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Videos Concepts Unwrapped View All 36 short illustrated videos explain behavioral ethics concepts and basic ethics principles. Concepts Unwrapped: Sports Edition View All 10 short videos introduce athletes to behavioral ethics concepts. Ethics Defined (Glossary) View All 58 animated videos - 1 to 2 minutes each - define key ethics terms and concepts. Ethics in Focus View All One-of-a-kind videos highlight the ethical aspects of current and historical subjects. Giving Voice To Values View All Eight short videos present the 7 principles of values-driven leadership from Gentile's Giving Voice to Values. In It To Win View All A documentary and six short videos reveal the behavioral ethics biases in super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff's story. Scandals Illustrated View All 30 videos - one minute each - introduce newsworthy scandals with ethical insights and case studies. Video Series

Case Studies UT Star Icon

Case Studies

More than 70 cases pair ethics concepts with real world situations. From journalism, performing arts, and scientific research to sports, law, and business, these case studies explore current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences. Each case includes discussion questions, related videos, and a bibliography.

A Million Little Pieces

A Million Little Pieces

James Frey’s popular memoir stirred controversy and media attention after it was revealed to contain numerous exaggerations and fabrications.

Abramoff: Lobbying Congress

Abramoff: Lobbying Congress

Super-lobbyist Abramoff was caught in a scheme to lobby against his own clients. Was a corrupt individual or a corrupt system – or both – to blame?

Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices

Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices

Is tech company Apple, Inc. ethically obligated to oversee the questionable working conditions of other companies further down their supply chain?

Approaching the Presidency: Roosevelt & Taft

Approaching the Presidency: Roosevelt & Taft

Some presidents view their responsibilities in strictly legal terms, others according to duty. Roosevelt and Taft took two extreme approaches.

Appropriating “Hope”

Appropriating “Hope”

Fairey’s portrait of Barack Obama raised debate over the extent to which an artist can use and modify another’s artistic work, yet still call it one’s own.

Arctic Offshore Drilling

Arctic Offshore Drilling

Competing groups frame the debate over oil drilling off Alaska’s coast in varying ways depending on their environmental and economic interests.

Banning Burkas: Freedom or Discrimination?

Banning Burkas: Freedom or Discrimination?

The French law banning women from wearing burkas in public sparked debate about discrimination and freedom of religion.

Birthing Vaccine Skepticism

Birthing Vaccine Skepticism

Wakefield published an article riddled with inaccuracies and conflicts of interest that created significant vaccine hesitancy regarding the MMR vaccine.

Blurred Lines of Copyright

Blurred Lines of Copyright

Marvin Gaye’s Estate won a lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for the hit song “Blurred Lines,” which had a similar feel to one of his songs.

Bullfighting: Art or Not?

Bullfighting: Art or Not?

Bullfighting has been a prominent cultural and artistic event for centuries, but in recent decades it has faced increasing criticism for animal rights’ abuse.

Buying Green: Consumer Behavior

Buying Green: Consumer Behavior

Do purchasing green products, such as organic foods and electric cars, give consumers the moral license to indulge in unethical behavior?

Cadavers in Car Safety Research

Cadavers in Car Safety Research

Engineers at Heidelberg University insist that the use of human cadavers in car safety research is ethical because their research can save lives.

Cardinals’ Computer Hacking

Cardinals’ Computer Hacking

St. Louis Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa hacked into the Houston Astros’ webmail system, leading to legal repercussions and a lifetime ban from MLB.

Cheating: Atlanta’s School Scandal

Cheating: Atlanta’s School Scandal

Teachers and administrators at Parks Middle School adjust struggling students’ test scores in an effort to save their school from closure.

Cheating: Sign-Stealing in MLB

Cheating: Sign-Stealing in MLB

The Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme rocked the baseball world, leading to a game-changing MLB investigation and fallout.

Cheating: UNC’s Academic Fraud

Cheating: UNC’s Academic Fraud

UNC’s academic fraud scandal uncovered an 18-year scheme of unchecked coursework and fraudulent classes that enabled student-athletes to play sports.

Cheney v. U.S. District Court

Cheney v. U.S. District Court

A controversial case focuses on Justice Scalia’s personal friendship with Vice President Cheney and the possible conflict of interest it poses to the case.

Christina Fallin: “Appropriate Culturation?”

Christina Fallin: “Appropriate Culturation?”

After Fallin posted a picture of herself wearing a Plain’s headdress on social media, uproar emerged over cultural appropriation and Fallin’s intentions.

Climate Change & the Paris Deal

Climate Change & the Paris Deal

While climate change poses many abstract problems, the actions (or inactions) of today’s populations will have tangible effects on future generations.

Cover-Up on Campus

Cover-Up on Campus

While the Baylor University football team was winning on the field, university officials failed to take action when allegations of sexual assault by student athletes emerged.

Covering Female Athletes

Covering Female Athletes

Sports Illustrated stirs controversy when their cover photo of an Olympic skier seems to focus more on her physical appearance than her athletic abilities.

Covering Yourself? Journalists and the Bowl Championship

Covering Yourself? Journalists and the Bowl Championship

Can news outlets covering the Bowl Championship Series fairly report sports news if their own polls were used to create the news?

Cyber Harassment

Cyber Harassment

After a student defames a middle school teacher on social media, the teacher confronts the student in class and posts a video of the confrontation online.

Defending Freedom of Tweets?

Defending Freedom of Tweets?

Running back Rashard Mendenhall receives backlash from fans after criticizing the celebration of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden in a tweet.

Dennis Kozlowski: Living Large

Dennis Kozlowski: Living Large

Dennis Kozlowski was an effective leader for Tyco in his first few years as CEO, but eventually faced criminal charges over his use of company assets.

Digital Downloads

Digital Downloads

File-sharing program Napster sparked debate over the legal and ethical dimensions of downloading unauthorized copies of copyrighted music.

Dr. V’s Magical Putter

Dr. V’s Magical Putter

Journalist Caleb Hannan outed Dr. V as a trans woman, sparking debate over the ethics of Hannan’s reporting, as well its role in Dr. V’s suicide.

East Germany’s Doping Machine

East Germany’s Doping Machine

From 1968 to the late 1980s, East Germany (GDR) doped some 9,000 athletes to gain success in international athletic competitions despite being aware of the unfortunate side effects.

Ebola & American Intervention

Ebola & American Intervention

Did the dispatch of U.S. military units to Liberia to aid in humanitarian relief during the Ebola epidemic help or hinder the process?

Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?

Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?

Was Edward Snowden’s release of confidential government documents ethically justifiable?

Ethical Pitfalls in Action

Ethical Pitfalls in Action

Why do good people do bad things? Behavioral ethics is the science of moral decision-making, which explores why and how people make the ethical (and unethical) decisions that they do.

Ethical Use of Home DNA Testing

Ethical Use of Home DNA Testing

The rising popularity of at-home DNA testing kits raises questions about privacy and consumer rights.

Flying the Confederate Flag

Flying the Confederate Flag

A heated debate ensues over whether or not the Confederate flag should be removed from the South Carolina State House grounds.

Freedom of Speech on Campus

Freedom of Speech on Campus

In the wake of racially motivated offenses, student protests sparked debate over the roles of free speech, deliberation, and tolerance on campus.

Freedom vs. Duty in Clinical Social Work

Freedom vs. Duty in Clinical Social Work

What should social workers do when their personal values come in conflict with the clients they are meant to serve?

Full Disclosure: Manipulating Donors

Full Disclosure: Manipulating Donors

When an intern witnesses a donor making a large gift to a non-profit organization under misleading circumstances, she struggles with what to do.

Gaming the System: The VA Scandal

Gaming the System: The VA Scandal

The Veterans Administration’s incentives were meant to spur more efficient and productive healthcare, but not all administrators complied as intended.

German Police Battalion 101

German Police Battalion 101

During the Holocaust, ordinary Germans became willing killers even though they could have opted out from murdering their Jewish neighbors.

Head Injuries & American Football

Head Injuries & American Football

Many studies have linked traumatic brain injuries and related conditions to American football, creating controversy around the safety of the sport.

Head Injuries & the NFL

Head Injuries & the NFL

American football is a rough and dangerous game and its impact on the players’ brain health has sparked a hotly contested debate.

Healthcare Obligations: Personal vs. Institutional

Healthcare Obligations: Personal vs. Institutional

A medical doctor must make a difficult decision when informing patients of the effectiveness of flu shots while upholding institutional recommendations.

High Stakes Testing

High Stakes Testing

In the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act, parents, teachers, and school administrators take different positions on how to assess student achievement.

In-FUR-mercials: Advertising & Adoption

In-FUR-mercials: Advertising & Adoption

When the Lied Animal Shelter faces a spike in animal intake, an advertising agency uses its moral imagination to increase pet adoptions.

Krogh & the Watergate Scandal

Krogh & the Watergate Scandal

Egil Krogh was a young lawyer working for the Nixon Administration whose ethics faded from view when asked to play a part in the Watergate break-in.

Limbaugh on Drug Addiction

Limbaugh on Drug Addiction

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh argued that drug abuse was a choice, not a disease. He later became addicted to painkillers.

LochteGate

U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte’s “over-exaggeration” of an incident at the 2016 Rio Olympics led to very real consequences.

Meet Me at Starbucks

Meet Me at Starbucks

Two black men were arrested after an employee called the police on them, prompting Starbucks to implement “racial-bias” training across all its stores.

Myanmar Amber

Myanmar Amber

Buying amber could potentially fund an ethnic civil war, but refraining allows collectors to acquire important specimens that could be used for research.

Negotiating Bankruptcy

Negotiating Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy lawyer Gellene successfully represented a mining company during a major reorganization, but failed to disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Pao & Gender Bias

Pao & Gender Bias

Ellen Pao stirred debate in the venture capital and tech industries when she filed a lawsuit against her employer on grounds of gender discrimination.

Pardoning Nixon

Pardoning Nixon

One month after Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency, Gerald Ford made the controversial decision to issue Nixon a full pardon.

Patient Autonomy & Informed Consent

Patient Autonomy & Informed Consent

Nursing staff and family members struggle with informed consent when taking care of a patient who has been deemed legally incompetent.

Prenatal Diagnosis & Parental Choice

Prenatal Diagnosis & Parental Choice

Debate has emerged over the ethics of prenatal diagnosis and reproductive freedom in instances where testing has revealed genetic abnormalities.

Reporting on Robin Williams

Reporting on Robin Williams

After Robin Williams took his own life, news media covered the story in great detail, leading many to argue that such reporting violated the family’s privacy.

Responding to Child Migration

Responding to Child Migration

An influx of children migrants posed logistical and ethical dilemmas for U.S. authorities while intensifying ongoing debate about immigration.

