The Effects of Business on Consumers and the Environment: Case Study

This discussion assignment   requires you to submit at least four posts: an initial post, two reply posts   to fellow students in threads other than your own, and a revised post.

Prepare: In preparation for your first post in this discussion,   you will become familiar with the case of Perdue Farms by means of the   material listed under Required Resources (Generally). You will also find more   material under Required Resources (Per Subject Heading) because the specific   task for this discussion is to examine this case with an eye for any one of   the following four subject headings in business ethics: (1) the environment,   (2) advertising, (3) consumer safety and (4) moral responsibility. You must select   one of these subject headings and your selection will be the specific focus   of your work for your discussion. Accordingly, you will be responsible to   complete the readings and videos listed under your chosen subject heading.

Reflect: If you choose the environment subject heading, reflect on   the sheer density of chickens raised at any given time in the Perdue   facilities. The disposal of their discarded remains and their processing for   distribution, either individually and most definitely together, pose a number   of environmental concerns.

If you choose the advertising   subject heading, reflect on how the two videos on Perdue farms present the   sharp contrast between the way the company presents its product and the way   in which it has been discovered to run its chicken farms. Consider whether   this is an example of failure to provide truth in advertising and how you   would support such a stance.

If you choose the consumer safety   subject heading, reflect on the way in which chickens raised in factory farms   risks consumer safety. These might include (a) bacterial contamination, (b)   the effects of antibiotics on the meat that is consumed, or (c) the release   of adrenaline, cortisone, and other chemicals resulting from the acute stress   endured by factory farm animals, which then becomes part of the meat that is   later consumed by humans.

If you choose the moral   responsibility heading, reflect on the stewardship role that may fall upon   humans toward non-human animals. Can we utilize them as mere means to an end   (for entertainment, companionship, or food)? Or do we have special   obligations toward them (e.g., not to mistreat or torture them and to   slaughter them quickly and without stress) because they are sentient beings?

Once you have completed the   indicated readings and videos, reflect on the ethical theories that we have   covered in the discussions thus far and identify one that you want to apply   for your analysis in your discussion post.

Also, reflect on the regulations   (or lack thereof) in the factory farming industry in order to be able to   examine how our nation’s laws affect the operations of the business. You   will need to research the applicable laws on the factory farming industry.

Finally, since Perdue Farms is an   American corporation, reflect on the mixed economic system in the United   States in order to articulate the setting for the operations of factory   farming, and then, be able to analyze the ethical actions of Perdue given   this setting.

Write: In the first part of your initial post, you will need to   introduce the Perdue case within the particular subject heading that you have   chosen. In this introduction, you will also need to (1) articulate the   relevant characteristics of our mixed economic system and (2) present the   regulations for the factory farming industry. These will provide the setting   for you to be able to examine how the nation’s laws affect its operations.

In the second part of your initial   post, present your analysis of the problem in a way that identifies which   entities (Perdue as a corporation, the economic system in the USA, the   regulatory control of the state, or all of these) have a role in the problem   that you have presented. In your analysis, you must assess the negative   effects of the interplay between business activity and one of the following:   the environment, advertising, consumer safety, or corporate social   responsibility. Your focus must be an ethical analysis of this interplay, and   it must be well supported by reliable and/or scholarly sources by clearly   identifying the ethical theory that you are applying in your analysis.

Revise: Read the feedback provided by your professor to your   initial post, either directly to you or to your fellow students. Use this as   an opportunity to learn from your professor, especially with regard to the   best ways to apply the course material and your research to your analysis. On   the basis of what you have learned in this process, post an improved revision   of your initial post that applies the additional knowledge that you have   gained.

Remember that your grade depends   on the quality of your initial and revised responses, not just on the   submission of an attempt at improvement. It is thus to your advantage to post   the best initial post you can and then to also improve that best effort as much   as you can through revision. Taking this process seriously will help you   develop the skills you need to do well on the Final Project.