Defend a clear position on whether or not any constraint ought to be placed on the freedom of a business toExport capital for production free essay sample

Using at least two (2) of the foundational ethical theories studied in Module 2, you should answer the following questions. With each answer, you should discuss the issues and set forth and defend a clear position on whether or not any constraint ought to be placed on the freedom of a business to: Export capital for production The exporting of capital for production would not be supported by a utilitarian and would be found to be unethical. A utilitarian would argue that by allowing our capital to be produced abroad we would be hurting ourselves domestically by giving up potential jobs to workers internationally and by limiting domestic usage. In today’s economy a company can set up production plants in virtually any country they want, and most tend to go where the cost of labor is least expensive. A utilitarian’s goal is to determine how to obtain â€Å"the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone effected by our actions† (Shaw Barry, 2013). American production is a shell of what it once was, and with next to nothing to export, and potential production being lost to overseas cheap labor we will never be able to obtain the level of production that we once had. In addition more times than not the individuals working at the production plants making US products will not make enough money to be able to afford the goods they are helping to produce and because they are paid based on their counties cheap labor rate, although they will have a job they will probably not be paid enough to improve their financial status much if at all. Export commodities which have been banned from sale in the United States Although common sense will tell us that will the straight safety guidelines set forth by the US it would be unethical to export commodities banned in the US to foreign countries an egoist may tell you differently. Egoism tells us that if the action is good for me then it is in fact ethical, and can result in conclusions that most would agree to be unethical (Shaw Barry, 2013). In 2011, according to the United States Geological Survey, the U.S. exported about $27 million worth of asbestos products and Nearly 1.7 billion pounds of pesticides were exported from U.S. ports between 2001 and 2003. Nearly 28 million pounds of those pesticides were products forbidden in the U.S. (Peebles, 2013). One of the guidelines for selling these forbidden products to other countries is that disclosure is made to the foreign country that the product they are being sold is banned for sale in the US. By providing them with this information we are giving them the opportunity to decline the potentially dangerous product while making an unethical decision appear to be ethical for the good of the US by cashing in on unsafe items which carry hefty costs to safely dispose of. Downsize in the face of economic difficulty As we have seen in recent years downsizing in the face of economic difficulty is becoming a larger and larger threat faced by today’s workforce. A libertarian is someone who would determine if something was ethical by asking if a situation upholds or promotes liberty for all who may have rights. In terms how a libertarian would view downsizing we would first have to determine what rights we need to examine. For this example I would say that the employees have a right to know that downsizing is a risk and be informed as to what the company has done to cut costs in other areas to prevent having to reduce their workforce. The more informed staff is the more accepting they may be if downsizing affects them. By keeping them in the loop and allowing them to help cut costs. â€Å"Engage work force in generation of ideasboth cost-cutting and revenue generation. Your employees know a great deal about what it takes to do their work effectively and efficiently. Employees can be a wonderful resource for new ideas. Don’t overlook their ingenuity† (Ethics Resource Center, 2009). A libertarian would support downsizing as long as the employees being affected fell that they have been adequately informed and believe that all other avenues have been exhausted as non-profitability cannot be sustain by a company for any length of time. Break union contracts in the face of economic difficulty A utilitarian may view this as ethical. If breaching the contract can save jobs that could potentially be lost then breaking the union contract may in fact be supported. †Private sector union membership has steadily fallen, mainly because of the decline or failure of the businesses that employ them.  In a competitive, globalized world, there is little room for the rigid work rules, prohibition from rewarding superior employee performance, strikebound production losses, and adversarial atmosphere that renders unionized companies uncompetitive.† (Morgan, 2009) Many employees feel that unions do nothing for them and often feel that they only see their union stewards when it is time to collect dues. If a business is forced into union contracts that require them to reach unattainable contract items in times of economic uncertainty then the business could eventually be forced to downsize, harming themselves and the workers that could be affected.