The Ethics Case Brief is a formal paper (<2,500 words) that frames, evaluates, and develops an action
plan for managing an ethical challenge that you have identified. This is your opportunity to demonstrate
everything you know about applying human values to the challenges of business leadership.
In writing your EthicsCase Brief, you should select an ethical problem either from current business news
or from your own observation or experience. Remember that you are conducting an ethical analysis to
develop an action plan, so your brief will be evaluated for your framing of the problem, the arguments
you make, and the evidence and expertise you apply to support your arguments. Your choice of a
problem, its complexity, and its relevance for contemporary business will be considered in your grade
for this assignment. It is in your interest to choose a unique, complex, and relevant problem that has
not been widely discussed or evaluated to demonstrate your values, intelligence, and skill.
You will conduct your own ethical analysis of a scenario and develop an action plan using the tools,
methods, and frameworks from the course as well as your own independent inquiry and thought. You
may consult any and all learning materials from the seminar and elsewhere; you may also consult and
discuss the case with others. The written brief, however, must be entirely your own work. If you do
consult other sources, you must credit and cite them properly in APA format.
Execution Steps
You are advised to begin thinking about the Ethics Case Brief early on so that you are ready to
concentrate on it as soon as your Moral Compass Essay is completed. Be sure to follow each step of the
outline below and address each relevant question.
Title of the Case: (How will you identify this case?)
Source: (What is the source of your information about this case?)
Case Overview
“Big picture” interpretation of the case in one or two sentences. How would you
characterize the moral challenge of this case? Why is this case morally important?
Key Facts Your factual discovery of key events, actors, and evidence: What relevant events,
people, and evidence are key to understanding the situation or problem? What
contextual/ technical knowledge needs to be considered? What are your sources for
the facts of the case and how reliable are they?
2
Ethical Analysis Your interpretation of the values conflict or moral challenge.
• What is the main moral issue in this case? What is at stake? What is the moral
urgency? (Uncertainty, risk, danger)
• Who is the key moral actor in this case? Whose actions and decisions determine the
moral resolution of this case?
• What is your intuitive moral judgment of the issue? What foundational moral values
are involved? (CARE, LIBERTY, FAIRNESS, LOYALTY, AUTHORITY, SANCTITY)
• How do values and moral judgments conflict? Is it a right/right or right/wrong
conflict? What type of right/right?
• Is the moral issue with an action, the means of action, or the intent of an action?
• What normative moral claims and standpoints of VIRTUE (character, common good),
DUTY (principle, moral claims), and CONSEQUENCES (outcomes, harm, cost, benefit)
should you consider in evaluating the moral challenge?
• How would you apply the values and code of your wisdom tradition to understand
and explain the moral issue?
• How does the moral challenge align/conflict with the core values of your Wisdom
Tradition and that of stakeholders?