Exam 1: Ethical Theory, Philosophical Foundations, Our Reasoning Flaws, and Types of Ethical Dilemmas

A physical fitness expert retained by a fitness magazine to evaluate walking shoes has a conflict of interest if she has an endorsement contract with one of the shoe companies that manufactures the shoes she will be evaluating.

LeAnn Rimes, a country western singer, signed a contract at age 12 with Curb Records. Curb Records is owned by Mike Curb, a long-standing presence in the music industry who began his career with a group known as The Mike Curb Congregation. Under the terms of that contract as it originally existed, and as it was signed by Ms. Rimes' guardians, Ms. Rimes would have been 35 before she had delivered the 21 albums required under the agreement. "At 12, I ­didn't understand everything in my contract. All I know is that I really wanted to sing," was the explanation Ms. Rimes offered when she later testified before the California Senate Select Committee on the Entertainment Industry looking into the labor issues surrounding long-term album requirements contracts. Which of the following would apply to Curb Records' conduct with regard to Ms. Rimes?

A member of the city council who is employed by a waste management firm would have a conflict of interest in voting on the city's award of a contract for the handling of the city's waste.

Under the Rights Theory, government exists to protect rights.

What rationalization do students offer for cheating?

A purchasing agent whose daughter works for a supplier has a conflict of interest.

Kant believes so long as you do the right thing, it does not matter what your reasons were.

Blue Bell Ice Cream had to halt production for four months following the Listeria problems.

Data Processing, Inc. is a service firm that performs word processing functions for law firms, corporations and government agencies. Their facilities consist of 120 office units with a word processor in each unit. Their facilities were formerly a shoe manufacturing plant, and all of the office units are located in one large room. Over the past 14 months, 7 of the 120 word processors have been diagnosed with breast cancer. In six of the seven cases diagnosed, there is no family history of breast cancer. Jane Quinn, the owner and CEO of data processing, has seen a cluster study that links employment as a word processor to a higher rate of breast cancer. Ms. Quinn does not disclose the study to her employees and takes no further action. Discuss the ethical issues.

Adam Smith is part of the Divine Command School.