Retracting Research: The Case of Chandok v. Klessig

Retracting Research: The Case of Chandok v. Klessig

A researcher makes the difficult decision to retract a published, peer-reviewed article after the original research results cannot be reproduced.

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

In the wake of questionable social media use by college athletes, the head coach at University of South Carolina bans his players from using Twitter.

Selling Enron

Selling Enron

Following the deregulation of electricity markets in California, private energy company Enron profited greatly, but at a dire cost.

Snyder v. Phelps

Snyder v. Phelps

Freedom of speech was put on trial in a case involving the Westboro Baptist Church and their protesting at the funeral of U.S. Marine Matthew Snyder.

Something Fishy at the Paralympics

Something Fishy at the Paralympics

Rampant cheating has plagued the Paralympics over the years, compromising the credibility and sportsmanship of Paralympian athletes.

Sports Blogs: The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

Sports Blogs: The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

Deadspin pays an anonymous source for information related to NFL star Brett Favre, sparking debate over the ethics of “checkbook journalism.”

Stangl & the Holocaust

Stangl & the Holocaust

Franz Stangl was the most effective Nazi administrator in Poland, killing nearly one million Jews at Treblinka, but he claimed he was simply following orders.

Teaching Blackface: A Lesson on Stereotypes

Teaching Blackface: A Lesson on Stereotypes

A teacher was put on leave for showing a blackface video during a lesson on racial segregation, sparking discussion over how to teach about stereotypes.

The Astros’ Sign-Stealing Scandal

The Astros’ Sign-Stealing Scandal

The Houston Astros rode a wave of success, culminating in a World Series win, but it all came crashing down when their sign-stealing scheme was revealed.

The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five

Despite the indisputable and overwhelming evidence of the innocence of the Central Park Five, some involved in the case refuse to believe it.

The CIA Leak

The CIA Leak

Legal and political fallout follows from the leak of classified information that led to the identification of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

The Collapse of Barings Bank

The Collapse of Barings Bank

When faced with growing losses, investment banker Nick Leeson took big risks in an attempt to get out from under the losses. He lost.

The Costco Model

The Costco Model

How can companies promote positive treatment of employees and benefit from leading with the best practices? Costco offers a model.

The FBI & Apple Security vs. Privacy

The FBI & Apple Security vs. Privacy

How can tech companies and government organizations strike a balance between maintaining national security and protecting user privacy?

The Miss Saigon Controversy

The Miss Saigon Controversy

When a white actor was cast for the half-French, half-Vietnamese character in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon , debate ensued.

The Sandusky Scandal

The Sandusky Scandal

Following the conviction of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for sexual abuse, debate continues on how much university officials and head coach Joe Paterno knew of the crimes.

The Varsity Blues Scandal

The Varsity Blues Scandal

A college admissions prep advisor told wealthy parents that while there were front doors into universities and back doors, he had created a side door that was worth exploring.

Therac-25

Providing radiation therapy to cancer patients, Therac-25 had malfunctions that resulted in 6 deaths. Who is accountable when technology causes harm?

Welfare Reform

Welfare Reform

The Welfare Reform Act changed how welfare operated, intensifying debate over the government’s role in supporting the poor through direct aid.

Wells Fargo and Moral Emotions

Wells Fargo and Moral Emotions

In a settlement with regulators, Wells Fargo Bank admitted that it had created as many as two million accounts for customers without their permission.

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case study business ethics

  • 02 Jan 2024
  • Cold Call Podcast

Should Businesses Take a Stand on Societal Issues?

Should businesses take a stand for or against particular societal issues? And how should leaders determine when and how to engage on these sensitive matters? Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Hubert Joly, who led the electronics retailer Best Buy for almost a decade, discusses examples of corporate leaders who had to determine whether and how to engage with humanitarian crises, geopolitical conflict, racial justice, climate change, and more in the case, “Deciding When to Engage on Societal Issues.”

case study business ethics

  • 12 Dec 2023

Can Sustainability Drive Innovation at Ferrari?

When Ferrari, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, committed to achieving carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet, investors and employees applauded the new strategy. But among the company’s suppliers, the reaction was mixed. Many were nervous about how this shift would affect their bottom lines. Professor Raffaella Sadun and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna discuss how Ferrari collaborated with suppliers to work toward achieving the company’s goal. They also explore how sustainability can be a catalyst for innovation in the case, “Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality.” This episode was recorded live December 4, 2023 in front of a remote studio audience in the Live Online Classroom at Harvard Business School.

case study business ethics

  • 11 Dec 2023
  • Research & Ideas

Doing Well by Doing Good? One Industry’s Struggle to Balance Values and Profits

Few companies wrestle with their moral mission and financial goals like those in journalism. Research by Lakshmi Ramarajan explores how a disrupted industry upholds its values even as the bottom line is at stake.

case study business ethics

  • 27 Nov 2023

Voting Democrat or Republican? The Critical Childhood Influence That's Tough to Shake

Candidates might fixate on red, blue, or swing states, but the neighborhoods where voters spend their teen years play a key role in shaping their political outlook, says research by Vincent Pons. What do the findings mean for the upcoming US elections?

case study business ethics

  • 21 Nov 2023

The Beauty Industry: Products for a Healthy Glow or a Compact for Harm?

Many cosmetics and skincare companies present an image of social consciousness and transformative potential, while profiting from insecurity and excluding broad swaths of people. Geoffrey Jones examines the unsightly reality of the beauty industry.

case study business ethics

  • 09 Nov 2023

What Will It Take to Confront the Invisible Mental Health Crisis in Business?

The pressure to do more, to be more, is fueling its own silent epidemic. Lauren Cohen discusses the common misperceptions that get in the way of supporting employees' well-being, drawing on case studies about people who have been deeply affected by mental illness.

case study business ethics

  • 07 Nov 2023

How Should Meta Be Governed for the Good of Society?

Julie Owono is executive director of Internet Sans Frontières and a member of the Oversight Board, an outside entity with the authority to make binding decisions on tricky moderation questions for Meta’s companies, including Facebook and Instagram. Harvard Business School visiting professor Jesse Shapiro and Owono break down how the Board governs Meta’s social and political power to ensure that it’s used responsibly, and discuss the Board’s impact, as an alternative to government regulation, in the case, “Independent Governance of Meta’s Social Spaces: The Oversight Board.”

case study business ethics

  • 24 Oct 2023

From P.T. Barnum to Mary Kay: Lessons From 5 Leaders Who Changed the World

What do Steve Jobs and Sarah Breedlove have in common? Through a series of case studies, Robert Simons explores the unique qualities of visionary leaders and what today's managers can learn from their journeys.

case study business ethics

  • 03 Oct 2023
  • Research Event

Build the Life You Want: Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey Share Happiness Tips

"Happiness is not a destination. It's a direction." In this video, Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey reflect on mistakes, emotions, and contentment, sharing lessons from their new book.

case study business ethics

  • 12 Sep 2023

Successful, But Still Feel Empty? A Happiness Scholar and Oprah Have Advice for You

So many executives spend decades reaching the pinnacles of their careers only to find themselves unfulfilled at the top. In the book Build the Life You Want, Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey offer high achievers a guide to becoming better leaders—of their lives.

case study business ethics

  • 10 Jul 2023
  • In Practice

The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2023

Need a book recommendation for your summer vacation? HBS faculty members share their reading lists, which include titles that explore spirituality, design, suspense, and more.

case study business ethics

  • 01 Jun 2023

A Nike Executive Hid His Criminal Past to Turn His Life Around. What If He Didn't Have To?

Larry Miller committed murder as a teenager, but earned a college degree while serving time and set out to start a new life. Still, he had to conceal his record to get a job that would ultimately take him to the heights of sports marketing. A case study by Francesca Gino, Hise Gibson, and Frances Frei shows the barriers that formerly incarcerated Black men are up against and the potential talent they could bring to business.

case study business ethics

  • 04 Apr 2023

Two Centuries of Business Leaders Who Took a Stand on Social Issues

Executives going back to George Cadbury and J. N. Tata have been trying to improve life for their workers and communities, according to the book Deeply Responsible Business: A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership by Geoffrey Jones. He highlights three practices that deeply responsible companies share.

case study business ethics

  • 14 Mar 2023

Can AI and Machine Learning Help Park Rangers Prevent Poaching?

Globally there are too few park rangers to prevent the illegal trade of wildlife across borders, or poaching. In response, Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) was created by a coalition of conservation organizations to take historical data and create geospatial mapping tools that enable more efficient deployment of rangers. SMART had demonstrated significant improvements in patrol coverage, with some observed reductions in poaching. Then a new predictive analytic tool, the Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (PAWS), was created to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to try to predict where poachers would be likely to strike. Jonathan Palmer, Executive Director of Conservation Technology for the Wildlife Conservation Society, already had a good data analytics tool to help park rangers manage their patrols. Would adding an AI- and ML-based tool improve outcomes or introduce new problems? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Brian Trelstad discusses the importance of focusing on the use case when determining the value of adding a complex technology solution in his case, “SMART: AI and Machine Learning for Wildlife Conservation.”

case study business ethics

  • 14 Feb 2023

Does It Pay to Be a Whistleblower?

In 2013, soon after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had started a massive whistleblowing program with the potential for large monetary rewards, two employees of a US bank’s asset management business debated whether to blow the whistle on their employer after completing an internal review that revealed undisclosed conflicts of interest. The bank’s asset management business disproportionately invested clients’ money in its own mutual funds over funds managed by other banks, letting it collect additional fees—and the bank had not disclosed this conflict of interest to clients. Both employees agreed that failing to disclose the conflict was a problem, but beyond that, they saw the situation very differently. One employee, Neel, perceived the internal review as a good-faith effort by senior management to identify and address the problem. The other, Akash, thought that the entire business model was problematic, even with a disclosure, and believed that the bank may have even broken the law. Should they escalate the issue internally or report their findings to the US Securities and Exchange Commission? Harvard Business School associate professor Jonas Heese discusses the potential risks and rewards of whistleblowing in his case, “Conflicts of Interest at Uptown Bank.”

case study business ethics

  • 17 Jan 2023

Good Companies Commit Crimes, But Great Leaders Can Prevent Them

It's time for leaders to go beyond "check the box" compliance programs. Through corporate cases involving Walmart, Wells Fargo, and others, Eugene Soltes explores the thorny legal issues executives today must navigate in his book Corporate Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions.

case study business ethics

  • 29 Nov 2022

How Will Gamers and Investors Respond to Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard?

