Business Finance Homework Help. Mgt 166 Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Panel discussions – UPDATED

There are seven panels planned for the regular class period and one for the asynchronous students. Please sign up for a specific role on one of the panels, including your name and the best email address for teammates to use in contacting you. Every student is expected to sign up their first and second choice. If there aren’t enough slots, I will open up new ones. Do NOT alter the spreadsheet as it stands (besides filling in your name and email).

If the role you want is filled, you will have to choose something else. If you are already familiar with a particular industry sector or a particular role, consider choosing something different so you can broaden your knowledge and perspective.

The panels are briefly described below. The information has been updated based on discussion with the asynchronous students.

Each panel has a facilitator/scribe. This person’s job is to provide a very brief overview of the relevant sector, and to facilitate the discussion. I will serve as the backup facilitator.

The agenda for each panel will be:

Facilitator introduction – 3 minutes?
Opening statement by each role – 1-2 minutes (10 minutes)
Facilitated discussion of key issues and possible recommendations (10-15 minutes)
Facilitator summary of results (areas of consensus, areas of disagreement)
Group feedback/agreement on facilitator summary

The opening statements for each role can be done by one of the two students in that role if there are two, or each can speak. Once each role has spoken, we will have open discussion about the issues related to that sector, trying to find consensus about what, if any, action the Biden Administration should take. This could include eliminating existing regulations, changing existing practices in some way, or creating new policies or regulations. Recommendations could address data collection and reporting, standards, incentives, penalties, or anything else you think of.

I don’t expect you to become instant experts in your role, but I do expect you to do some outside research and to consider in-class discussions. I will not be evaluating the specific outcomes – there is no “right” answer. What I’m looking for is evidence of realistic role playing, understanding of the different stakeholder perspectives, and an effort to explore potential compromises to reach consensus.

This is an opportunity to practice respectful debate. Remember, we are each playing a role and it’s ok to disagree with a person’s position as stated in the discussion, but not ok to attack a person verbally. The world needs more people with the skills to use critical thinking skills to develop a position, a willingness to listen to other perspectives to try to understand where other people are coming from, and an ability to consider what each is willing to give up for the greater good, and what each holds firmly as of highest priority.

The Panels:

Panel 1: Technology – Free speech

This would include companies like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter where concerns have been raised about false information, hate speech, foreign political influence, fake accounts, as well as consideration of free speech principles and the practical implications of regulating the volume of information posted. What guidelines, restrictions, penalties, processes, or other measures, if any, would serve society’s interests?

Panel 2: Technology – Monopoly

This panel would address big tech companies, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, focusing on issues of anti-competitive behavior. Can companies be too big? Can they have too much control over the marketplace? What is a fair system where success can be achieved if you have better ideas and better execution, and what are society’s interests in ensuring that new companies have a chance to get started and that suppliers and consumers have the benefits of open competition.

Panel 3: Fashion Industry

This panel will consider issues related to the garment industry – where clothing is made, what labor conditions exist, what role retailers, government, and consumers should have in the industry. Should companies be able to seek out the least expensive suppliers? What are acceptable labor conditions? What are the environmental impacts of “fast fashion” with inexpensive clothing being accumulated and disposed of? If factories are outside the US, what role, if any, should the US Government play?

Panel 4: Energy Sector

This panel includes major energy companies (who may also be involved in renewable energy) as well as renewable energy companies. How should climate change be factored into public policy? To what extent should businesses be able to determine their own strategies and transitions and to what extent should the federal government be involved?

Panel 5: Agriculture Sector

This panel would look at the food system – what are national and global societal needs in terms of feeding the population and protecting the environment? How do we ensure that the agriculture sector can be sustained financially and environmentally? How should we address the depletion of natural resources, the obesity crisis, the increasing demand for organic food, the climate impact of different agricultural practices and products, or other issues the panel identifies?

Panel 6: Banking and Finance

This panel looks at institutions that ensure our financial and banking systems are secure, reliable, honest, and accountable. How much government oversight is needed? How are financial institutions held accountable? Are some companies “too big to fail” – their collapse would have such dire consequences that the government must ensure their viability? What information should consumers have access to and how can consumers know the information is trustworthy? Should there be limits on how much interest and fees a bank can charge, or should the competitive marketplace let supply and demand determine the cost of financial transactions? What other interests does the government/society have in the banking sector, if any?

Panel 7: Pharmaceutical Industry

This panel would examine the pharmaceutical industry and how medications enter our consumer market. Pharmaceutical companies provide life-saving and health-maintaining medications but also are interested in remaining financially profitable endeavors. How should pharmaceutical companies balance providing necessary medications with a desire to be profitable? How should patents on new pharmacological technologies be handled? Who should be responsible in the event that a medication is expensive for the public, causes harm, or is misused? How much power should pharmaceutical companies have over the sale and distribution of medications, especially when there are medication shortages?

IMPORTANT: PANEL 8 WILL CONVENE AT 7 PM THURSDAY, FEB 18. ASYNCHRONOUS STUDENTS WILL HAVE PRIORITY FOR THIS PANEL.

Panel 8: Airline Transportation

This panel will discuss the responsibilities of airplane manufacturers, airlines, the government, and civil society in making sure air travel is safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible. Among the questions this panel may consider are how to prevent failures like the recent Boeing 737-Max in which both the company and the government failed to ensure the safety of the vehicle; how airlines can protect passengers from risks including COVID-19, violent activists, or discriminatory treatment; and how to account for and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from air travel. For example, if/when CO2 emissions are regulated, should the airline or the passenger be held accountable?

Readings for Tech Panels

These are some articles that might be of interest. There may be more links in the module for Week 8. You are responsible for doing your own research to prepare for your role on the panel.

Tim Cook on Why It’s Time to Fight the “Data-Industrial Complex” | GQ.pdf