Personal Research Essay

The topic is “Consumer Manipulation”.

In this paper, define the topic, as a business issue presenting an ethical question which requires a management decision at its conclusion.Create a business scenario and presume that you are the senior manager in a business related to your assigned topic and define the focus of your paper so that you are researching an identified question related to the business issue. Present both sides of the issue, looking objectively at each. Explore the legal, business, and ethical aspects of the topic aimed at arriving at an ethical conclusion that you really believe.

Examples:

• You are an advisor to the Investment Committee of the Board of Directors overseeing a corporate investment portfolio.
• You are the senior manager of a creative firm being asked to integrate gaming design in a web app design upgrade.
• Your company is considering adding a fast-fashion line to your current product line and concerned about the ethics of supply chain management.
• You are tasked to define corporate travel policy regarding the use of Uber versus conventional taxi transportation.

The paper must be 10-15 pages, typed double-spaced, Calibri or Times New Roman font, submitted as a word document (NOT PDF). All sources are to be referenced with a footnote or end note each time it is cited and the paper must include a complete bibliography. Research must include academic, industry and popular press publications.

Each student is required to follow the assigned outline below. Remember that the personal paper is meant to be a balanced and objective analysis, which will result in a practical and ethically defensible management decision.

Required Format (final point value follow each section description)

1. i) Introduction: Include the purpose of the paper and what you plan to do in the paper. Briefly introduce the topic, how you restricted its focus and why the topic is important. (1 of 15)
2. ii) Summary Overview of Your Specific Case: Include here a full discussion of the topic. Include research and cite sources. Explain the contrasting positions and the arguments each side would use in support of its positions. (2 of 15)

iii) Analysis: There are four subsections with the headings for each subsection provided below.

2. The legal aspects of the question. This should include a review of the historic cases, laws, treaties and court decisions relevant to the topic. (2.5 of 15)
3. The business aspects of the question. What are the business goals and issues represented in the topic and how have the legal aspects of the issue defined and impacted the business aspects? (2.5 of 15)
4. The ethical aspects of the question. Discuss in terms of the ethical concepts presented in Chapters 5 & 6 of the text Business and Society. Choose only two or three concepts and explore the issue in depth (at least 2-3 pages). You are required to use the ethical decision making framework from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University (May 25 and May 30 presentations), as part of this ethical analysis. (2.5 of 15)
5. Conclude with a “management decision”, demonstrating and defending the decision. The defense must be made incorporating the legal, business and ethical aspects. (2.5 of 15)
6. iv) Endnotes (if footnotes not used)
7. v) Bibliography