In January 2022, Microsoft announced its acquisition of the video game company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The deal would make Microsoft the world’s third largest video game company, but it also exposes the company to several risks. First, the all-cash deal would require Microsoft to use a large portion of its cash reserves. Second, the acquisition was announced as Activision Blizzard faced gender pay disparity and sexual harassment allegations. That opened Microsoft up to potential reputational damage, employee turnover, and lost sales. Do the potential benefits of the acquisition outweigh the risks for Microsoft and its shareholders? Harvard Business School associate professor Joseph Pacelli discusses the ongoing controversies around the merger and how gamers and investors have responded in the case, “Call of Fiduciary Duty: Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard.”

case study business ethics

  • 15 Nov 2022

Stop Ignoring Bad Behavior: 6 Tips for Better Ethics at Work

People routinely overlook wrongdoing, even in situations that cause significant harm. In his book Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop, Max Bazerman shares strategies that help people do the right thing even when those around them aren't.

case study business ethics

  • 08 Nov 2022

How Centuries of Restrictions on Women Shed Light on Today's Abortion Debate

Going back to pre-industrial times, efforts to limit women's sexuality have had a simple motive: to keep them faithful to their spouses. Research by Anke Becker looks at the deep roots of these restrictions and their economic implications.

case study business ethics

  • 20 Sep 2022

How Partisan Politics Play Out in American Boardrooms

The discord gripping the nation has reached the heights of corporate America, with costly consequences for companies and investors. Research by Elisabeth Kempf shows just how polarized the executive suite has become.

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case study business ethics

A number of universities and organizations provide access to free business case studies.  Below are some of the best known sources.

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  • Last Updated: Nov 17, 2023 12:09 PM
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case study business ethics

Ethics and AI: 3 Conversations Companies Need to Have

  • Reid Blackman
  • Beena Ammanath
  • March 21, 2022

case study business ethics

Case Study: Your Star Salesperson Lied. Should He Get a Second Chance?

  • Sandeep Puri
  • From the September–October 2019 Issue

Coming Next Week: The New HBR.org

  • Eric Hellweg
  • December 10, 2009

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

  • Hurd Baruch
  • From the January 1979 Issue

How Sex Hurts the Workplace, Especially Women

  • Sylvia Ann Hewlett
  • August 24, 2010

Campaign Spending Now Open for Business

  • Vinod K. Aggarwal
  • August 20, 2010

case study business ethics

Managers Aren't Doing Enough to Encourage Whistleblowing

  • Shivaram Rajgopal
  • February 07, 2017

NFL Owners Can’t Manage Their Players Without Better Rules

  • Sarah Green Carmichael
  • September 18, 2014

case study business ethics

8 Questions About Using AI Responsibly, Answered

  • Tsedal Neeley
  • May 09, 2023

case study business ethics

Banks with More Women on Their Boards Commit Less Fraud

  • Barbara Casu
  • Scott Berinato
  • From the May–June 2021 Issue

Collaborative Goals

  • Linda A. Hill
  • April 01, 2011

case study business ethics

How Expats Should Lead in China

  • Lynn S. Paine
  • December 20, 2011

Cadbury: More Than an Iconic Brand

  • Gill Corkindale
  • December 16, 2009

case study business ethics

When Trust Is Easily Broken, and When It's Not

  • Michael Haselhuhn
  • Maurice E. Schweitzer
  • Maurice Schweitzer
  • Jessica A. Kennedy
  • February 17, 2016

case study business ethics

When Confronting a Biased Comment Can Increase Your Sense of Belonging at Work

  • Aneeta Rattan
  • May 04, 2018

4 Arguments Against Technology

  • Kevin Kelly
  • April 17, 2009

case study business ethics

What It Means to Be a Moral Leader

  • September 22, 2023

case study business ethics

AI Can Be Both Accurate and Transparent

  • François Candelon
  • Theodoros Evgeniou
  • David Martens
  • May 12, 2023

The Ethics of Resume Writing

  • Clinton D. Korver
  • May 19, 2008

It’s Hard to Be Good

  • Alison Beard
  • Richard Hornik
  • Heather Wang, Meghan Ennes, Erin Rush
  • Samantha Presnal
  • From the November 2011 Issue

case study business ethics

Bring Human Values to AI

  • Jacob Abernethy
  • Abhishek Gupta
  • Yves Lostanlen
  • From the March–April 2024 Issue

case study business ethics

HBR’s Picks on Managing Social and Political Issues at Work

  • HBR Editors
  • February 06, 2024

case study business ethics

A Leader’s Guide to Navigating Employee Activism

  • Megan Reitz
  • John Higgins

case study business ethics

Corporate Advocacy in a Time of Social Outrage

  • Alison Taylor

case study business ethics

Maintaining Customer Loyalty in the Face of Inflation

  • Christine Alemany
  • February 02, 2024

case study business ethics

A Better Way for Companies to Address Pay Gaps

  • Margrét V. Bjarnadóttir
  • David Anderson
  • David Gaddis Ross

case study business ethics

How to Vet a Corporate Intelligence Vendor

  • Maria Robson-Morrow
  • Katherine Tucker
  • Paul R. Kolbe
  • January 19, 2024

case study business ethics

4 Questions to Assess the Trustworthiness of Your Company’s GenAI

  • Shalene Gupta
  • January 18, 2024

case study business ethics

AI Is Testing the Limits of Corporate Governance

  • Roberto Tallarita
  • December 05, 2023

case study business ethics

How Leaders Can Be Stewards of “Good Tech”

  • Ginni Rometty
  • November 29, 2023

case study business ethics

How Companies Can Build Trustworthy AI Assistants

  • Kathy Baxter
  • Yoav Schlesinger
  • November 27, 2023

case study business ethics

Unifying Your Company Around a Moral Goal

  • Ranjay Gulati
  • November 22, 2023

case study business ethics

To Prove Your Company Isn’t Greenwashing, Endorse Smart Regulation

  • Kristina Marusic
  • November 15, 2023

case study business ethics

A Strong Purpose Can Make Your Company a Magnet for Talent

  • Claudio Fernández-Aráoz
  • November 09, 2023

case study business ethics

How Leaders Can Create a Purpose-Driven Culture

  • Rodolphe Durand
  • Ioannis Ioannou
  • November 07, 2023

Neurotech Is Coming to the Workplace. Here's How to Be Ready.

  • Nita A. Farahany
  • September 19, 2023

Generative AI-nxiety

  • August 14, 2023

case study business ethics

Why Today’s Leaders Need to Be Perpetual Learners

  • August 11, 2023

case study business ethics

A More Ethical Approach to Employing Contractors

  • Catherine Bracy
  • August 02, 2023

case study business ethics

ERKE: Consumption Binge Caused by Donations

  • January 25, 2022

How Much? (C)

  • Clayton Rose
  • July 10, 2012

General Mills: Responding to the Killing of George Floyd (B)

  • Debora L. Spar
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  • July 08, 2022

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The Ethical Organisation pp 21–26 Cite as

Case Studies in Business Ethics

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Business and management education has the purpose of improving business practice. Many other claims are made for it but none is as intuitively or philosophically appealing as this. Employers and practitioners may sometimes take the view that business and management education exists to serve their needs for competent employees who can carry out the tasks necessary for successful operation. Therefore, education should aim to provide people with the requisite skills and appropiate attitudes as well as knowledge of business practice. Others take the view that an education should enrich the mind and develop critical faculties. Therefore, a good critical and theoretical understanding is central to the process of business education and skills and attitudes can be acquired during the early stages of employment.

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Aristotle (1947) Metaphysics (W.D. Ross trans.) in T.L. Beauchamp, Case Studies in Business Society and Ethics , Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1989.

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Goodpaster, K. E. (1983) ‘Some Avenues for Ethical Analysis in General Management’, Harvard Business School, case 9-383-007.

Malloy, D.C. and Lang, D.L. (1993) ‘An Aristotelian Approach to Case Study Analysis’, Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 12, 5 pp. 11–516.

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Mathews, J. B. et al. (1994) Policies and Persons: A Case-book in Business Ethics (2nd edn), McGraw-Hill, New York.

Simon, H. A. (1947) Administrative Behaviour: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organisations , Macmillan, New York.

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Gray Matters

Figure1-6-1.png

Source: Photo courtesy of Sasha Wolff, www.flickr.com/photos/sashawolff/3388815964.

To foster ethical discussion and understanding in the workplace, the Lockheed Martin company developed a quiz for employees called “Gray Matters.” The quiz is multiple choice, with a range of points awarded (or subtracted) depending on the response. Subsequently, the approach has been adopted by a wide range of corporations. Here’s a typical question matched with its possible answers and the corresponding points:

Six months after you hired an assistant accountant who has been working competently and responsibly, you learn that she departed from the truth on her employment application: she claimed she had a college degree when she didn’t. You’re her manager; what should you do?

  • Nothing because she’s doing her job just fine. (–10 points)
  • Bring the issue to the human resources department to determine exactly how company policy determines the situation should be handled. (10 points)
  • Fire her for lying. (5 points)
  • Carefully weigh her work performance, her length of service, and her potential benefit to the company before informing anyone of what happened or making any recommendations. (0 points)

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

  • The three principle components of business ethics are facts, values, and arguments. What are the facts pertinent to an ethical evaluation of this case? Is there any information not contained in the question that you’d like to have before making a decision about what should be done?
  • From the facts and information provided, can you sketch a set of values and chain of reasoning justifying the answer that the quiz’s original authors sanctioned as the right one? (Leave the decision in the hands of the HR department and existing company policy.)
  • You get some points for C (firing her). What values and reasoning may lead to that determination?
  • According to the quiz authors, the worst answer is A. Maybe they’re wrong, though. What values and reasoning may lead to the conclusion that doing “nothing because she’s doing her job just fine” is an excellent response?
  • Would it be reasonable to say that, ethically, this is an issue just between you and the woman who you hired after she lied on her résumé?
  • If you expand the answer about who’s involved to include other workmates at the company, as well as the company’s clients and shareholders, does that change the ethical perspective you have on what should be done with the lying (but capable) coworker?
  • Would you categorize response B (bring the issue to HR to determine exactly how company policy determines the situation should be handled) as leading to a decision more based on morality or more based on ethics? Explain.
  • Would you categorize response D (carefully weigh her work performance, her length of service, and her potential benefit to the company before informing anyone of what happened or making any recommendations) as leading to a decision more based on morality or ethics? Explain.

Who Made Your iPhone?

Figure1-6-2.jpg

Source: Photo courtesy of Tobias Myrstrand Leander, http://www.flickr.com/photos/s8an/5207806926/

Connie Guglielmo, a reporter for Bloomberg news services, begins an article on Apple this way: “Apple Inc. said three of its suppliers hired 11 underage workers to help build the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh computer last year, a violation it uncovered as part of its onsite audit of 102 factories.” Connie Guglielmo, “Apple Says Children Were Used to Build iPhone, iPod (Update1),” Bloomberg , February 27, 2010, accessed May 11, 2011, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aiEeeQNHkrOY .

