Module 1 – Case

FOR A SUCCESSFUL START—BUSINESS ETHICS

Assignment Overview

This assignment provides you the opportunity to learn about ethical business behavior that is all around us.

Read Cases from the Real World: Competition and the Markers of Business Success, found in the following:

Byars, S. and Stanberry, Kurt (2018). Why ethics matter, chapter 1. Business Ethics. Rice University, OpenStax. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/content/col25722/1.3 pg. 15. CC BY 4.0 license

Also view the following interviews with Warren Buffett:

CBS Sunday Morning (2017). Sunday Profile with Warren Buffett. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=168&v=O665cNwMVGw. Standard YouTube license.

PBS NewsHour (2017). America should stand for more than just wealth, says Warren Buffett. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6irBmOnQEc. Standard YouTube license.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” Warren Buffett

What is an ethical leader? These individuals lead by example and exemplify ethical decision making and conduct focused on a common good. They are known to act with integrity and inspire respect among peers, constituents, and subordinates. Successful ethical leaders are champions of their beliefs and communicate them throughout an organization to develop a supportive culture.

In this assignment you have the opportunity to learn about Warren Buffett as well as another business leader of a well-known company or corporation of your choice that you have not had an opportunity to study yet. (Select a leader you are unfamiliar with.)

Keep in mind that all people possess virtues and vices, and while they may strive to support ethical tenets, they may fail at times.

It might be helpful for you to review the following lists of virtues and vices to see examples.

Niche Partners PTY Ltd. (n.d.). A list of the 52 virtues. http://www.52virtues.com/virtues/the-52-virtues.php

VirtueScience.com (n.d.). List of vices. Retrieved from https://www.virtuescience.com/vicelist.html

Case Assignment

Address the following in a 3- to 4-page essay, demonstrating your critical-thinking skills:

• Discuss Warren Buffett’s approach to business dealings, especially as they relate to business ethics.
• Apply ethical philosophies that you have learned about in this Module and state which you think apply to Mr. Buffett.
• Bring in two of Mr. Buffett’s quotes that pertain to business ethics and discuss their meaning.
• Compare and contrast your chosen leader’s behaviors to what you have learned about Warren Buffett.

This assignment should include third-person voice. Write a well-integrated paper with a strong introduction and conclusion, and use a few section headings (e.g., do not simply follow a Q & A format).

Bring in your Module background information. Whether or not you bring in sources outside of this Module is up to you. For all sources used, provide in-text citations and a references list.

General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers:

For a list of general reference sources related to locating library sources, using APA formatting, applying critical-thinking skills, and so forth, see General References Useful for Preparing Graduate-Level Papers. It is not required that you read these sources page-by-page, but rather use them as guides.

Assignment Expectations

Your submission will be evaluated using the following criteria from the Case grading rubric, located in the Case dropbox:

Assignment-driven criteria: Covers all key elements of the assignment in a substantive way.

Critical thinking: Conceptualizes the problem. Multiple information sources, expert opinion, and assumptions are analyzed, synthesized, and critically evaluated. Logically consistent conclusions are presented with appropriate rationale.

Business writing: Mastery in written communications and a skilled, knowledgeable, and error-free presentation to an appropriately specialized audience.

Effective use of information: Locates relevant and quality sources of information, using strong and compelling content to support ideas, convey understanding of the topic, and shape the whole work.

Citing sources: Mastery using in-text citations of sources, proper format for quotations, and correct format of full-source information in the reference list using APA style (bibliography).