Markkula Center of Applied Ethics

Cases


Business Ethics

The Case of Greene Gardens
Gregory A. Baker and Kirk O. Hanson
Focus: The case describes the 2006 E. coli outbreak in the California spinach industry.

Business Ethics Scenarios
Jim Balassone
Focus: Brief cases that raise questions on gifts, conflicts of interest, disparagement, and more.

Trust During The Dot-Com Boom
Jessica Silliman
Focus: A company woos a new employee under false pretenses.

WorldCom Case Study Update 2006
Edward J. Romar and Martin Calkins
Focus: A description of the events between the declaration of bankruptcy by WoldCom and its acquisition by Verizon.

Ethics Cases for Product Safety Engineers
John McBain and James Balassone
Focus: Ethical dilemmas for engineers charged with clarifying and overseeing product safety.

WorldCom
Dennis Moberg and Edward Romar
Focus: What went wrong at WorldComm? Sweetheart loans to executives and a growth-through-acquisitions strategy are suggested as contributors to this business scandal.

The Case of the X979 Jumpstart
Peter A. Facione
Focus: This fictional case study asks us to consider the ethical boundaries involved in intellectual property.

The Case of the Underwater Options
Miriam Schulman
Focus: An acquisition raises questions about fairness and an employee's right to know in this fictionalized case about a biotech start-up.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Leon Panetta & Paul Locatelli, S.J.
Focus: In desperate need of a tax break for his company, a CEO contemplates a questionable campaign contribution.

The Case of Bad News
Gil Amelio
Focus: The new CEO of a corporation learns that he has inherited problems with growth and profitability. A four-day workweek and, eventually, layoffs prove necessary. Who is the CEO obligated to inform and when?

The Case of Due Diligence
Thomas Shanks
Focus: How ethics can guide the conduct of a brokerage firm rewarding sales representatives with trips for the sale of a particular fund.

The Case of the Million Dollar Decision
Michael Hackworth, Thomas Shanks
Focus: A company is planning to expand in a country where bribery is a normal part of doing business.

Nutritional Foods
Kirk O. Hanson
Focus: A company confronts the possibility that its product is causing illness.

The Sole Remaining Supplier
Thomas Shanks
Focus: What are the ethical questions involved when a company is the only supplier of a high-risk, life-saving product?

The Performance Appraisal
Thomas Shanks
Focus: How much should age and longevity with the company count in making lay-off decisions?

The Case of the Plant Relocation
Karen Musalo
Focus: Your company can make more money for shareholders by relocating plants to a country with low costs and fewer regulations.


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