Her story adds details. The underage workers were fifteen in places where the minimum legal age for employment is sixteen. She wasn’t able to discover the specific countries, but learned the infractions occurred in one or more of the following: China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and the Philippines.

Following the discovery, the employees were released, and disciplinary action was taken against a number of the foreign suppliers. In one case, Apple stopped contracting with the company entirely.

The story closes with this: “Apple rose $2.62 to $204.62 yesterday in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares more than doubled last year.”

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

  • The ethical question is whether Apple ought to contract (through suppliers) fifteen-year-olds to work on factory floors. Is the fact that the stock price has been zooming up a pertinent fact, or does it not affect the ethics? Explain.
  • From the information given and reasonable assumptions about these factories and the living conditions of people working inside them, sketch an ethical argument against Apple enforcing the age workplace rule. What fundamental values underwrite the argument?
  • From the information given and reasonable assumptions about these factories and the living conditions of people working inside them, sketch an argument in favor of Apple enforcing the age workplace rule. What fundamental values underwrite the argument?
  • Within the context of the Apple situation, what’s the difference between making a decision in terms of the law and in terms of ethics?
  • What is an advantage of following the local customs when making economic decisions like the one confronting Apple?
  • Does the custom of employing young workers in some countries change your ethical consideration of the practice in those places? Why or why not?
  • The person is able to understand right and wrong.
  • The person acts to cause (or fails to act to prevent) a wrong.
  • The person acts knowing what they’re doing.
  • The person acts from their own free will.

Assuming it’s unethical for fifteen-year-olds to work factory shifts making iPhones, who bears responsibility for the wrong?

  • Do the fifteen-year-olds bear some responsibility? Explain.
  • Does Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple? Explain.
  • Are shareholders guilty? Explain.
  • Do people who use iPhones bear responsibility? Explain.

Figure1-6-3.png

Since 2006, students at the Columbia Business School have been required to pledge “I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”

This is a substantial promise, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll create too many tremendous burdens or require huge sacrifices.

A somewhat more demanding pledge solidified in 2010 when a group of business school students from Columbia, Duke Fuqua, Harvard, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Rensselaer Lally, Thunderbird, UNC Kenan-Flagler, and Yale met to formalize the following MBA Oath:

As a business leader I recognize my role in society.

  • My purpose is to lead people and manage resources to create value that no single individual can create alone.
  • My decisions affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and tomorrow.

Therefore, I promise that:

  • I will manage my enterprise with loyalty and care, and will not advance my personal interests at the expense of my enterprise or society.
  • I will understand and uphold, in letter and spirit, the laws and contracts governing my conduct and that of my enterprise.
  • I will refrain from corruption, unfair competition, or business practices harmful to society.
  • I will protect the human rights and dignity of all people affected by my enterprise, and I will oppose discrimination and exploitation.
  • I will protect the right of future generations to advance their standard of living and enjoy a healthy planet.
  • I will report the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly.
  • I will invest in developing myself and others, helping the management profession continue to advance and create sustainable and inclusive prosperity.

In exercising my professional duties according to these principles, I recognize that my behavior must set an example of integrity, eliciting trust and esteem from those I serve. I will remain accountable to my peers and to society for my actions and for upholding these standards. “The MBA Oath,” MBA Oath, accessed May 11, 2011, http://mbaoath.org/about/the-mba-oath .

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

  • The second introductory clause of the MBA Oath is “My decisions affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and tomorrow.” “The MBA Oath,” MBA Oath, accessed May 11, 2011, http://mbaoath.org/about/the-mba-oath . What’s the difference between seeing this as a positive ethical stand in favor of a broad social responsibility held by those in business, and seeing it as arrogance?
  • Looking at the MBA Oath, can you list a set of values that are probably shared by those responsible for its creation?
  • What values underlie paulnyc’s perspective?
  • How is paulnyc’s vision different from the one espoused in the oath?

Is it plausible to assert that JerryNY shares most of the values of those who wrote the MBA Oath, it’s just that he sees a different business attitude as the best way to serve those values? If so, explain. If not, why not?

I would refuse to take that oath…on principle. The idea that an individual’s proper motive should be to serve “the greater good” is highly questionable. This altruistic ethic is what supported the collectivist of communism and national socialism. If my life belongs first and foremost to “the greater good,” it follows that the greatest virtue is to live as a slave. A slave’s existence, after all, is devoted primarily for the benefit of his master. The master can be a plantation owner or a King or an oligarchy or a society that demands your servitude.

The only oath I’d be willing to take is, “I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” Eric, May 30, 2009 (10:35 a.m.), comment on Leslie Wayne, “A Promise to Be Ethical in an Era of Immorality,” New York Times , May 29, 2009, accessed May 11, 2011, community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/business/30oath.html?sort=oldest.

In your own words, contrast the values the MBA Oath supporters espouse with the values the commenter Eric espouses.

Is it unethical to take the pledge without expecting to adhere to it simply because you think it will help in your job search, or is that strategy just a different kind of ethics? Explain.

When he says business school students are programmed, what does he mean? If someone is programmed to be an opportunistic parasite in business, can we blame them for what they do? If so, how? If not, who should be blamed?

Assume the MBA Oath does stress the importance of the greater good, and you too are going into the economic world with that as a privileged value. How could you respond to the argument that you really should be doing nursing or something more obviously serving the general good?

  • According to the Times , B-schoolers aren’t lining up for the MBA Oath: only about 20 percent take the pledge. How could you convince the other 80 percent to sign on?

I.M.P. (It’s My Party)

“Look at them!” he said, his eyes dancing. “That’s what it’s all about, the way the people feel. It’s not about the sellout performances and the caliber of the bands who appear here. It’s about the people who buy tickets, having a good time.” Avis Thomas-Lester, “A Club Owner’s Mojo,” Washington Post , December 28, 2009, accessed May 11, 2011, http://views.washingtonpost.com/on-success/what-it-takes/2009/12/seth_hurwitz.html .

Figure1-6-4.jpg

Source: Photo courtesy of Kevin Dooley , http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/4530723795/ .

That’s Seth Hurwitz quoted in the Washington Post , talking about his 9:30 Club, a small venue playing over-the-hill bands on the way down, and fresh acts scratching their way up.

The story’s curious detail is that even though Hurwitz calls his company I.M.P. (It’s My Party), he doesn’t spend much time at his club. In fact, he’s almost never there. Part of the reason is that his workday begins at 6 a.m., so he’s actually back in bed preparing for the next day before his enterprise gets going in earnest each night. His job is straightforward: sitting in the second floor office of his suburban DC home, he scrutinizes the music publications and statistics, probing for bands that people want to see and that won’t charge too much to appear. He told the Post that he won’t book an act as a favor, and he won’t flatter a group into playing his club to keep them away from the competition by overpaying them. “I don’t subscribe,” he says, “to doing shows that will lose money.”

Hurwitz has been connected with music in one way or another for almost as long as he can remember. The Post relates some of his early memories:

He rigged a system to broadcast radio from his basement to his parents and brothers in the living room. “I used to bring my singles into class and play them,” Hurwitz said. When he was 16, he decided he wanted to be a deejay and got his chance when alternative rock station WHFS gave him a spot. “It was from 7:45 to 8—fifteen minutes,” he said, laughing. “But that was okay because I wanted to be on the radio, and I had my own show, as a high school student.” He said he was fired “for being too progressive.” Avis Thomas-Lester, “A Club Owner’s Mojo,” Washington Post , December 28, 2009, accessed May 11, 2011, http://views.washingtonpost.com/on-success/what-it-takes/2009/12/seth_hurwitz.html .

It’s a long way from getting fired for playing music too obscure for alternative radio to where Hurwitz is now: putting on concerts by bands selected because they’ll make money.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

  • What, if anything, is Hurwitz the older concert promoter compromising to get ahead? Is there an ethical objection that could be raised here? If so, what? If not, why not?
  • When Hurwitz was a deejay, he played records that led people to change the station. Then the station changed him. Is this an example of business regulating itself? Is there an ethical side to this, or is it just the way money works? Explain.
  • From the information given, would you judge that Hurwitz is successful in business? Why or why not?
  • Are all these questions part of institutional business ethics or personal business ethics? Explain.
  • Do people who run their own company have an ethical responsibility to separate friends from business?
  • One nice thing about Hurwitz working upstairs in his own house is that he can show up for work in the morning in his pajamas. Should all places of business be like that—with people free to wear whatever they want for work? Explain your answer from an ethical perspective.
  • If you go to a concert on a Wednesday and are too hung over to make it to work on Thursday, what should you tell your boss on Friday? That you were hung over? That your car broke down? Something else? Justify.
  • Should Hurwitz accept some responsibility and blame for absent employees? Explain.

8 Important Business Ethics Cases

case study business ethics

For those interested in researching some interesting ethical businesses cases, there are plenty from which to choose. Business leaders may feel squeezed by shareholders to produce profits.  Some have made some ethical blunders in an attempt to remain competitive. Others have used their size to squeeze out the competition.  The following includes some important business ethics cases based on well-known organizations:

  • Enron – Questionable accounting practices and manipulation of the energy supply brought down this company. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is an excellent documentary movie that explains the scandal.  Check out an excerpt from Enron’s Code of Ethics.
  • Monsanto – Monsanto has been criticized for its mega-size.  Critics fear they are taking over the food supply as well as creating negative environmental issues. Check out Monsanto’s Code of Ethics for Chief Executives and Senior Financial Officers.
  • Arthur Andersen – Arthur Andersen is known for its unethical auditing practices. Check out The Fall of Arthur Andersen for more complete details.
  • WalMart – Studies have shown that WalMart may save people money but they may also negatively impact communities.  Their low prices may also hurt suppliers. The company received criticism when leadership announced they wanted to hire healthier, more productive employees. WalMart has been accused of being anti-union and has survived sweatshop and discrimination scandals. Check out WalMart’s Statement Regarding Code of Ethics .
  • Countrywide – The company offered subprime loans that later resulted in default.  Critics have claimed that Countrywide employees told clients that their properties would increase in value and that their loans would be able to be refinanced when market values rose.  The market values declined causing many to lose their homes.  Check out Countrywide’s Code of Ethics .
  • Beechnut – Beechnut’s ethics came into question when it was discovered that they were selling “apple juice” to foreign countries that contained something less than apple juice.  For more information on this scandal, check out Beechnut’s History and Apple Juice Scandal .
  • Starbucks – Clustering strategy may force smaller companies out of business. There were so many Starbucks on street corners that movies like Best In Show made fun of how there might be one Starbucks right across the street from another.  Check out Starbucks’ Code of Ethics for CEO and Financial Leaders.
  • Nike – Manufacturing practices included producing shoes offshore to save money. Nike has used its share of sweatshops in manufacturing. They have come under fire for human rights violations. Check out Nike’s Code of Ethics.

