Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons^™

Teaching Business Ethics: Plato Was Right, David F. Perri, Megan V. Teague

Management Faculty Publications

Ethical lapses in major corporations continue to draw public attention to the specter of corporate misconduct. This paper presents a pedagogical approach that is designed to enhance student understanding and appreciation of the challenges that business leaders face when confronted with the conflict between the profit-maximizing demands of capitalism and the ethical expectations of society. This is an approach that fully acknowledges the seductive nature of unethical conduct in search of corporate rewards. This paper presents a method which can be applied both in undergraduate and graduate coursework, facilitates the examination of two corruption cases (Enron and WorldCom), and highlights …

Evaluation Of The Practice Of Community Pharmacists In Amaran City In Yemen To Community Pharmacy Profession During The Coronavirus Pandemic (Covid-19) – A Field Study, Mohammed Qatinah, Abdulaziz Saran, Yasser Al-Salaway, Rasha Hobish, Munif Shaalan

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

The study aimed to assess the practice of community pharmacists in Amran City of the profession of community pharmacy during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). The study used the descriptive approach, using a questionnaire that was distributed in October 2020, to a sample of (91) community pharmacists working in pharmacies in Amran City. The results of the study showed that the mean of the responses of the sample members about practicing the profession of community pharmacy amounted to (4.1262) with a standard deviation of (0.306) which is high, the mean of the axis of the precautionary measures reached (3.9135) with a …

Barriers For Small Businesses To Adopt Sustainable Practices In The Sioux Falls Area, Meredith King

Honors Thesis

Sustainability is a broad concept that encompasses environmental, social, and economic factors to meet current and future needs. Many individuals and large businesses are becoming conscious of the effects they have on the planet and the people around them. However, despite the financial benefits and positive publicity of environmentalism, many businesses are not adopting sustainable practices. This study interviewed local business owners to answer the question “What are the main reasons that small businesses in the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota do or do not adopt sustainable practices that benefit the environment and the community?” Five business owners were …

Cookies, Pop-Ups And Commercials: How Tech Companies' Privacy Promises Are Preserving Their Data Dominance, Cailley Lapara

Capstones

As antitrust sentiment focused on Big Tech from regulators and consumers grows, companies like Google and Apple and more have announced plans to move away from the behavioral ad business model that brought the companies to the size they are today. This trend is marketed to customers as a way to address their growing concerns over privacy and data collection. It also comes as the companies face sweeping antitrust litigation and legislation that would break up the firms. But the companies' claims of moving towards privacy are sketchy at best, and appear to serve as a way for the companies …

R. Edward Freeman, Kirsten E. Martin, And Bishan L. Parmar, The Power Of And: Responsible Business Without Trade-Offs, Andrew B. Gustafson

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

This book tells a story about business which runs counter to the simple notions that the purpose of business is simply to make as much money as possible. While it is not a business-ethics book per se, it is a book which certainly makes an argument that socially responsible businesses often do well, and it provides a wide range of practical contemporary examples of businesses who do just that.

This book promotes the idea that businesses can frequently find win-win choices which both make profit and achieve other worthwhile ends at the same time. The authors argue that a focus …

A Call For Research: Ethical Dilemmas Of Autonomous Vehicle Manufacturers, Remy Harwood

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

While autonomous vehicles accounted for about 31.4 million vehicles on the road in 2019 (Placek). They have continued to flood the market and have a projected growth to 58 million in just 8 years from now (Placek) As well as a market cap in the billions of dollars. Even the comparatively new AV company Tesla has over 3 times the market cap value of the leading non AV brand Toyota (Market Cap) who are also working toward AVs as well, like their level 2 teammate driver assistance. Following Moore’s Law, as technology continues to improve, their social impact and ethical …

Let It Burn: A Case Study On The Risk Management Practices Of Burning Man Project, Ethan S. De La Torre

Experience Industry Management

Risk management can be defined as a decision-making process of planning, identifying, analyzing, developing a response for, and controlling potential risks with the goal of minimizing the negative impacts of those risks. Risk management is an essential practice for all events, especially large-scale, live entertainment events. The purpose of this study was to examine the risk management practices for Burning Man. The instrument utilized in this study was a best practices guide developed by the researcher. Data were collected prior to, during, and following Burning Man 2022: Waking Dreams. Sources of data include printed material and online sources published by …

