Question 1

a) How relevant to business and management is a Kantian approach to ethics?

(30M)

Answer:

Kantian ethics emphasized on that the good will is the only good without
qualification and it is a will that acts for the sake of duty, as a “good-in-itself” (Ethics,
2009). Motive is the key factor to identify ethical action, and action that performed
out the “Sense of duty” is a moral action (Vlach, M., 2004). The Categorical
imperative is an absolute command which must be followed for its own sake
(Charlottec, 2010). They are “The universal law”, “Treat humans as ends in
themselves”, and “Act as if you live in a kingdom of ends” (Bowie, R., 2004).

Kantian approach is sometimes not relevant to business and management

due to its inflexibility, no emphasis on consequences and duties can conflict in
certain circumstances (Charlottec, 2010). In Brian F. Weber V. Kaiser Aluminium
case; the company’s decision to send employees for training was sued by one of its
employee due to the training is only benefits to the company (Mightystudents.com,
2010). According to Kant’s categorical imperative, an action should be universally
accepted for it to be moral (Mightystudents.com, 2010). Training is benefit to both
employees and employers, and employees have duty to allow employers to improve
their skills (Mightystudents.com, 2010). So in this point of view the company’s act is
morally right. But In reality business world, companies created the training are solely
just to benefit themselves from the improvement of their employee’s efficiency which
link to cost reduction (Mightystudents.com, 2010). Although Training is universalised,
but the act of the company sending the employees for training just for the benefit of
the companies to a large extent, thus treating employees as ends and not means,
therefore the approach is irrelevant.

Kantian approach is relevant to business and management in some

circumstances. When there is a certain morality took place, certain business
institution that were not feasible good can become feasibly improved and develop
(Bowie, N.E., 1999). By using the example of the improvement of a Russian Stock
market, before this the country faced difficulties in developing its stock market due to

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the company spokespersons are not providing accurate information regarding their
companies, so investors were not forthcoming, as Kantian would expect (Bowie,
N.E., 1999). Gradually, some companies for example Irkutsk Enerego, Bratsky LPK,
and Rostelecom were managed to develop a reputation as truth tellers and make
them to be able to attract investors (Bowie, N.E., 1999). This successfulness has led
other firms to be more honest and finally thriving the Russian stock market. March
24, 1997 Business Week published that the Russian stock market was improved by
127 % in 1996 and gained 65% at that point in 1997(Bowie, N.E., 1999). Hence Kant
approach is relevant in business world.

As a conclusion, Kant approach in business can be treating as relevant, but in

certain circumstance it is not.

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b) Discuss the use of child labour in factories in developing countries from two
different ethical perspectives (you might choose for example between virtue ethics,
Kantian ethics, Rawls’ theory of justice or utilitarianism) (40 M)

Answer:

Child labour is defined as all economic activities that involve the children
below 12 years, any work for those aged 12-14 of sufficient hours per week without
consider their health and education, and all “hazardous work” that could threaten the
health of Child under 18 years old (Oneworld.net, 2009). According to the
International Labour Organization (ILO) updated estimates (2006), the child labour
fell by 11% globally over the past four years, and 26% decreased in the numbers of
children in hazardous work (ILO, 2010). Child labours are mostly occurred in
developing countries remain trapped within the poverty area (Oneworld.net, 2009).
Hiring child labour is ethical or unethical; it is depends on the judgment of moral
theory.

Based on Kantian ethic, morality is depending on a person’s motives,

regardless of the consequences of an act (Jennifer, I., 2006). Kant create the
concept of Categorical Imperative, where three conditions must apply for an act to be
moral: i) possible to be consistently applied universally, ii) values people as ends in
themselves; and iii) conforms to voluntarily self-imposed standards (Jennifer, I.,
2006). The ILRF lawsuit and child labour standard in cocoa production in Côte
d'Ivoire will be used to apply Kant ethics .First, does morality on standards of child
labour are use universally to match Kant universalised condition? Different laws
have different definition of child labour, but there seem to be universal consistency
that the most hazardous forms of child labour in many aspects should be prohibited
(Jennifer, I., 2006). Furthermore Nestle, ADM and Cargill are agreed to obey the
standards upon their voluntary participation in the Harkin-Engel Protocol (Jennifer, I.,
2006). Second condition of Kant is to ensure whether these companies treat child
labour as a means to an end or not? (Jennifer, I., 2006). Hiring child labour allows
companies enjoying cheaper labour force and means to lower operating cost
(Jennifer, I., 2006). The third Kant’s condition is that the moral law must be “self
imposed and self –recognized” form rational beings act autonomously (Jennifer, I.,
2006). According to the mentioned case above, the three companies failed to meet

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a self-imposed industry deadline for independent monitoring to ensure that child
labour standards are met (Jennifer, I., 2006). Hence, under Kant ethics if the three
companies are not ensuring compliance of mutually agreed child labour stands, then
their act are immoral (Jennifer, I., 2006).