Related Articles:

  • Code of Ethics for:  Amazon, Apple, Dell, Facebook, Google, Intel, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo!
  • Top 10 Company Mission Statements in 2011
  • Business Ethics:  Ethical Decision Making & Cases – For more business ethics cases including Coca-Cola, Tyco, PETCO and Home Depot.

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What Are Business Ethics & Why Are They Important?

Business professional pressing a graphic that reads "Business Ethics" and is surrounded by icons

  • 27 Jul 2023

From artificial intelligence to facial recognition technology, organizations face an increasing number of ethical dilemmas. While innovation can aid business growth, it can also create opportunities for potential abuse.

“The long-term impacts of a new technology—both positive and negative—may not become apparent until years after it’s introduced,” says Harvard Business School Professor Nien-hê Hsieh in the online course Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “For example, the impact of social media on children and teenagers didn’t become evident until we watched it play out over time.”

If you’re a current or prospective leader concerned about navigating difficult situations, here's an overview of business ethics, why they're important, and how to ensure ethical behavior in your organization.

Access your free e-book today.

What Are Business Ethics?

Business ethics are principles that guide decision-making . As a leader, you’ll face many challenges in the workplace because of different interpretations of what's ethical. Situations often require navigating the “gray area,” where it’s unclear what’s right and wrong.

When making decisions, your experiences, opinions, and perspectives can influence what you believe to be ethical, making it vital to:

  • Be transparent.
  • Invite feedback.
  • Consider impacts on employees, stakeholders, and society.
  • Reflect on past experiences to learn what you could have done better.

“The way to think about ethics, in my view, is: What are the externalities that your business creates, both positive and negative?” says Harvard Business School Professor Vikram Gandhi in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “And, therefore, how do you actually increase the positive element of externalities? And how do you decrease the negative?”

Related: Why Managers Should Involve Their Team in the Decision-Making Process

Ethical Responsibilities to Society

Promoting ethical conduct can benefit both your company and society long term.

“I'm a strong believer that a long-term focus is what creates long-term value,” Gandhi says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “So you should get shareholders in your company that have that same perspective.”

Prioritizing the triple bottom line is an effective way for your business to fulfill its environmental responsibilities and create long-term value. It focuses on three factors:

  • Profit: The financial return your company generates for shareholders
  • People: How your company affects customers, employees, and stakeholders
  • Planet: Your company’s impact on the planet and environment

Check out the video below to learn more about the triple bottom line, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!

Ethical and corporate social responsibility (CSR) considerations can go a long way toward creating value, especially since an increasing number of customers, employees, and investors expect organizations to prioritize CSR. According to the Conscious Consumer Spending Index , 67 percent of customers prefer buying from socially responsible companies.

To prevent costly employee turnover and satisfy customers, strive to fulfill your ethical responsibilities to society.

Ethical Responsibilities to Customers

As a leader, you must ensure you don’t mislead your customers. Doing so can backfire, negatively impacting your organization’s credibility and profits.

Actions to avoid include:

  • Greenwashing : Taking advantage of customers’ CSR preferences by claiming your business practices are sustainable when they aren't.
  • False advertising : Making unverified or untrue claims in advertisements or promotional material.
  • Making false promises : Lying to make a sale.

These unethical practices can result in multi-million dollar lawsuits, as well as highly dissatisfied customers.

Ethical Responsibilities to Employees

You also have ethical responsibilities to your employees—from the beginning to the end of their employment.

One area of business ethics that receives a lot of attention is employee termination. According to Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability , letting an employee go requires an individualized approach that ensures fairness.

Not only can wrongful termination cost your company upwards of $100,000 in legal expenses , it can also negatively impact other employees’ morale and how they perceive your leadership.

Ethical business practices have additional benefits, such as attracting and retaining talented employees willing to take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company. Approximately 40 percent of millennials say they would switch jobs to work for a company that emphasizes sustainability.

Ultimately, it's critical to do your best to treat employees fairly.

“Fairness is not only an ethical response to power asymmetries in the work environment,” Hsieh says in the course. “Fairness—and having a successful organizational culture–can benefit the organization economically and legally.”

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability | Develop a toolkit for making tough leadership decisions| Learn More

Why Are Business Ethics Important?

Failure to understand and apply business ethics can result in moral disengagement .

“Moral disengagement refers to ways in which we convince ourselves that what we’re doing is not wrong,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “It can upset the balance of judgment—causing us to prioritize our personal commitments over shared beliefs, rules, and principles—or it can skew our logic to make unethical behaviors appear less harmful or not wrong.”

Moral disengagement can also lead to questionable decisions, such as insider trading .

“In the U.S., insider trading is defined in common, federal, and state laws regulating the opportunity for insiders to benefit from material, non-public information, or MNPI,” Hsieh explains.

This type of unethical behavior can carry severe legal consequences and negatively impact your company's bottom line.

“If you create a certain amount of harm to a society, your customers, or employees over a period of time, that’s going to have a negative impact on your economic value,” Gandhi says in the course.

This is reflected in over half of the top 10 largest bankruptcies between 1980 and 2013 that resulted from unethical behavior. As a business leader, strive to make ethical decisions and fulfill your responsibilities to stakeholders.

How to Implement Business Ethics

To become a more ethical leader, it's crucial to have a balanced, long-term focus.

“It's very important to balance the fact that, even if you're focused on the long term, you have to perform in the short term as well and have a very clear, articulated strategy around that,” Gandhi says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability .

Making ethical decisions requires reflective leadership.

“Reflecting on complex, gray-area decisions is a key part of what it means to be human, as well as an effective leader,” Hsieh says. “You have agency. You must choose how to act. And with that agency comes responsibility.”

Related: Why Are Ethics Important in Engineering?

Hsieh advises asking the following questions:

  • Are you using the “greater good” to justify unethical behavior?
  • Are you downplaying your actions to feel better?

“Asking these and similar questions at regular intervals can help you notice when you or others may be approaching the line between making a tough but ethical call and justifying problematic actions,” Hsieh says.

How to Become a More Effective Leader | Access Your Free E-Book | Download Now

Become a More Ethical Leader

Learning from past successes and mistakes can enable you to improve your ethical decision-making.

“As a leader, when trying to determine what to do, it can be helpful to start by simply asking in any given situation, ‘What can we do?’ and ‘What would be wrong to do?’” Hsieh says.

Many times, the answers come from experience.

Gain insights from others’ ethical decisions, too. One way to do so is by taking an online course, such as Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability , which includes case studies that immerse you in real-world business situations, as well as a reflective leadership model to inform your decision-making.

Ready to become a better leader? Enroll in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability —one of our online leadership and management courses —and download our free e-book on how to be a more effective leader.

case study business ethics

About the Author

Doha Declaration

Education for justice.

