Legal and Ethical Issues in Management

Business ethics courses taught in colleges and universities are sometimes thought to be primarily about making students more ethical. But this is typically not what business ethics faculty regard as their primary task. Rather, business ethics faculty typically regard their job as one of helping students to understand the complex ethical issues managers must confront, best practices with respect to ethical management, and sound public policy regarding the relationship of business to society. Identify two specific ethical issues that 21st century ethical managers must confront. Which of the ethical perspectives seems best suited to resolve such ethical issues? Why? John R. Boatright in “Individual Responsibility in the American Corporate System: Does Sarbanes-Oxley Strike the Right Balance?” (Note: The article in located in Chapter 2) argues that the primary purpose of laws governing corporate responsibility is deterrence. Do you agree with this interpretation? Why or why not? Appeal to the ethical theories discussed in the readings to support your position.