Annabelle Molina

April 3, 2021
OGL 345
Module 3 Moral Minefield Reflection Paper

Instructions:
For the following questions, be sure to connect to the reading material in your book. This is a writing
assignment, so answers should be written in complete and coherent sentences and paragraphs. Answers
in the A range will refer to the text and fully explain how the concepts learned in the text apply to the
question.

You may type your answers directly into this document after the prompts, save it, and then upload it into
the submission box.

Play through the Moral Minefield level for this week and answer the following questions:

1. Copy and paste (or screenshot) your Level overview and scores. You can find this
information again in your Overview & Profile.
2. Reflect on the scenarios presented in the game. Was there anything you found particularly
difficult? Anything that surprised you?

Yes, I found the question on the question on the Celebrity bonus and the “Ad” to be difficult. With
so many celebrities right now being on social media it gets blurred if they are being paid to
endorse or not. This made me second guess my answer and ended up getting it wrong. The other
question on “The advertising team suggests working with a major news website on a series of
sponsored articles in a section called “Patient Spotlight”. The articles would feature interviews
with chronic pain sufferers in an Ulban clinical trial, and articles reflecting current data, a
moderated comment section and clear guidelines for notifying the reader that this is sponsored
content. I thought this was ethical but apparently I was wrong. After reading the response on how
sponsored content may be a great tactic, but when it’s directly tied to editorial coverage for your
product, the arrangement does not adhere to journalistic ethical standards I can see how that was
wrong.

3. Explain one of the decision-making scenarios you were given in this level and analyze it in
terms of one of this week’s theories.
(Note: for full credit, be sure you name the theory you are using, explain the theory fully, and then
explain how the scenario illustrates that theory)

The decision making scenario that I would like to focus on for this question will be on the decision
scenario on the two members of the team are debating a strategy of making a donation to a reputable
chronic pain charity with every purchase of Ulban. To do so means increasing customer loyalty but it
may be seen that Ulban’s support is actually conditional at best and predatory at worst.

I feel this would fall into the ethical relativism in which morality is relative to the norms of the society
in which it is practiced. The action is questionable but it acceptable due to practice. With relativism
its as there is no real truth and what is right or wrong is based on current opinion which is always
about monetary gain. (Ethics theory and business practice)

Even in the outcome discussion it goes over how it can be perceived wrong. “While it could be argued
the donation strategy is in bad taste, the fact is, intentions are clear and there is an inherent benefit to
the company as well as a benefit to the wider patient community. This represents a considerable
sacrifice in profit which will benefit Ulban in customer loyalty and patients in the form of increased
research for chronic pain.” (Moral Minefield)

This give the perception that right or wrong is based on circumstances. I feel we have to have a set of
standards and if our gut is telling us it is morally wrong then it is wrong.

4. How could you use the concepts discussed in this simulation in your job today? Relate these
concepts to the other course materials and to your own experiences.
(Note: for full credit, be sure discuss a specific scenario, a specific example from your own
experiences, and a specific connection to something you learned from the text)

The concept discussed on a sound ethical outcome is when there are positive benefits for all involved
is one I could us in my job today. So long as the relationships are well-defined and intentions are
known, what is important is that those partnerships benefit both your bottom line, and the society.
Working in government has lots of ethical debates on what can we do and what is appropriate to share
and what is not. Government seems to use Ethical absolutism as it tends to put a lot of faith in human
reason for working out what is right and what is wrong. These are practiced in our law, rationale on why
we do things. For example, I used to work on giving companies grants to locate here. The grants were
given based on the greater good. It will create jobs, bring tax money, and help in port and export taxes as
well. It allows moral rules to be evaluated critically. It is fair as people are treated the same as the rules
are the same for everyone.

Refrences
EI Games, Moral Minefield., Fryer, M. (2015). Chapter 7: Discourse Ethics: Democratizing Business. In Ethics
Theory and Business Practice. Textbook, Oxford University Press.