  • Agenda Day 1
  • Agenda Day 2
  • Agenda Day 3
  • Agenda Day 4
  • Registration
  • Breakout Sessions for Primary and Secondary Level
  • Breakout Sessions for Tertiary Level
  • E4J Youth Competition
  • India - Lockdown Learners
  • Chuka, Break the Silence
  • The Online Zoo
  • I would like a community where ...
  • Staying safe online
  • Let's be respectful online
  • We can all be heroes
  • Respect for all
  • We all have rights
  • A mosaic of differences
  • The right thing to do
  • Solving ethical dilemmas
  • UNODC-UNESCO Guide for Policymakers
  • UNODC-UNESCO Handbooks for Teachers
  • Justice Accelerators
  • Introduction
  • Organized Crime
  • Trafficking in Persons & Smuggling of Migrants
  • Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice Reform
  • Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice & SDGs
  • UN Congress on Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice
  • Commission on Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice
  • Conference of the Parties to UNTOC
  • Conference of the States Parties to UNCAC
  • Rules for Simulating Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice Bodies
  • Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice
  • Engage with Us
  • Contact Us about MUN
  • Conferences Supporting E4J
  • Cyberstrike
  • Play for Integrity
  • Running out of Time
  • Zorbs Reloaded
  • Developing a Rationale for Using the Video
  • Previewing the Anti-Corruption Video
  • Viewing the Video with a Purpose
  • Post-viewing Activities
  • Previewing the Firearms Video
  • Rationale for Using the Video
  • Previewing the Human Trafficking Video
  • Previewing the Organized Crime Video
  • Previewing the Video
  • Criminal Justice & Crime Prevention
  • Corruption & Integrity
  • Human Trafficking & Migrant Smuggling
  • Firearms Trafficking
  • Terrorism & Violent Extremism
  • Introduction & Learning Outcomes
  • Corruption - Baseline Definition
  • Effects of Corruption
  • Deeper Meanings of Corruption
  • Measuring Corruption
  • Possible Class Structure
  • Core Reading
  • Advanced Reading
  • Student Assessment
  • Additional Teaching Tools
  • Guidelines for Stand-Alone Course
  • Appendix: How Corruption Affects the SDGs
  • What is Governance?
  • What is Good Governance?
  • Corruption and Bad Governance
  • Governance Reforms and Anti-Corruption
  • Guidelines for Stand-alone Course
  • Corruption and Democracy
  • Corruption and Authoritarian Systems
  • Hybrid Systems and Syndromes of Corruption
  • The Deep Democratization Approach
  • Political Parties and Political Finance
  • Political Institution-building as a Means to Counter Corruption
  • Manifestations and Consequences of Public Sector Corruption
  • Causes of Public Sector Corruption
  • Theories that Explain Corruption
  • Corruption in Public Procurement
  • Corruption in State-Owned Enterprises
  • Responses to Public Sector Corruption
  • Preventing Public Sector Corruption
  • Forms & Manifestations of Private Sector Corruption
  • Consequences of Private Sector Corruption
  • Causes of Private Sector Corruption
  • Responses to Private Sector Corruption
  • Preventing Private Sector Corruption
  • Collective Action & Public-Private Partnerships against Corruption
  • Transparency as a Precondition
  • Detection Mechanisms - Auditing and Reporting
  • Whistle-blowing Systems and Protections
  • Investigation of Corruption
  • Introduction and Learning Outcomes
  • Brief background on the human rights system
  • Overview of the corruption-human rights nexus
  • Impact of corruption on specific human rights
  • Approaches to assessing the corruption-human rights nexus
  • Human-rights based approach
  • Defining sex, gender and gender mainstreaming
  • Gender differences in corruption
  • Theories explaining the gender–corruption nexus
  • Gendered impacts of corruption
  • Anti-corruption and gender mainstreaming
  • Manifestations of corruption in education
  • Costs of corruption in education
  • Causes of corruption in education
  • Fighting corruption in education
  • Core terms and concepts
  • The role of citizens in fighting corruption
  • The role, risks and challenges of CSOs fighting corruption
  • The role of the media in fighting corruption
  • Access to information: a condition for citizen participation
  • ICT as a tool for citizen participation in anti-corruption efforts
  • Government obligations to ensure citizen participation in anti-corruption efforts
  • Teaching Guide
  • Brief History of Terrorism
  • 19th Century Terrorism
  • League of Nations & Terrorism
  • United Nations & Terrorism
  • Terrorist Victimization
  • Exercises & Case Studies
  • Radicalization & Violent Extremism
  • Preventing & Countering Violent Extremism
  • Drivers of Violent Extremism
  • International Approaches to PVE &CVE
  • Regional & Multilateral Approaches
  • Defining Rule of Law
  • UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
  • International Cooperation & UN CT Strategy
  • Legal Sources & UN CT Strategy
  • Regional & National Approaches
  • International Legal Frameworks
  • International Human Rights Law
  • International Humanitarian Law
  • International Refugee Law
  • Current Challenges to International Legal Framework
  • Defining Terrorism
  • Criminal Justice Responses
  • Treaty-based Crimes of Terrorism
  • Core International Crimes
  • International Courts and Tribunals
  • African Region
  • Inter-American Region
  • Asian Region
  • European Region
  • Middle East & Gulf Regions
  • Core Principles of IHL
  • Categorization of Armed Conflict
  • Classification of Persons
  • IHL, Terrorism & Counter-Terrorism
  • Relationship between IHL & intern. human rights law
  • Limitations Permitted by Human Rights Law
  • Derogation during Public Emergency
  • Examples of States of Emergency & Derogations
  • International Human Rights Instruments
  • Regional Human Rights Instruments
  • Extra-territorial Application of Right to Life
  • Arbitrary Deprivation of Life
  • Death Penalty
  • Enforced Disappearances
  • Armed Conflict Context
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  • Convention against Torture et al.
  • International Legal Framework
  • Key Contemporary Issues
  • Investigative Phase
  • Trial & Sentencing Phase
  • Armed Conflict
  • Case Studies
  • Special Investigative Techniques
  • Surveillance & Interception of Communications
  • Privacy & Intelligence Gathering in Armed Conflict
  • Accountability & Oversight of Intelligence Gathering
  • Principle of Non-Discrimination
  • Freedom of Religion
  • Freedom of Expression
  • Freedom of Assembly
  • Freedom of Association
  • Fundamental Freedoms
  • Definition of 'Victim'
  • Effects of Terrorism
  • Access to Justice
  • Recognition of the Victim
  • Human Rights Instruments
  • Criminal Justice Mechanisms
  • Instruments for Victims of Terrorism
  • National Approaches
  • Key Challenges in Securing Reparation
  • Topic 1. Contemporary issues relating to conditions conducive both to the spread of terrorism and the rule of law
  • Topic 2. Contemporary issues relating to the right to life
  • Topic 3. Contemporary issues relating to foreign terrorist fighters
  • Topic 4. Contemporary issues relating to non-discrimination and fundamental freedoms
  • Module 16: Linkages between Organized Crime and Terrorism
  • Thematic Areas
  • Content Breakdown
  • Module Adaptation & Design Guidelines
  • Teaching Methods
  • Acknowledgements
  • 1. Introducing United Nations Standards & Norms on CPCJ vis-à-vis International Law
  • 2. Scope of United Nations Standards & Norms on CPCJ
  • 3. United Nations Standards & Norms on CPCJ in Operation
  • 1. Definition of Crime Prevention
  • 2. Key Crime Prevention Typologies
  • 2. (cont.) Tonry & Farrington’s Typology
  • 3. Crime Problem-Solving Approaches
  • 4. What Works
  • United Nations Entities
  • Regional Crime Prevention Councils/Institutions
  • Key Clearinghouses
  • Systematic Reviews
  • 1. Introduction to International Standards & Norms
  • 2. Identifying the Need for Legal Aid
  • 3. Key Components of the Right of Access to Legal Aid
  • 4. Access to Legal Aid for Those with Specific Needs
  • 5. Models for Governing, Administering and Funding Legal Aid
  • 6. Models for Delivering Legal Aid Services
  • 7. Roles and Responsibilities of Legal Aid Providers
  • 8. Quality Assurance and Legal Aid Services
  • 1. Context for Use of Force by Law Enforcement Officials
  • 2. Legal Framework
  • 3. General Principles of Use of Force in Law Enforcement
  • 4. Use of Firearms
  • 5. Use of “Less-Lethal” Weapons
  • 6. Protection of Especially Vulnerable Groups
  • 7. Use of Force during Assemblies
  • 1. Policing in democracies & need for accountability, integrity, oversight
  • 2. Key mechanisms & actors in police accountability, oversight
  • 3. Crosscutting & contemporary issues in police accountability
  • 1. Introducing Aims of Punishment, Imprisonment & Prison Reform
  • 2. Current Trends, Challenges & Human Rights
  • 3. Towards Humane Prisons & Alternative Sanctions
  • 1. Aims and Significance of Alternatives to Imprisonment
  • 2. Justifying Punishment in the Community
  • 3. Pretrial Alternatives
  • 4. Post Trial Alternatives
  • 5. Evaluating Alternatives
  • 1. Concept, Values and Origin of Restorative Justice
  • 2. Overview of Restorative Justice Processes
  • 3. How Cost Effective is Restorative Justice?
  • 4. Issues in Implementing Restorative Justice
  • 1. Gender-Based Discrimination & Women in Conflict with the Law
  • 2. Vulnerabilities of Girls in Conflict with the Law
  • 3. Discrimination and Violence against LGBTI Individuals
  • 4. Gender Diversity in Criminal Justice Workforce
  • 1. Ending Violence against Women
  • 2. Human Rights Approaches to Violence against Women
  • 3. Who Has Rights in this Situation?
  • 4. What about the Men?
  • 5. Local, Regional & Global Solutions to Violence against Women & Girls
  • 1. Understanding the Concept of Victims of Crime
  • 2. Impact of Crime, including Trauma
  • 3. Right of Victims to Adequate Response to their Needs
  • 4. Collecting Victim Data
  • 5. Victims and their Participation in Criminal Justice Process
  • 6. Victim Services: Institutional and Non-Governmental Organizations
  • 7. Outlook on Current Developments Regarding Victims
  • 8. Victims of Crime and International Law
  • 1. The Many Forms of Violence against Children
  • 2. The Impact of Violence on Children
  • 3. States' Obligations to Prevent VAC and Protect Child Victims
  • 4. Improving the Prevention of Violence against Children
  • 5. Improving the Criminal Justice Response to VAC
  • 6. Addressing Violence against Children within the Justice System
  • 1. The Role of the Justice System
  • 2. Convention on the Rights of the Child & International Legal Framework on Children's Rights
  • 3. Justice for Children
  • 4. Justice for Children in Conflict with the Law
  • 5. Realizing Justice for Children
  • 1a. Judicial Independence as Fundamental Value of Rule of Law & of Constitutionalism
  • 1b. Main Factors Aimed at Securing Judicial Independence
  • 2a. Public Prosecutors as ‘Gate Keepers’ of Criminal Justice
  • 2b. Institutional and Functional Role of Prosecutors
  • 2c. Other Factors Affecting the Role of Prosecutors
  • Basics of Computing
  • Global Connectivity and Technology Usage Trends
  • Cybercrime in Brief
  • Cybercrime Trends
  • Cybercrime Prevention
  • Offences against computer data and systems
  • Computer-related offences
  • Content-related offences
  • The Role of Cybercrime Law
  • Harmonization of Laws
  • International and Regional Instruments
  • International Human Rights and Cybercrime Law
  • Digital Evidence
  • Digital Forensics
  • Standards and Best Practices for Digital Forensics
  • Reporting Cybercrime
  • Who Conducts Cybercrime Investigations?
  • Obstacles to Cybercrime Investigations
  • Knowledge Management
  • Legal and Ethical Obligations
  • Handling of Digital Evidence
  • Digital Evidence Admissibility
  • Sovereignty and Jurisdiction
  • Formal International Cooperation Mechanisms
  • Informal International Cooperation Mechanisms
  • Data Retention, Preservation and Access
  • Challenges Relating to Extraterritorial Evidence
  • National Capacity and International Cooperation
  • Internet Governance
  • Cybersecurity Strategies: Basic Features
  • National Cybersecurity Strategies
  • International Cooperation on Cybersecurity Matters
  • Cybersecurity Posture
  • Assets, Vulnerabilities and Threats
  • Vulnerability Disclosure
  • Cybersecurity Measures and Usability
