Concept of Utilitarianism
Discuss About The Toward Improving Business Ethics Education.
The understanding of the needs of the organization is based on the identification of the different ethics that governs the processes that are undertaken by the business in relation to its outputs. The identification of the varied ethical standards of the organization helps in understanding the ethics that are employed by the organization whole undertaking the different processes. The Utilitarian Approach of the organization helps in understanding the ethics and the principles of the business. The different contribution of the ethics in the systems and the functioning of the business are based on the identification of the applicability of the ethics on the output of the organization (Harris et al., 2013). It influences the decision making systems of the business in the market.
The purpose of the report is to undertake a brief survey of the Utilitarian approach of ethics and the manner in which it is applicable in the organizational structure as the first part. As for the second part of the essay, the proper application of the model is facilitated on the organization structure of Alpha Pharma, a pharmaceutical company. It will be helping to enhance the understanding of the needs of the organization to adhere to the ethics in an utilitarian basis.
Utilitarianism is based on the understanding of the needs of the organization to identify the results of the processes and thereby judge the same on ethical platforms. The identification of the ethical backgrounds of the outcome helps the organizations in reconsidering the processes that are involved to bring out the results. Ethical consideration of the organization is based on the results or the outcomes of the different processes that are outlined in the result based operations model. it helps the organization and measure their decisions to fit in the needs of the organization while functioning in the international markets. The decision making process of the organization is greatly influenced through the consideration of the ethical standards and the backgrounds. Willis III, Campbell and Pistilli (2013) stated that the identification of the ethical environmental action helps in the identification of the harm and the benefits that are caused by the functioning of the organization in the society. It helps in understanding the needs of the organization to bring in changes in the systems to cope up with the standards that are set by the society.
Evaluation of the Framework
The identification of the ethical issues while undertaking the processes of the organization will be helping the organization to predict the different unethical outcomes that might be faced by the organization in the market. The major key element of the change that is undertaken by the business is based on the identification of the issues and the manner in which it might affect the ethical outcomes of the same. The differences in the processes can be due to the illegitimate functioning of the stakeholders or the inefficiency of the organization to process the information. The proper processing of the information of the organization helps the same in bringing forth changes in the systems and the functioning of the business in the markets.
Adomaviciute (2013) stated that the understanding of the main processes of the organization and the ethical decision making process of the organization helps the same in deriving the outcomes of the business. However, Beatley (2017) argued that no company could undertake ethical processes although they aim at delivering the ethical outcome of the processes that are undertaken by the same. The differences in the systems have helped in identifying the varied systems of the business and the manner in which it influences the proper functioning of the business in the market (Han, 2015). The ethical decision making systems of the organization is based on the processing of the information of the unethical activities and thereby bring in changes in the systems to derive a positive outcome.
The ethical considerations of Utilitarianism depend on the understanding of the ethical background of the outcomes to the processes that are undertaken by the organization. Alternatively, the consideration of the decision making systems helps in shaping the processes that are planned by the businesses. Crigger and Godfrey (2014) stated in his report that the ethical decision making systems of the business helps in the smooth functioning of the business as per the needs of the same4 to derive ethical outcomes that are acceptable in the society. On the other hand, organizations must take steps to identify their chief issues through an evaluation and assessment of the stakeholders and the processes in which the organization is involved. After the identification of the issues, the organizations must take steps to collect information on the issue that is faced by the organization due to the different authentication factors (Roman & Moore, 2012). The decisions of the change that are undertaken by the organizations are backed by the information of the issues and the urgency faced by the organizations to bring in the change in the systems same to derive the ethical outcomes. The identification of the different alternatives and thereby asserting one to be followed while undertaking the course of the processes helps in maintaining the varied levels of change in the outcomes that are derived from the processes of the organization. Jones and Felps (2013) stated that the reflection of the processes that are undertaken by the organization and judging their nature will be helping the organization to bring in changes in the systems of the business based on the needs of adherence to the ethics.
Decision making
Alphapharm is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Australia. Currently, they are holding the major market share of 13 percent in the Australian market and thus they are also the market leader. However, in maintaining the market leadership position, they should also have to develop new products and offer them in the market. However, being a pharmaceutical company, Alphaphram faces the most intensity of ethical questions. This is due to the reason that initiation of new drugs in the market may have both positive and negative impacts. Moreover, the negative implications of the drugs can be fatal in nature.
In the recent time, they are developing a new drug for the cancer treatment and it is expected that the new drug will drastically change the current scenario of the cancer treatment. Moreover, it is also expected that this new drug will also lower the cost of the cancer treatment. However, on the other hand, there are some risks also being perceived by Alphaphram regarding the health implications of the new drug. The side effects that can get generated from using the drug is radiation impact and other people can also get affected from the ill impacts of the drug. Thus, they are facing an ethical dilemma in bringing the drug in the market by determining the positive and negative impacts of the drugs. They are in the need of the ethical decision making process in order to identify their ideal approach. The ethical framework of utilitarianism discussed in the above section will be used to assist in the decision making process of Alphaphram.
The first step discussed in the utilitarianism ethical framework is stakeholder analysis. This is important due to fact that identification of the associated stakeholder is important to know the impact of the business idea. In this case, the associated stakeholders will be the employees, higher management, doctors, patients, regulatory authorities and larger population. The above utilitarianism ethical framework stated the importance of identifying the positive and negative impacts on the respective stakeholders (Mayer, van Daalen & Bots, 2013). The first key stakeholder for them is the employees. They are considered in the process due to the fact that they will be exposed most in developing the drug along with having possible health implications. Moreover, employees will also gain in terms of financial benefits if the proposed drug can be made popular. Higher level management is involved in the case due to the fact that they are initiating the proposed idea and they will get affected if the drug is having more negative impact on the market. They will be held responsible in case of unwarranted incident happened due to the drug. On the other hand, higher management of Alphaphram will also gain if their drug get succeed in the market.
