Due Date: Monday 06 Nov 2017, Due Time: 20Hrs GMT  Budget: $20

The Problem: The Case of the Expanding Database  

One day you run into a friend from college, who is operating a direct mail company which is in the business of gathering and selling names for marketing ventures. Her company has no privacy policy and she does not provide an opportunity for people to “opt-in” or “opt-out” of the marketing lists. You have a database of contacts based on your own sales efforts. She offers you the opportunity to share databases – for each name you submit to her marketing database, you will receive $100. Your database currently has 6,000 names from people who have asked you for information about the product and to whom you have made presentations. Many of the people in the database are your current customers.  Please complete each section of this worksheet. Some people find that writing the answers out on another page and then “cutting and pasting” them into the worksheet lets you think through the problem better.  Part 1: for this part of the Assignment, you are being asked to Be Attentive and describe the context for the problem. In addition to identifying the ethical actor—the person making the decision—you’ll be asked to identify the stakeholders to the problem as well as any assumptions you are making. The facts are brief: feel free to add in information from your own experience. Just make sure that you clearly state the added facts and assumptions in this section of the worksheets.   Be Attentive: Set the Context  1. Ethical Actor The first step is to identify the ethical actor. In a sentence identify the ethical actor for this problem. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  Part 2: for this part of the Assignment, you are asked to Be Intelligent and determine the core ethical issue to be resolved and the values in tension. For help with the Assignment, click on the links in the worksheet. The modals will give you tips on how to answer the question and direct you to the section of the textbook that will clarify the process even further. You will notice similar links in every worksheet.   Be Intelligent: Identify the Issue and the Values in Tension  2. Issue In one sentence, identify the issue for this problem. 3. Values in Tension In three or four bullet points, identify the values in tension. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  Part 3: for this part of the Assignment, you are asked to Be Reasonable and apply the ethical norms or expectations of the Relationship Lens, the school of ethical thought known as Deontology.   ● Chapter 9 in the Baird text will walk you through the steps of the simulation, if you get stuck or want background information. The text also contains examples of each worksheet to help you do your analysis.  ● For more information using the Relationship Lens for an ethical analysis go to Company Home> Company tab on menu bar> Library> Rights and Responsibilities Procedure Manual  ● To review the background information on Customer/Vendor go to Company Home> Company tab on menu bar> Library> Customer/Vendor Procedure Manual   
Be Reasonable:
Explore the Options  1. Basic Liberties Choose three options to analyze. You will analyze multiple options to help ensure that you choose a reasonable option to implement.  After brainstorming with the leadership team, you have identified four options:
1. Sell the current database list without the consent of the customers. 2. Sell the current database list but only for those customers that have agreed to do so through an “opt-in” marketing consent form. 3. Sell the current database list but only for those customers who do not submit an “opt-out” marketing consent form. 4. Do not sell the current database list. In this step, identify the basic liberties to which each constituent is entitled. Compare the options and discuss which option (assuming a clean process) best meets the basic liberties requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement for the basic liberties as well. 2. Just Savings Now — how well does each option meet the requirements of the just savings principle, assuring that resources are available for next generations. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement of the just savings principle as well. 

3. Equal Opportunity for Success Next, consider how well each option assures that social and economic inequalities are arranged so that all constituents have an equal opportunity for success. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement of equal opportunity for success as well. 4. Reflective Equilibrium Now, using the tool of reflective equilibrium, which option gives the best advantage to the least advantage without unduly burdening those who are the most advantaged. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not maintain reflective equilibrium as well. 5. Ecology of Care Finally, consider whether each option contributes to an ecology of care. Which option best meets the requirement for building a strong community and strong institutions. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  Part 4: for this part of the Assignment, you are asked to Be Responsible, where you will choose an option for action and write an Inter-Office Memo.   
Be Responsible  
1. Choose an Option Select one option to implement within your Division:  Sell the current database list without the consent of the customers.   Sell the current database list but only for those customers that have agreed to do so through an “opt-in” marketing consent form.   Sell the current database list but only for those customers who do not submit an “opt-out” marketing consent form.   Do not sell the current database list.  2. Explain Your Decision Using the guidelines for how to write a memo, write a memo to be shared with the rest of the leadership team which explains your decision.  The first step is to choose your preferred option for action by clicking on the radio button on the screen.  Now, write an Inter-Office Memo that explains your decision to your colleagues. As you write the inter-office memo, please consider your audience. The purpose of the memo is to inform your colleagues of your decision and the reasons for your choice. The memo should be between 500-700 words long. Write the memo so that other team members can see the ethical problem, know what your decision was, and understand the ethical rationale for your decision.   The memo is designed as an inter-office memo to fellow employees to communicate the decision and your rationale.  ● Background of the Problem: This statement should contain sufficient detail that the others on the team know what the problem is but should not contain any confidential information. The statement should also clearly present the values in conflict in the problem.  ● Statement of Decision: In a sentence, clearly and concisely state your decision.  ● Reasons for the Decision: In the next paragraph, give the reasons for your decision. As this is an ethical analysis, the reader should be able to see which ethical framework or which ethical principles you are using to come to your decision. However, the words you choose should not be technical, such as “this decision is reversible because…”Rather, you might say – “As each of us considers how we would like to be treated in a similar situation…”  ● Forward-Looking Conclusion: The final sentences should be a summary which builds relationship with the other team members and your constituents, leaves the door open for further conversation, and tells the reader what the decision means for him or her.   ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  
Part 5a: for this part of the Assignment, you are asked to Be Reflective, as you consider both how you made the decision as well as your response to the Assignment. In this segment you consider how you corrected for personal bias and your own blind spots—hubris—and have attended to the common good.  This part of the Assignment must have citations and references. Use the questions as headings for each section, and write no more than a paragraph on each.  ● Discuss whether or not the ethical analysis made sense. As you considered the section in the Baird text that described the process that those from the justice/systems school of thought use for ethical analysis, what were the strengths and weaknesses of this process? What were the problems with the process? What are the sticking points?  ● Did you like the results? Did you like the reasons for taking the action, the rationale that is part of the deontological school of thought? Do you get a sense that you would follow these results or the rationale in real life? Why or why not?  ● What insights do you have about this problem that you would like to share with others? What information would you appreciate from them?  ● How would adding the world of emotion and conscience help clarify your decision, as described in Chapter 9 of the Baird text? Ethical maturity is often defined as not only being responsible but also considering others in the decision. Why is considering others important in the particular problem you were asked to resolve?  ● Consider the spiritual perspective—spirituality being defined as that which gives life and work meaning and purpose. As you begin to see yourself in light of the community, how can you (and others in the organization) begin to discipline your desires so you can live fully in the present with faith and trust, avoiding self-righteousness and self-deception?  

Part 5b Return to Awareness  1. Reflection for Networking Write a reflection which discusses whether or not the ethical analysis made sense. In this reflection, also indicate how you have corrected for personal bias, attended to the common good, and acted with courage.

Recommended Text:

Baird, C.A. (2012). Everyday Ethics: Making Wise Choices in a Complex World. 2nd Ed. Denver, CO. Ethics Game Press.