Watching The Watchmen: An Ethical Evaluation Of The Behavior Of Modern Software Applications, Joshua Graves

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Software has become a ubiquitous element of modern life around the world. An unprecedented amount of power is bestowed upon the companies that own and operate that software. The obvious question arises: “Do these companies operate in an ethical manner regarding their software?” We derive an ethical code via synthesizing the ethical codes of both the IEEE and the ACM, disregarding principles that cannot be examined by an outside observer. We utilize this ethical code to examine five leaders in the software industry, namely Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Amazon. For each company, we examine four incidents in which they …

The Judicial System’S Unjust Relationship With Attorney-Client Privilege: How Judges Knowingly (And Erroneously) Abrogate Important Contractual Arrangements In Corporate Transactions, Edward S. Adams

Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review

A Delaware court has recently recognized the need to enforce contracts that delineate where the attorney-client privilege rests after an asset transfer. This Article will argue that courts across the country should recognize the important and legitimate reasons for this type of decision. Part I will review how the attorney-client privilege functions for corporations and how courts respect the importance of the privilege in other contexts. Part II will review the fundamental corporate changes in which these questions can arise and situations in which courts choose to recognize the importance of protecting the attorney-client privilege. Part III will argue that …

Brain Waste Among Highly Skilled Immigrants In The United States, Kimberly Alva-Chavers Gardner

Master's Projects and Capstones

The issue of brain waste and underemployment among highly skilled immigrants is a key issue facing the United States today. This problem of equity has turned into an issue of economic stability in a country with a waning population whose workforce will soon depend on immigrant and international workers. Multiple agencies, including government programs and nonprofits, are attempting to address this issue from a language learning perspective. Using the theoretical framework of Cultural Capital and Community Cultural Wealth, this research project suggests that the key to reducing brain waste and underemployment among highly skilled immigrants is to take the focus …

Nature Tech: A Nascent Ecosystem, Simon J.D. Schillebeeckx

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

When people talk about climate tech, they tend to mean carbon tech. It’s all carbon tunnel vision: Carbon footprint, carbon equivalent, carbon credit, carbon compensation, carbon emission reductions, carbon offsets, decarbonization and so on. By extension, the entire debate about energy transition, energy transformation, clean power and green energy is similarly a debate that is largely held within the carbon tunnel. Make no mistake about it. These are important topics to address. The energy transition will not only prevent catastrophic climate change but have massive benefits for human health by tackling fossil-fuel induced air pollution at the source.As the above …

Wellness Practices’ Contribution To Social Sustainability: A Review Of The Literature, Zeina Mazloum

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Despite being emphasized as one of the main pillars of global sustainable development, social sustainability has been vastly neglected in research, and its importance has been undervalued. This paper aims to highlight the important role that wellness practices play in enhancing social sustainability by uplifting individuals and progressing communities. In turn, social sustainability strengthens the circular economy, resulting in global sustainable development. The paper also raises questions about future sustainable communities, quality of life, and wellness programs, which open up new avenues for future research and implications.

Dynamic Disclosure: An Exposé On The Mythical Divide Between Voluntary And Mandatory Esg Disclosure, Lisa Fairfax

All Faculty Scholarship

In March 2022, for the first time in its history, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed rules mandating disclosure related to climate change. The proposed rules are remarkable because heretofore many in the business community, including the SEC, vehemently resisted climate-related disclosure, based primarily on the argument that such disclosure is not material to investors. This resistance is exemplified by the current lack of any SEC disclosure mandates for climate change. The proposed rules have sparked considerable pushback including allegations that the rules violate the First Amendment, would be too costly, and focus on “social” or “political” issues …

Why Corporate Success Requires Dealing With The Past, Sarah Federman, Judith Schrempf-Stirling

School of Peace Studies: Faculty Scholarship

Customers, employees, and citizens expect companies to address historic transgressions and work toward a positive legacy.

Businesses’ past involvement or complicity in atrocities and human rights abuses such as slavery and genocide is a pressing concern for stakeholders today. Managers who meaningfully engage with their companies’ past actions can address historic harms while simultaneously contributing to their companies’ future success. The authors examine the factors that are pushing companies to take action now, and they offer guidance to help leaders begin the process of moving forward.

Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Education: A New Mexico Case Study For Equity And Inclusion, Kimberly A. Scheerer

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This research addresses how student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) education activities encourages underrepresented minority student achievement in STEM career field trajectories. Seven New Mexico high school counselors and 12 STEM organization personnel were interviewed during this study. Their responses represent the nuanced professional voices where New Mexico public education intersects with STEM student interest and cultural influence.

For students, STEM PBL can foster deep integration across educational disciplines and enhance STEM career trajectory interest and readiness. STEM education converged with PBL methodologies has the ability to leverage community support while broadening student networks. …

Doing Good: Navigating The Csr Maze In India – Review Of Book By Meena Raghunathan, Ruchi Tewari, Aatman Shukla

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

Cybercrime In The Developing World, David A. Ghelerter, John E. Wilson, Noah L. Welch, John-David Rusk

KSU Proceedings on Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This paper attempts to discover the reasons behind the increase in cybercrime in developing nations over the past two decades. It discusses many examples and cases of projects to increase internet access in developing countries and how they enabled cybercrime. This paper examines how nations where many cybercrimes occurred, did not have the necessary resources or neglected to react appropriately. The other primary focus is how cybercrimes are not viewed the same as other crimes in many of these countries and how this perception allows cybercriminals to do as they please with no stigma from their neighbors. It concludes that …

Microtransactions And Gambling In The Video Game Industry, Christopher L. Antepenko, Samuel R. Rickey, Angel L. Hibbets, John-David Rusk

KSU Proceedings on Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The beginning of the 21st century has had a drastic effect on the video game industry. The advent of almost universal Internet access, the release of inexpensive broadband-enabled consoles, and the availability of mobile gaming have led to game developers and publishers heavily relying on premium in-game currencies, exclusive paid items, and loot boxes to subsidize or even replace profits from traditional video game business models. By 2020, in-game purchases made up a market of $92.6B worldwide and, in the US, experienced growth of over 30%.[1] In this highly lucrative market, the legal and ethical landscape is constantly bubbling with …

Social Media Platforms And Responsibility For Disinformation, Matt T. Figlia, Brandon M. Henschen, Joseph T. Sims, John-David Rusk

KSU Proceedings on Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Researchers are paying closer attention to the rise of disinformation on social media platforms and what responsibility, if any, the companies that control these platforms have for false information being spread on their websites. In this paper, we highlight the recent growth in concern regarding online disinformation, discuss other works regarding the use of social media as a tool for spreading disinformation, and discuss how coordinated disinformation campaigns on social media platforms are used to spread propaganda and lies about current political events. We also evaluate the reactions of social media platforms in combatting disinformation and the difficulty in policing …

Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic Connects To Iu Ventures, Strengthens Reach In Venture Capital, James Owsley Boyd

Keep Up With the Latest News from the Law School (blog)

The Indiana University Maurer School of Law’s Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic has strengthened its connection with a university affiliate designed to help students, faculty, staff, and alumni advance startups and new companies.

Professor Mark E. Need, director of the Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic, has been appointed a Venture Legal Analyst-in-Residence with IU Ventures. Through the Executive in Residence Program, which IU Ventures launched last year, experts in a variety of startup areas help accelerate the development of new ventures by sharing insights and real-world experience with the founders and leaders of companies in the IU Ventures portfolio. They …

Is The 340b Hospitals Battle At The Supreme Court Over?, Casey W.. Baker, Susan W. Lanham, Alberto Coustasse

Accounting Faculty Research

Under the Federal 340B Program, hospitals and eligible health care clinics that serve low income or rural populations can qualify for federally negotiated manufacturer discounts on purchases of prescription drugs. Approximately 50,000 entities participate in the 340B program, where pharmaceutical manufacturers are instructed to supply outpatient medications to participating providers at discounted rates of 20% to 50%. Participating hospitals depend on profits from the differential between their reimbursement for these drugs and the discounted rates they disburse to finance affordable patient care in underserved communities. On June 15, 2022, the US Supreme Court ruled that major cuts to 340B payments …

