SEMESTER FALL 2023

BUSINESS ETHICS (MGT610)

ASSIGNMENT NO. 01
DUE DATE: NOV. 13, 2023 MARKS: 10

Case:

Company XeeTech is a manufacturer of a popular electronic gadget called the

"TechMate." The company has been enjoying massive achievements in the market
and has built a reputation for producing high-quality, market-competitive and
environmentally friendly products. The company prides itself on its commitment to
sustainability and ethical business practices.

In an effort to maintain their environmental image, Company X has been exploring

ways to reduce electronic waste. They have recently developed a new policy where
customers can return their old TechMate gadgets, regardless of their condition, and
receive a 25% discount on the purchase of a new one. The returned gadgets will be
recycled or refurbished whenever possible. Company XeeTech believes this policy
aligns with its commitment to sustainability.

However, some employees who are working in the product development department
at Company XeeTech, have raised concerns about this policy to the company’s higher
management. Their point of view is that it puts additional pressure on the recycling
and refurbishing teams, leading to longer working hours and increased stress. These
employees believe that the new policy could have negative consequences for the well-
being of the workforce and may be unfair to those who need to meet the increased
demand.

Questions:

Question 1:

Apply the principle of universalizability to evaluate Company XeeTech's policy

regarding returning old TechMate gadgets. Explain whether the policy meets the
criteria of universalizability. (4 Marks)

Question 2:

Apply the principle of reversibility to assess Company XeeTech's policy. Discuss

whether the policy respects the principle of reversibility. (3 Marks)
Question 3:

Suggest an alternative policy that Company XeeTech could implement to align with
their commitment to sustainability while respecting the principles of universalizability
and reversibility. (3 Marks)

INSTRUCTIONS
A 24 hour extra/grace period after the due date is usually available to overcome
uploading difficulties which may be faced by the students on last date. This extra time
should only be used to deal with emergencies; and above mentioned due date should
always be treated as final to avoid any inconvenience. To open the assignment file,
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader/ PDF Reader installed on your computer. For
acquiring the relevant knowledge, watch the course video lectures and read additional
material available online in the form of related articles and case studies or in any other
mode.

FORMATTING GUIDELINES: Use the font style “Times New Roman” or “Arial”
and font size “12”. It is advised to compose your document in MS-Word format
ONLY. You may also compose your assignment in Open Office format. Use black or
blue font colors ONLY.

Other Important Instructions:

Deadline:
• Make sure to upload the solution file before the due date on VULMS.
• Any submission made via email after the due date will not be accepted.

Rules for Marking:

Please note that your assignment will not be graded or graded as Zero (0), if:
• It is submitted after the due date.
• The file you uploaded does not open or is corrupt.
• It is in any format other than MS-Word or Open Office; e.g. Excel,
PowerPoint, PDF etc.
• It is cheated or copied from other students, internet, books, journals etc.

Note related to load shedding: Please be proactive

Dear students!
As you know that pre mid-term semester activities have started and load shedding
problem is also prevailing in our country. Keeping in view the fact, you all are
advised to post your activities as early as possible without waiting for the due date.