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Business Law and Ethics Case Study

Good Essays

Part A
Utilitarianism

Upon applying utilitarianism theory to Tom’s current situation, Tom would maximise the greatest good and increase the happiness of more people and parties by exaggerating his work experience. The first party that would benefit from this is his parents. As was said in the case study (2014), Tom’s mother had lost her job a few years ago and has remained unemployed since. Tom’s father has also not been doing well financially, as his business has not been doing well as of lately, which would lead to less income for the family. Tom’s parents would be better off financially, as they will no longer need to support Tom if he were to be hired by the accounting firm. Another party that would achieve happiness from Tom’s …show more content…

Thus, by exaggerating his curriculum vitae, Tom is disrespecting the stakeholders of the firm.

Virtue Ethics

As for applying virtue ethics to Tom’s situation, the relevant virtue identified for the dilemma is truthfulness. Tom believes that if he exaggerates his curriculum vitae his chances of being hired is higher. However this action would not be virtuous, and is the vice of excess to the chosen virtue, known as boastfulness. The remaining corresponding vice is self-deprecating, which is a vice of deficiency. By being self-deprecating, Tom would have to under-exaggerate himself on his curriculum vitae.

The virtue ‘truthfulness’ is chosen because truthfulness lies between boastfulness and self-deprecating, in which boastfulness is seen relevant to the dilemma. By applying the virtue ‘truthfulness’ to the dilemma, Tom would have to be honest about his work experience rather than exaggerate it; thus making Tom more virtuous.

Ranking of ethical theories

It is personally believed that Virtue ethics is the most useful, utilitarianism as least useful, and kantian in between. Virtue ethics was chosen as most useful because users of the theory make decisions based on whats most virtuous rather than what outcome there is to the decision. Virtue ethics theories provide more socially responsible decisions. Kantian theory was chosen as neither most useful and least useful as it provides users with the most fair decision or

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