Social Performance Feedback And Firm Communication Strategy, Heli Wang, Ming Jia, Yi Xiang, Yang Lan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Although corporate social performance has become an important measure of firm performance, there is little understanding about how firms respond to social performance feedback and how impression management may function as an important firm response to the feedback. Building upon and extending the literature on the behavioral theory of the firm and the strategic use of language, we examine how discrepancies between firms’ social performance and their aspiration levels affect how firms use visual expressions in their CSR reports. In addition, we argue that the relationship between social performance discrepancies and the use of visual expressions in CSR reports is …

How An Abusive Supervision Climate Impacts Business-To-Business (B2b) Sales Performance, And The Roles Of Leader–Members Interdependence And Team Psychological Safety, Matthew J. Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sales supervisors can tremendously influence the sales teams they manage, and their behaviors can influence a team’s engagement and sales performance. Because of the supervisor’s influential role, their behavior, positive or negative, can ripple throughout the organization. As a result, a supervisor who role models abusive behavior within their organization also promotes a climate of abuse and incivility that can contribute to a toxic workplace. Abusive supervision (AS) is a significant problem in many business-to-business (B2B) sales organizations that negatively impacts the financial welfare and subjective well-being of organizations and their employees. This quantitative correlational study aimed to examine how …

Exploring Corporate Social Responsibility (Scr) In The South African Shipping Industry: Focusing On Private Companies' Social And Economic Dimensions Of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sizwe Sandile Dlamini

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Does An Initial Public Offering (Ipo) Issuer's Securities And Exchange Commission Registration Fee Calculation Method Predict Pricing Revisions And Ipo Underpricing?, Patrick Corrigan

Journal Articles

This paper proposes a new proxy for the ex ante expectations of issuers and their underwriters about the direction of pricing revisions during the roadshows of an initial public offering (IPO): the way issuers elect to calculate the registration fees owed to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Consistent with fee-minimizing decision-making, I find that the choice of fee calculation method is associated with pricing revisions and IPO underpricing. This relationship suggests that issuers or their advisors may not incorporate economically significant private valuation information into the initial pricing range estimate and initial public offering price. The results provide empirical support …

A Covid-Related Fraud At Applied Biosciences Corp: What Are The Lessons?, Scott Jackson, Paul Ordyna, Srinivasan Ragothaman

Mountain Plains Business Conference

No abstract provided.

Unintended Consequences: Impact Of Covid Relief Payments On Families And The Housing Industry, Tami J. Moore, Jared Burgoon

Mountain Plains Business Conference

Proposed as a Panel event exploring the unintended consequences of the Covid Relief Payments made during the pandemic on families, housing, and supply chain.

Nevada Workforce Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Study 2022, Jan Jones Blackhurst, Becky Harris

International Gaming Institute Faculty Publications

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) metrics enable organizations to set concrete goals and self-monitor their performance. In 2021, Nevada’s legislature passed Senate Bill No. 267 (SB267), authorizing the University Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to study DEI benchmarks in the State. The study is designed to produce actionable results capable of informing policy and employer best practices in Nevada. This study was piloted in 2021, with study participation taking place between January 3-April 30, 2022.

The questions in the study were crafted based on DEI public policy considerations as well as metrics for gauging the scope of offerings available to women …

The Influence Of A Company's Inherent Values On Its Sustainability: Case Study Of Portuguese Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Charlie Lynch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

SMEs are a significant portion of global corporations and, while individually might not compare to larger corporations in total emissions, holistically have significant impact. Therefore, understanding how a company's inherent values influence its ability to be sustainable is necessary to help inform the field. Thus, the project was focused on the influence of social, environmental, and economic values on the sustainability of a company. The study compared founder and company profiles generated from an interview with the founder and triangulated through secondary sources. The study found that the inherent values of Veganism, Ethical Drive, and Ecological Consciousness influenced mainly the …

Doing Well By Doing Good: Analyzing The Dynamics And Effectiveness Of Corporate Engagement, Gillian Meyers

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable investing and corporate climate action have grown exponentially in the last decade, generating a simultaneous need for customers, investors, and policymakers to determine when companies are genuinely achieving positive impact related to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors. As a result, investors are increasingly employing ESG engagement, which typically takes the form of direct communication with holdings to determine and positively shape their impacts on their stakeholders. In this paper, I explore the reasoning for conducting ESG engagement and refute arguments against it. I fill an existing research gap by analyzing the benefits of ESG engagement to both …