might be jobless for the moment of time. Obviously, ignores the labours’ practices and work environment does not fulfill the first maxim, through common sense, people do not wish to work in such environment, hence it needs to have some changes on it. The third option passes the first maxim, as the children can work to help to maintain daily expenses of the family, equally to have their childhood moments and receive proper education at the same time. By executing the child-free labour, in this case, might not help much for a family as a whole, since they are facing poverty issue.