Practical illustration
Doctors are the major stakeholder in the cancer treatment. They are the one who will treat the patients and with the development of the new and more effective drug, they will be able to treat more effectively. They will be more equipped with the commercialization of the proposed drug. However, on the other hand, they will also get affected if the drug causes serious side effects for the patients. Furthermore, patients are also one of the key stakeholders in this case due to the reason that the direct impact of the new drug will be on them. Cancer patients will have positive impact if the proposed drug can cure their health issues more effectively. On the other hand, patients will also face the negative consequences in case of the any negative side effects of the drug.
Regulatory authorities are also one major stakeholder in this case. This is due to the reason that they will be the one who will permit the commercialization of the drug in the market. Thus, in case of the success of the drug, government will find it easy to regulate the challenges of cancer treatment in the country. On the other hand, in case of any negative impact of the drug, regulatory authorities will face the wrath in the country. As they are responsible for the entire society, thus the information from them is also important in ethical decision making process. The last major stakeholder for them is the entire population of Australia. They are included that in case of any mishaps from the proposed drug, the larger section of the society will get affected.
The next step involved in the utilitarianism ethical decision making process is evaluation of the information from the identified stakeholders in the above section. In this step, it is important to analyze the information gathered from the identified stakeholders from both positive and negative perspectives. It is identified that commercialization of the drug will help in drastically improving the cancer treatment. The cost will get lowered, which will cover more number of cancer patients from different income level. Moreover, successful commercialization of the drug will also help Alphapharm to increase their market share along with increase in the revenue. It is also identified that in term of the side effects of drug, a few side effects may occur for the treated patients. No other person will be affected from the drug.
Internal stakeholders
In addition, the regulatory authorities will permit the commercialization of the drug if the positive impact is far more extensive than its negative impact. Thus, it can be concluded that the proposed drug may have some side effects for the patients but it will have positive impacts in greater cause. Patients will be able to get the access to improved treatment and in lower cost.
According to the utilitarianism ethical decision making framework, any decisions can be termed as ethical if the consequences are more positive in nature and have positive impact for more number of stakeholders (Pirson, 2014). On the other hand, the decision will be termed as unethical if the level and intensity of the negative consequences is more. In the case of Alphapharm, commercialization of the drug will have more positive impacts than the negative impacts. This is due to the reason that the patients and doctors both will get benefited from the drug along with in the rapid development of the cancer treatment process. Therefore, it is recommended that Alphapharm will be ethical in terms of the utilitarianism approach of ethics in commercializing the drug (Floyd et al., 2013). Though they have to face a few unethical issues in having side effects for the patients, but the intensity of them will much less.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that utilitarianism approach to ethics terms that ethical and unethical decisions depends on the consequences of the particular decision. This report discussed about the utilitarianism ethical decision making framework that can be used in solving the ethical dilemma. This report implemented this framework on the ethical dilemma being faced by Alphapharm. Different steps of utilitarianism ethical decision making framework are being used in order to critically evaluate the aspects of decision making framework. It is concluded that Alphapharm should initiate commercialization process of their new cancer drug. According to the utilitarianism approach of ethics, this decision will be ethical in nature regardless of a few negative impacts for some of the associated stakeholders. This report also helped in determining the importance of garnering feedback from all the associated stakeholders in the ethical decision making process, which will in turn help in having an ideal decision process in place.
Reference
Adomaviciute, K. (2013). Relationship between utilitarian and hedonic consumer behavior and socially responsible consumption. Economics and management, 18(4), 754-760.
Beatley, T. (2017). Environmental ethics and the field of planning: Alternative theories and middle-range principles. In Values and planning (pp. 20-45). Routledge.
Crigger, N., & Godfrey, N. (2014). From the inside out: A new approach to teaching professional identity formation and professional ethics. Journal of Professional Nursing, 30(5), 376-382.
Floyd, L. A., Xu, F., Atkins, R., & Caldwell, C. (2013). Ethical outcomes and business ethics: Toward improving business ethics education. Journal of business ethics, 117(4), 753-776.
Han, H. (2015). Virtue ethics, positive psychology, and a new model of science and engineering ethics education. Science and engineering ethics, 21(2), 441-460.
Harris Jr, C. E., Pritchard, M. S., Rabins, M. J., James, R., & Englehardt, E. (2013). Engineering ethics: Concepts and cases. Cengage Learning.
Jones, T. M., & Felps, W. (2013). Shareholder wealth maximization and social welfare: A utilitarian critique. Business Ethics Quarterly, 23(2), 207-238.
Mayer, I. S., van Daalen, C. E., & Bots, P. W. (2013). Perspectives on policy analysis: a framework for understanding and design. In Public Policy Analysis (pp. 41-64). Springer, Boston, MA.
Pirson, M. A. (2014). Reconnecting management theory and social welfare: A humanistic perspective. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2014, No. 1, p. 12245). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Roman, K. D., & Moore, M. A. (2012). A Case Study Of Crisis Communication, Image Restoration And Utilitarian Ethics: A Recall Of Contaminated Peanut Butter Examined. Journal of Business Case Studies (Online), 8(3), 311.
Willis III, J. E., Campbell, J., & Pistilli, M. (2013). Ethics, big data, and analytics: A model for application.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