On the other hand, the Utilitarianism ethical theory determined morality

according to the consequences of an action, where the act is consider moral if it can
produce greatest amount of good for the greatest numbers of people influenced by
the action (Jennifer, I., 2006). Refer GAP clothing company in India (developing
country), UK reporters reported that children in the industry are being beat and not
paid for their work and furthermore the employee take advantage that children
punishment is allowed in many countries because children not aware of their right
when they are command to undertake hard work (Catherine, 2010). Employers are
benefits from the cost saving and the easiness to control children to obey them
(Catherine, 2010). But the children and their family only gain little wages so call
maximize happiness from the employer to overcome their family financial burden,
while they are exposed to the negative consequences like death cause by hazardous
work, abuse, bully, and violating rights among them, where it is more than the
positive consequences they received. Under utilitarianism theory, the action that
taken to use child labour is not ethical, because the negative consequences of taking
child labour are much higher than the positive consequences, as the children and
their family have the most to lose. Hence, this taking child labout is unethical
because it fail to produce the greatest numbers of good for the greatest numbers of
people.

In conclusion, whether or not hiring Child labour in developing country is an

unethical act is depends on the moral theory one holds. But generally, it is not being
accepted by most of the ethical theory.

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c) It is sometimes argued that a major flaw of utilitarianism is that it is only concerned
with maximising the total amount of good and is not concerned with the distribution
of that good between people and groups. To what extent do you agree with this
statement? (30M)

Answer:

The utilitarianism theory of ethics contributed by Jeremy Bentham and John

Stuart state that decisions should be made base on the greatest good for the
greatest number of people without considering the action itself (AllBusiness.com,
2010). An action is morally right if it lead to the good consequences that contained
happiness (exclude pain), or bring greatest happiness for the greatest number of
people in the society (BusienssDictionary.com, 2010). For utilitarian, justice requires
the maximization of the total or average welfare across all relevant individuals
(Police web, 2010).

Looking on the case of the Malaysia Public Service Department (PSD)

overseas scholarship programme that being complaints and fight over by various
parties due to its unfairness in distributing the scholarship (Siew. Z., 2009). Once the
scholarship results are announced, the media and political parties will start to
complaints that Malaysia certificate of education (SPM) students who netted A1s in
the double digits are failed to secure a scholarship, and majority of them is non-
bumiputera (refer to Malaysian who is not Malay or Indigenous people), finally rise
up various critics (Siew. Z., 2009). The scholarship that introduced by PSD is a
benefit to all SPM high achievers in Malaysia regardless of races is in line with the
criteria of maximising the good under utilitarianism. But this good (scholarship) are
not being fairly distributed to the candidates who achieve brilliant in SPM, and
furthermore it is majority distributed to bumiputera (Malay and indigenous people in
Malaysia). Other than this, there are also students who successes to be awarded
with 6As SPM result. Hence, it reveals the weakness of utilitarianism in distributing
this maximising good fairly among people and group.

The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans in Malaysia

is another case that being debate due to the unfairness in distributing the loan
(Letchumanan. P., 2010). PTPTN loan is open to all Malaysian higher institution’s
students to apply and this is beneficial for those students, so it is the greatest good

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meant in utilitarian concept. This PTPTN loan is distributed to the applicants based
on their parents’ income status without considering how many children they are
actually supporting. Other than that the amount of the loan given is not fair to some
applicant, although the course fee is same but some of them get more than their
course fee, and some of them get less than their course fee. Furthermore the portion
of the amount distributed to Public Higher Institution (IPTA) is more is much more
than Private Higher Institution (IPTS). The above problems, shows that the
corporation are not fair and precise in the way they distributed this PTPTN loan to
applicants who are qualify. Hence, again, it proves that the utilitarianism is not
concerned on the distribution of that good among people and group.

Based on the above cases, I am agree with the statement that the utilitarianism
only concerned with maximising the total amount of good and is not concerned with
the distribution of that good between people and groups.

Word count: 1500 words

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Referencing

AllBusiness.com, 2010. Business Definition for: utilitarianism. [Online]

AllBusiness.com, Inc. Available at:
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April 2010]

Bowie, N.E., 1999. BUSINESS ETHICS AND NORMATIVE THEORIES. [Online]

Available at:
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample_ch
apter/1405101024/001.pdf [Accessed 26 April 2010]

Bowie, R., 2004. Ethical studies. 2nd ed. [e-book] Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd.
Available at: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=G-
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Catherine, 2010. Child Labour. [Online] ArticlesAlley.com. Available at:

http://www.articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/134518/170/Social_Issues/Culture_an
d_Society/32/Child_Labour [Accessed 29 April 2010]

Charlottec, 2010. Kantian Ethics. [Online] Flascharddb.com. Available at:

http://flashcarddb.com/cardset/69442-kantian-ethics-flashcards [Accessed 20 April
2010]

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Ethics, 2009. Philosophy 302: Ethics Kant Kantian Ethics. [Online]
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International Labour Organization (ILO), 2010. Child labour by sector. [Online]

International Labour Organization. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/ipec/areas/lang--
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Jennifer, I., 2006. Bittersweet Chocolate: The Legality and Ethics of Child Labor in
Cocoa Production in Côte d'Ivoire. [Online] CBS Interactive Inc. Available at:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5383/is_200601/ai_n21403144/pg_10/?
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Letchumanan. P., 2010. PTPTN: Let merit be sole criterion. [Online] Newstraitstimes.
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