  • Situational Crime Prevention
  • Incident Detection, Response, Recovery & Preparedness
  • Privacy: What it is and Why it is Important
  • Privacy and Security
  • Cybercrime that Compromises Privacy
  • Data Protection Legislation
  • Data Breach Notification Laws
  • Enforcement of Privacy and Data Protection Laws
  • Intellectual Property: What it is
  • Types of Intellectual Property
  • Causes for Cyber-Enabled Copyright & Trademark Offences
  • Protection & Prevention Efforts
  • Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
  • Cyberstalking and Cyberharassment
  • Cyberbullying
  • Gender-Based Interpersonal Cybercrime
  • Interpersonal Cybercrime Prevention
  • Cyber Organized Crime: What is it?
  • Conceptualizing Organized Crime & Defining Actors Involved
  • Criminal Groups Engaging in Cyber Organized Crime
  • Cyber Organized Crime Activities
  • Preventing & Countering Cyber Organized Crime
  • Cyberespionage
  • Cyberterrorism
  • Cyberwarfare
  • Information Warfare, Disinformation & Electoral Fraud
  • Responses to Cyberinterventions
  • Framing the Issue of Firearms
  • Direct Impact of Firearms
  • Indirect Impacts of Firearms on States or Communities
  • International and National Responses
  • Typology and Classification of Firearms
  • Common Firearms Types
  • 'Other' Types of Firearms
  • Parts and Components
  • History of the Legitimate Arms Market
  • Need for a Legitimate Market
  • Key Actors in the Legitimate Market
  • Authorized & Unauthorized Arms Transfers
  • Illegal Firearms in Social, Cultural & Political Context
  • Supply, Demand & Criminal Motivations
  • Larger Scale Firearms Trafficking Activities
  • Smaller Scale Trafficking Activities
  • Sources of Illicit Firearms
  • Consequences of Illicit Markets
  • International Public Law & Transnational Law
  • International Instruments with Global Outreach
  • Commonalities, Differences & Complementarity between Global Instruments
  • Tools to Support Implementation of Global Instruments
  • Other United Nations Processes
  • The Sustainable Development Goals
  • Multilateral & Regional Instruments
  • Scope of National Firearms Regulations
  • National Firearms Strategies & Action Plans
  • Harmonization of National Legislation with International Firearms Instruments
  • Assistance for Development of National Firearms Legislation
  • Firearms Trafficking as a Cross-Cutting Element
  • Organized Crime and Organized Criminal Groups
  • Criminal Gangs
  • Terrorist Groups
  • Interconnections between Organized Criminal Groups & Terrorist Groups
  • Gangs - Organized Crime & Terrorism: An Evolving Continuum
  • International Response
  • International and National Legal Framework
  • Firearms Related Offences
  • Role of Law Enforcement
  • Firearms as Evidence
  • Use of Special Investigative Techniques
  • International Cooperation and Information Exchange
  • Prosecution and Adjudication of Firearms Trafficking
  • Teaching Methods & Principles
  • Ethical Learning Environments
  • Overview of Modules
  • Module Adaption & Design Guidelines
  • Table of Exercises
  • Basic Terms
  • Forms of Gender Discrimination
  • Ethics of Care
  • Case Studies for Professional Ethics
  • Case Studies for Role Morality
  • Additional Exercises
  • Defining Organized Crime
  • Definition in Convention
  • Similarities & Differences
  • Activities, Organization, Composition
  • Thinking Critically Through Fiction
  • Excerpts of Legislation
  • Research & Independent Study Questions
  • Legal Definitions of Organized Crimes
  • Criminal Association
  • Definitions in the Organized Crime Convention
  • Criminal Organizations and Enterprise Laws
  • Enabling Offence: Obstruction of Justice
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Wildlife & Forest Crime
  • Counterfeit Products Trafficking
  • Falsified Medical Products
  • Trafficking in Cultural Property
  • Trafficking in Persons
  • Case Studies & Exercises
  • Extortion Racketeering
  • Loansharking
  • Links to Corruption
  • Bribery versus Extortion
  • Money-Laundering
  • Liability of Legal Persons
  • How much Organized Crime is there?
  • Alternative Ways for Measuring
  • Measuring Product Markets
  • Risk Assessment
  • Key Concepts of Risk Assessment
  • Risk Assessment of Organized Crime Groups
  • Risk Assessment of Product Markets
  • Risk Assessment in Practice
  • Positivism: Environmental Influences
  • Classical: Pain-Pleasure Decisions
  • Structural Factors
  • Ethical Perspective
  • Crime Causes & Facilitating Factors
  • Models and Structure
  • Hierarchical Model
  • Local, Cultural Model
  • Enterprise or Business Model
  • Groups vs Activities
  • Networked Structure
  • Jurisdiction
  • Investigators of Organized Crime
  • Controlled Deliveries
  • Physical & Electronic Surveillance
  • Undercover Operations
  • Financial Analysis
  • Use of Informants
  • Rights of Victims & Witnesses
  • Role of Prosecutors
  • Adversarial vs Inquisitorial Legal Systems
  • Mitigating Punishment
  • Granting Immunity from Prosecution
  • Witness Protection
  • Aggravating & Mitigating Factors
  • Sentencing Options
  • Alternatives to Imprisonment
  • Death Penalty & Organized Crime
  • Backgrounds of Convicted Offenders
  • Confiscation
  • Confiscation in Practice
  • Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA)
  • Extradition
  • Transfer of Criminal Proceedings
  • Transfer of Sentenced Persons
  • Module 12: Prevention of Organized Crime
  • Adoption of Organized Crime Convention
  • Historical Context
  • Features of the Convention
  • Related international instruments
  • Conference of the Parties
  • Roles of Participants
  • Structure and Flow
  • Recommended Topics
  • Background Materials
  • What is Sex / Gender / Intersectionality?
  • Knowledge about Gender in Organized Crime
  • Gender and Organized Crime
  • Gender and Different Types of Organized Crime
  • Definitions and Terminology
  • Organized crime and Terrorism - International Legal Framework
  • International Terrorism-related Conventions
  • UNSC Resolutions on Terrorism
  • Organized Crime Convention and its Protocols
  • Theoretical Frameworks on Linkages between Organized Crime and Terrorism
  • Typologies of Criminal Behaviour Associated with Terrorism
  • Terrorism and Drug Trafficking
  • Terrorism and Trafficking in Weapons
  • Terrorism, Crime and Trafficking in Cultural Property
  • Trafficking in Persons and Terrorism
  • Intellectual Property Crime and Terrorism
  • Kidnapping for Ransom and Terrorism
  • Exploitation of Natural Resources and Terrorism
  • Review and Assessment Questions
  • Research and Independent Study Questions
  • Criminalization of Smuggling of Migrants
  • UNTOC & the Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants
  • Offences under the Protocol
  • Financial & Other Material Benefits
  • Aggravating Circumstances
  • Criminal Liability
  • Non-Criminalization of Smuggled Migrants
  • Scope of the Protocol
  • Humanitarian Exemption
  • Migrant Smuggling v. Irregular Migration
  • Migrant Smuggling vis-a-vis Other Crime Types
  • Other Resources
  • Assistance and Protection in the Protocol
  • International Human Rights and Refugee Law
  • Vulnerable groups
  • Positive and Negative Obligations of the State
  • Identification of Smuggled Migrants
  • Participation in Legal Proceedings
  • Role of Non-Governmental Organizations
  • Smuggled Migrants & Other Categories of Migrants
  • Short-, Mid- and Long-Term Measures
  • Criminal Justice Reponse: Scope
  • Investigative & Prosecutorial Approaches
  • Different Relevant Actors & Their Roles
  • Testimonial Evidence
  • Financial Investigations
  • Non-Governmental Organizations
  • ‘Outside the Box’ Methodologies
  • Intra- and Inter-Agency Coordination
  • Admissibility of Evidence
  • International Cooperation
  • Exchange of Information
  • Non-Criminal Law Relevant to Smuggling of Migrants
  • Administrative Approach
  • Complementary Activities & Role of Non-criminal Justice Actors
  • Macro-Perspective in Addressing Smuggling of Migrants
  • Human Security
  • International Aid and Cooperation
  • Migration & Migrant Smuggling
  • Mixed Migration Flows
  • Social Politics of Migrant Smuggling
  • Vulnerability
  • Profile of Smugglers
  • Role of Organized Criminal Groups
  • Humanitarianism, Security and Migrant Smuggling
  • Crime of Trafficking in Persons
  • The Issue of Consent
  • The Purpose of Exploitation
  • The abuse of a position of vulnerability
  • Indicators of Trafficking in Persons
  • Distinction between Trafficking in Persons and Other Crimes
  • Misconceptions Regarding Trafficking in Persons
  • Root Causes
  • Supply Side Prevention Strategies
  • Demand Side Prevention Strategies
  • Role of the Media
  • Safe Migration Channels
  • Crime Prevention Strategies
  • Monitoring, Evaluating & Reporting on Effectiveness of Prevention
  • Trafficked Persons as Victims
  • Protection under the Protocol against Trafficking in Persons
  • Broader International Framework
  • State Responsibility for Trafficking in Persons
  • Identification of Victims
  • Principle of Non-Criminalization of Victims
  • Criminal Justice Duties Imposed on States
  • Role of the Criminal Justice System
  • Current Low Levels of Prosecutions and Convictions
  • Challenges to an Effective Criminal Justice Response
  • Rights of Victims to Justice and Protection
  • Potential Strategies to “Turn the Tide”
  • State Cooperation with Civil Society
  • Civil Society Actors
  • The Private Sector
  • Comparing SOM and TIP
  • Differences and Commonalities
  • Vulnerability and Continuum between SOM & TIP
  • Labour Exploitation
  • Forced Marriage
  • Other Examples
  • Children on the Move
  • Protecting Smuggled and Trafficked Children
  • Protection in Practice
  • Children Alleged as Having Committed Smuggling or Trafficking Offences
  • Basic Terms - Gender and Gender Stereotypes
  • International Legal Frameworks and Definitions of TIP and SOM
  • Global Overview on TIP and SOM
  • Gender and Migration
  • Key Debates in the Scholarship on TIP and SOM
  • Gender and TIP and SOM Offenders
  • Responses to TIP and SOM
  • Use of Technology to Facilitate TIP and SOM
  • Technology Facilitating Trafficking in Persons
  • Technology in Smuggling of Migrants
  • Using Technology to Prevent and Combat TIP and SOM
  • Privacy and Data Concerns
  • Emerging Trends
  • Demand and Consumption
  • Supply and Demand
  • Implications of Wildlife Trafficking
  • Legal and Illegal Markets
  • Perpetrators and their Networks
  • Locations and Activities relating to Wildlife Trafficking
  • Environmental Protection & Conservation
  • CITES & the International Trade in Endangered Species
  • Organized Crime & Corruption
  • Animal Welfare
  • Criminal Justice Actors and Agencies
  • Criminalization of Wildlife Trafficking
  • Challenges for Law Enforcement
  • Investigation Measures and Detection Methods
  • Prosecution and Judiciary
  • Wild Flora as the Target of Illegal Trafficking
  • Purposes for which Wild Flora is Illegally Targeted
  • How is it Done and Who is Involved?
  • Consequences of Harms to Wild Flora
  • Terminology
  • Background: Communities and conservation: A history of disenfranchisement
  • Incentives for communities to get involved in illegal wildlife trafficking: the cost of conservation
  • Incentives to participate in illegal wildlife, logging and fishing economies
  • International and regional responses that fight wildlife trafficking while supporting IPLCs
  • Mechanisms for incentivizing community conservation and reducing wildlife trafficking
  • Critiques of community engagement
  • Other challenges posed by wildlife trafficking that affect local populations
  • Global Podcast Series
  • Apr. 2021: Call for Expressions of Interest: Online training for academics from francophone Africa
  • Feb. 2021: Series of Seminars for Universities of Central Asia
  • Dec. 2020: UNODC and TISS Conference on Access to Justice to End Violence
  • Nov. 2020: Expert Workshop for University Lecturers and Trainers from the Commonwealth of Independent States
  • Oct. 2020: E4J Webinar Series: Youth Empowerment through Education for Justice
  • Interview: How to use E4J's tool in teaching on TIP and SOM
  • E4J-Open University Online Training-of-Trainers Course
  • Teaching Integrity and Ethics Modules: Survey Results
  • Grants Programmes
  • E4J MUN Resource Guide
  • Library of Resources
  • Integrity & Ethics
  • Module 12: Integrity, Ethics & Law
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University Module Series: Integrity & Ethics

