Which firm do you decide should be your supplier?

THIS IS THE QUESTION FOR THIS YEAR

PART B

Introduction: the task for Part B is to write an essay applying ethical reasoning to a business dilemma within an organisational case study and to reach a morally defensible decision

The task: A purchasing manager’s dilemma.

You are a purchasing manager for a UK garment retailer. You need to identify the most cost effective supplier for a new product line. Your company is a high street retailer and is currently badly affected by the reduction in footfall due to the Covid-19 pandemic. You have been told that you will receive a bonus if you keep costs down.

You have visited Camnam in East Asia and identify 2 potential suppliers: Firm A and Firm B. Both are successful firms and seem to have the capacity to meet your client’s needs in terms of production level, quality and flexibility. The two firms operate in different parts of the country, but both are equally accessible to international ports and airports.

Firm A has the additional advantage of being accredited by a reputable ethical audit organization which amongst other issues inspects working conditions in the firm’s factories. Conditions are said to be good, workers work a 48 hour week (the local maximum), and have the option of overtime. Firm A has indicated that its prices will be 10% above those of Firm B.

Firm B has several factories in all of which working conditions are fairly poor. You know as a fact that in one factory at least the workers, who are mainly women, have to complete a 12 hour shift 6 days a week in order to earn the minimum weekly wage- enforcement of employment regulations is weak in Camnam. Firm B does not subscribe to an ethical audit process and you have a suspicion that the managers in Firm B would be resistant to such an ethical audit, and could falsify any result.

While in Camnam you manage to speak to one of the workers from firm B who tells you that she and her colleagues really need the work the firm provides, because they come from a disadvantaged social group.

Based on this scenario write an essay that answers the following question:

Which firm do you decide should be your supplier? To answer this question please use one of the following ethical theories:

 

EITHER Ethics of Care;

 

OR Ubuntu Ethics;

 

OR Amartya Sen’s Ethics;

 

OR Kantian Ethics

 

In answering this question you are expected to demonstrate a capacity for moral reasoning as discussed on this module. You MUST explain and apply ethical theories that you have chosen to use in this question and you should structure your essay as follows:

1. Summarise relevant facts from the scenario and identify all the stakeholders affected by your purchasing dilemma.
2. Identify and explain the ethical issues relevant to the dilemma.

Note: an issue is a matter of debate; ethics is the study of concepts of right and wrong; therefore: ethical issues= matters that raise debates about right and wrong.

To identify ethical issues you should start with the facts of the scenario but also refer to relevant sources that can help justify your identification of the issues.

1. Introduce and explain your chosen ethical theory (in other words EITHER Ubuntu Ethics; OR Ethics of Care; OR Amartya Sen’s Ethics; OR Kantian Ethics)

You will need to draw on discussions from good quality academic sources that consider the ethical theories and ideas in depth.

1. Apply your chosen ethical theory to the ethical issues in the situation, in order to reach a morally justifiable decision on the position that ‘you’, (the purchasing manager) should take in relation to purchasing from Firm A or B.
2. Identify actions that you could take, their possible challenges and how you might overcome them to in order to ensure that your decision is enacted.

For (e) you should use relevant academic business literature to identify the challenges and options that might be open to you as a Purchasing Manager.

The word limit for this essay is 1750 words and the essay is worth 50% of the module marks.

Remember that this is an essay about business ethics and not business strategy or legal liability. You are being asked to develop an ethical argument about what the right thing to do would be in the scenario provided. Make sure you read the marking criteria.

Reminder of Learning outcomes assessed

1. Analyse the basis of moral reasoning.
   2. Demonstrate cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and decision making within conditions of ambiguity, uncertainty and inherent tension.
   3. Evaluate the significance of a range of western and non western ethical perspectives for business practices and economic systems.
   4. Analyse and evaluate the common and specific ethical issues for a range of business functions and practices.
   5. Evaluate and apply ethical reasoning to local and global business dilemmas.
   6. Engage with multiple perspectives to articulate and defend a morally justifiable personal position on pervasive contemporary organisational and business ethical dilemma

Assignment length

The length of an assignment is limited by a set number of word to contribute towards the development of writing skills and to ensure all work is assessed equitably. We therefore require you to complete your assignments within the number of words specified in the assignment brief.

The specified 1750 count for each essay refers to the main body of the essay and does not include front cover, title page, reference list, or appendices. The word count does include headings, tables and in-text citations, but not diagrams

Appendices themselves will not be marked. However, inappropriate use of appendices will be taken into consideration when awarding the final mark.

Words that exceed the maximum allowed will not be marked. If in doubt, you should discuss this with the Module Leader before submission.