Module 12: integrity, ethics and law.

case study business ethics

  This module is a resource for lecturers  

Case studies.

Choose one or more of the following case studies and lead a discussion which allows students to address and debate issues of integrity, ethics and law. If time allows, let the students vote on which case studies they want to discuss.

For lecturers teaching large classes, case studies with multiple parts and different methods of solution lend themselves well to the group size and energy in such an environment. Lecturers can begin by having students vote on which case study they prefer. Lecturers could break down analysis of the chosen case study into steps which appear to students in sequential order, thereby ensuring that larger groups stay on track. Lecturers may instruct students to discuss questions in a small group without moving from their seat, and nominate one person to speak for the group if called upon. There is no need to provide excessive amounts of time for group discussion, as ideas can be developed further with the class as a whole. Lecturers can vary the group they call upon to encourage responsive participation.

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Business Ethics

Business Ethics Best Practices for Designing and Managing Ethical Organizations

  • Denis Collins - Edgewood College
  • Patricia Kanashiro - Loyola University Maryland, USA
  • Description
  • Assignable Video with Assessment Assignable video (available with SAGE Vantage ) is tied to learning objectives and curated exclusively for this text to bring concepts to life. Watch a sample "What Would You Do?" video .
  • Assignable Self-Assessments Assignable self-assessments (available with SAGE Vantage) help students evaluate the ethics of an organization or group that they are a part of.
  • LMS Cartridge: Import this title’s instructor resources into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. Don’t use an LMS? You can still access all of the same online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.  Learn more .

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NEW TO THIS EDITION:

  • The Third Edition is available as a digital option through SAGE Vantage , an intuitive digital platform that offers auto-graded assignments and interactive multimedia tools—including video—all designed to enable students to better prepare for class.
  • Assignable self-assessments (available with SAGE Vantage) help students evaluate the ethics of an organization or group that they are a part of.
  • Three new chapters focus on corporate governance and stakeholder relationships, global sustainability, and global corporate citizenship.
  • New case studies explore timely topics and issues, including the opioid crisis, business responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the minimum wage, student debt, the #MeToo movement, climate change, and corporate citizenship.
  • Updated “What Would You Do?” opening features give students more opportunities to consider dilemmas based on the real-life experiences of students.
  • Updated data and best practices incorporate the most current available research findings.
  • A practical and proactive approach to the material introduces students to concepts, cases, and applications that are relevant to their current and future professional lives.
  • An Ethical Systems Model (formerly called the Optimal Ethics System Model) provides students with a framework for creating and evaluating ethical organizations. Ethical Systems Model surveys summarize the best practices discussed in chapters and allow students to assess, benchmark, and continuously improve their own organization.
  • “Up for Debate” boxes offer current controversial business ethics topics that can be used for class discussion.
  • “Ethics in Action” boxes highlight a company implementing ethical practices discussed in the chapter.
  • “Ethical Applications” sections offer advice on how to implement a best practice discussed in the chapter. In-depth case studies cover a wide range of topics and companies, including major public scandals at Boeing, Volkswagen, and Wells Fargo; the history of scandals and culture change efforts at Deutsche Bank; and Monsanto’s reputation related to genetically modified organisms.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1. Unethical Behaviors in Organizations and Human Nature

Chapter 2. The Evolution of Business Ethics

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Business Ethics

IBESCC Student Case Study Competition

Help our students attend the 2024 International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition (IBESCC) will be a hybrid competition held online and on the Loyola Marymount University (LMU) campus during the week of April 8-12.

Teams of 3-5 students, graduate or undergraduate, compete in 3 competitions during the event: 

  • The 25 Minute Competition, in which teams will present their chosen business problem, an analysis of the ethical, sustainable, legal and financial aspects of a problem, and a viable solution on all fronts.
  • The 10 Minute Competition, in which teams will incorporate the suggestions from judges during the 25-minute presentation to give a 10-minute presentation expanding on the ethical aspect of the problem.
  • The 90 Second Competition, in which teams will give an elevator pitch explaining the importance of the sustainability component of the problem.

The online divisions will compete on  April 8  and  9 . IBESCC staff will work with each team to find a presentation time, accommodating schedules in different time zones. The in-person competition will convene  April 10-12  in Los Angeles on the LMU campus. The winners for all divisions will be announced on the evening of  Friday, April 12  at the Awards Ceremony, which will be live-streamed.

JoshuaTCase Memo 1

COMMENTS

  1. Business Ethics Cases

    Home Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Focus Areas Business Ethics Business Ethics Resources Business Ethics Cases Find ethics case studies on bribery, sourcing, intellectual property, downsizing, and other topics in business ethics, corporate governance, and ethical leadership.

  2. Case Studies

    A Million Little Pieces James Frey's popular memoir stirred controversy and media attention after it was revealed to contain numerous exaggerations and fabrications. View Abramoff: Lobbying Congress Super-lobbyist Abramoff was caught in a scheme to lobby against his own clients. Was a corrupt individual or a corrupt system - or both - to blame?

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    New research on ethics and principles from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including white-collar crime, activist CEOs, and group loyalty. ... Still, he had to conceal his record to get a job that would ultimately take him to the heights of sports marketing. A case study by Francesca Gino, Hise Gibson, and Frances Frei shows the ...

  4. Research: Business Case Studies: Open Access Cases

    Below are some of the best known sources. Acadia Institute of Case Studies (archived link) Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics (Carnegie Mellon) Case Centre Case Studies in Business, Industry and Government Statistics: CSBIGS Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative - Anderson School of Management

  5. Building an Ethical Company

    Maryam Kouchaki From the Magazine (November-December 2021) Jon Cowan/Courtesy Naked Good Galley Summary. Just as people can develop skills and abilities over time, they can learn to be more or less...

  6. Business ethics

    August 20, 2010 The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Finance and investing Magazine Article Hurd Baruch For the first 40-plus years of their existence, the federal securities laws did not require or...

  7. PDF Business Ethics: The Case for Operating with Integrity

    "Business ethics" is a broad term that defines "good" versus "bad" behavior in business. More specifically, the phrase encompasses policies and practices regarding controversial issues such as corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility and fiduciary responsibilities ("Business Ethics," 2016).

  8. Ethical Theories in Business Ethics: A Critical Review

    Volume 30, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1177/09716858231201191 Contents Get access More Abstract Numerous ethical theories have been proposed as a foundation of business ethics, and this often brings about appreciable perplexity. This article seeks to identify specific problems for a sound foundation of this discipline.

  9. Case Studies in Business Ethics

    Case Studies in Business Ethics Alan Kitson & Robert Campbell Chapter 146 Accesses Abstract Business and management education has the purpose of improving business practice. Many other claims are made for it but none is as intuitively or philosophically appealing as this.

  10. 1.6: Case Studies

    This page titled 1.6: Case Studies is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anonymous via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

  11. PDF The Ethical Dilemma

    Session 1: Business & Ethics: The Ethical Dilemma The session will start with a prototypical ethical dilemma and then explore the type of ethical conflicts that arise in business, including those commonly experienced by INSEAD MBAs, as well as what we mean when we speak of ethical conflicts and ethical dilemmas.

  12. 8 Important Business Ethics Cases

    The following includes some important business ethics cases based on well-known organizations: Enron - Questionable accounting practices and manipulation of the energy supply brought down this company. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is an excellent documentary movie that explains the scandal. Check out an excerpt from Enron's Code of Ethics.

  13. ETH 102: Business Ethics (Meyer) : Finding Case Studies

    ETH 102: Business Ethics (Meyer) : Finding Case Studies Case Studies Available from the Internet Case Studies Available from the Internet Ethics Unwrapped from UTexas More than 50 case studies match ethics concepts to real world situations.

  14. Cases in Global Business Ethics

    A joint project of students at Santa Clara University: Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai, India; and Atteneo de Manila, Philippines, these case studies highlight issues in global business ethics.

  15. Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics

    During the period 1987-94 Arthur Andersen funded a $5 million joint project with 525 universities to raise. awareness of ethical issues in business. This collection of 90 case studies is one product of that effort. All participating universities, including Carnegie Mellon, have license to use these materials and reproduce them as needed for ...

  16. PDF Case Studies in Business Ethics Phil 3840F, 2020

    COURSE DESCRIPTION A seminar course involving the extended examination of major real-world cases in business ethics. Sample areas for examination: pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry, mining, the petroleum industry. The goal of this course is to illuminate the fundamental tension in business activity created by values of truth and profit.

  17. Business ethics : Real world case studies

    CPA's Guide to Professional Ethics: Real World Cases and Practical Solutions is a comprehensive and practical resource for CPAs who want to enhance their ethical decision-making skills. The guide features 25 case studies based on real situations, covering various aspects of professional ethics such as independence, integrity, competence, due care, and confidentiality. The guide also provides ...

  18. What Are Business Ethics & Why Are They Important?

    Business ethics are principles that guide decision-making. As a leader, you'll face many challenges in the workplace because of different interpretations of what's ethical. Situations often require navigating the "gray area," where it's unclear what's right and wrong. When making decisions, your experiences, opinions, and perspectives ...

  19. Integrity Ethics Module 12 Exercises: Case Studies

    Case study 1. A manufacturing company provides jobs for many people in a small town where employment is not easy to find. The company has stayed in the town even though it could find cheaper workers elsewhere, because workers are loyal to the company due to the jobs it provides. Over the years, the company has developed a reputation in the town ...

  20. Business Ethics: A Case Study Approach

    An important guide for senior management on structuring an organization to promote ethical behavior and enhance performance. Designed for senior leaders of organizations-boards of directors; C-level executives; trustees; managing partners; government officials; and anyone tasked with a duty-Business Ethics: A Case Study Approach provides readers with an understanding of the human elements ...

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    Third Edition. Business Ethics teaches students how to create organizations of high integrity and superior performance. Author Denis Collins and new co-author Patricia Kanashiro walk readers through designing ethical organizations using an Ethical Systems Model that outlines best practices for hiring, training, making ethical decisions, and ...

  22. Business Ethics: A Case Study Approach

    An important guide for senior management on structuring an organization to promote ethical behavior and enhance performance. Designed for senior leaders of organizations-boards of directors; C-level executives; trustees; managing partners; government officials; and anyone tasked with a duty-Business Ethics: A Case Study Approach provides readers with an understanding of the human elements ...

  23. IBESCC Student Case Study Competition

    The winners for all divisions will be announced on the evening of Friday, April 12 at the Awards Ceremony, which will be live-streamed. 125 Route 340. Sparkill, New York 10976. 845.398.4000. Help our students attend the 2024 International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition (IBESCC) will be a hybrid competition held online and ...

  24. JoshuaTCase Memo 1 (docx)

    Business document from Pima Community College, 3 pages, BUS 148 Ethics in the Workplace Case Memo MEMORANDUM TO: [Dr. J Coleman] FROM: Joshua Talamantes RE: Case #1-5, Cyberattack: To Hack Back or Not? DATE: February 7th, 2024 A company, Space Inc, uses a company by the name of Death Knell Inc. for its cyber s