BUSM3199

Assignment 2- Ethical Decision Making in

Organisations
LF02

Student Name Student Number

Table of content
1.0 Introduction 2

2.0 Problem Identification–ethical problem 2

2.1 Internet Plagiarism 2
2.2 Contract Cheating 2
2.3 Fake Graduates 2

3.0 Research on Business Ethics Theories and CSR Theories 3

4.0 Practical Application: Draft Code of Business Practice Codes 3

5.0 Justifying the Different Perspectives of Business Practice Codes 4

6.0 Conclusions 5

7.0 References 6

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1.0 Introduction
This report analyses how Carousell violates the section on "IP Infringement, regulated or illegal
products and services," essay and paper mills, and homework services, as well as continuing to
sell university materials such as essays, lecture notes, and in some cases, past assignments and
assignment templates. The purpose of this report is to determine the ethical issue that Carousell
is creating by allowing contract writing, their CSR model. Following that, a Code of Business
Practice Codes was established to assist Carousell in overcoming their ethical problems created
by selling assignments and allowing contact writers to sell their services on Carousell, supported
by different normative ethical theories.

2.0 Problem Identification–ethical problem

2.1 Internet Plagiarism
The Internet has enhanced learning efficiency and productivity, it has also resulted in an increase
in plagiarism among students (Granitz and Loewy, 2007). However, all of this assignment
buying and selling on the internet marketplace (such as Carousell) has resulted in the problem of
Internet-Plagiarism (Granitz and Loewy, 2007), which is unethical to practice.

Plagiarism is considered a morally bad act and unethical; nonetheless, Carousell encourages
individuals to display and steal someone else's work as their own. Moreover, Carousell is not
giving students any kind of disclaimer and not telling them the truth when it comes to the
possibility of being suspended if they are detected utilising such sources to do their work;
instead, they misuse product descriptions like "complete success with this assignment guidance
and templates."

2.2 Contract Cheating

Concerns regarding an increase in students using paid and commercial academic writing services
(contract cheating) have pervaded every area and level of education, and national regulations
throughout the world have offered guidance to both educators and institutions on how to manage
this danger to academic integrity (Bretag, 2020). Carousell is offering contract cheating to
students in the form of contract academic writing on their site and as a result, student’s true
potential, knowledge and learning is not being reflected in their assignments.

2.3 Fake Graduates

Carousell's contract writing is promoting Fake graduates; as students are not only submitting
erroneous/invalid assignments and dissertations, but they also jeopardise institutions' capacity to
monitor and improve education through sufficient supervision and evaluation (Sorooshian,
2016). Furthermore, Fake graduates not only put their future in danger but they also may
jeopardise a university's credibility and reputation.

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Therefore, it can be seen that carousell is being unethical for selling assignments and promoting
contract writing on their website, as it results in increasing internet plagiarism, contract cheating
and fake graduates.

3.0 Research on Business Ethics Theories and CSR Theories

The goal of business ethics is to introduce critical thinking into the sphere of business,
deontology, teleology (utilitarian), virtue, care, contractarianism, and stakeholder are some of the
secular approaches (Cortez, 2015).

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities expose a company's ideals. (Bowen, 1953, p. 6)
claims that CSR "refers to businessmen's duties to pursue those policies, make those choices, or
follow those courses of action that are beneficial in terms of society's objectives and values".
CSR humanises the organisation in ways that other aspects of the work cannot; it portrays the
corporation as a contribution to society rather than as a profit-driven business (Bhattacharya, Sen
and Korschun, 2008).

Carousell is addressing real-world issues and has chosen to focus their corporate social
responsibility (CSR) initiatives on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) (Shian, 2019).
One of Carousell's founders, Marcus Tan, stated that the company's favourable stance on
environmental sustainability and social responsibility was unintentional, yet he feels that such
practices are becoming increasingly vital (Yap, 2020).

Carousell is doing a lot of good things as part of their CSR activity and trying to solve real-world
problems, but on the other hand, by allowing contract writers to advertise their services on
Carousell, they are jeopardising the future of students, which will eventually affect the future of
the country. As a result of the buying and selling of assignments, students are unable to
demonstrate their genuine potential, knowledge, and learning, and their degrees will not
represent their true skills and real potential. Carousell allowing contract writing, assignment
sample and template selling on their website is depriving and robbing students of their futures
and their money, which is immoral and unethical. Hence, this act of Carousell indicates that their
primary motive and sole concern is to maximise profits.

4.0 Practical Application: Draft Code of Business Practice Codes

Even when it's difficult, businesses must be upfront, honest, ethical, and real. Every activity
Carousell takes must comply with the law and adhere to the highest ethical standards. Carousell
must take responsibility for their conduct and keep their promises.

Everyone should be encouraged to use the Carousell platform to buy and sell, but selling
products and services that are viewed negatively and create ethical problems, such as contract
writing, selling assignment samples and templates, essay writing, and all academic products and
services that promote plagiarism and cheating, must be prohibited. Carousell should not allow

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contract and ghost writers to advertise their services and products on the platform. Carousell
must explicitly mention that service providers can help students as mentors with general
questions and issues about students' course topic, but these service providers (mentors) are not
permitted to prepare and/or write students' assignments or assist students with their assignments
in any way possible, or else those service providers will be banned from using Carousell forever,
the service provider would also face harsh and legal actions against them.

5.0 Justifying the Different Perspectives of Business Practice Codes

The Code of Business Practice Codes drafted above satisfy and is being supported by
Deontological ethics. Deontological theories are described as Duty-based ethical theories. As
(Vasquez, 2021) puts, Deontological theories explain that certain actions are morally correct not
because they profit oneself or others, but because of the nature of the actions or the norms they
follow. Honesty, justice, fairness, rights to safety or privacy, obligations, honouring
commitments, compassion, and respect for human beings and property are some of the duties or
principles that these rules or ethical principles focus on. Plagiarism is considered a morally bad
act and unethical, according to deontology; as they concentrate on the nature of the action as well
as its motivation in order to determine if it is right or bad. Deontology encompasses an
individual's own rules (what he or she believes to be right), as well as organisational standards
(i.e., corporate codes of ethics) (Benlahcene, Zainuddin and Akmal, 2018). The above draft
states that "selling products and services that are viewed negatively and create ethical problems,
such as contract writing, selling assignment samples and templates, essay writing, and all
academic products and services that promote plagiarism and cheating, must be prohibited". As a
result, by prohibiting the sale of academic writing on their site, Carousell will put an end to
plagiarism and cheating that’s taking place because of their platform, as well as will also be
fulfilling their moral obligation by letting students complete their assignments on their own,
reflecting their true knowledge, learning, and potential.

The Code of Business Practice Codes drafted above satisfy and is being supported by
Teleological ethics. The theory of morality known as teleological ethics, sometimes known as
consequentialist ethics, derives moral responsibilities or duties from what is desirable or good as
a goal to be achieved. According to the teleological approach, an action is morally correct if it
creates more good than evil compared to any alternative action, and it is morally wrong if it
generates the opposite (Benlahcene, Zainuddin and Akmal, 2018). Teleological theories seek to
demonstrate morality not in the reasons or intentions of businesses' decisions, but in their
outcomes (Ferrell and Gresham, 1985). “Carousell should not allow contract and ghost writers to
advertise their services and products on the platform”, by doing so, Carousell will promote
students to write and complete their assignments on their own with the knowledge that they
possess, which will benefit students in a variety of ways, including learning value of academic
integrity, demonstrating real knowledge, and gaining some real learning from the course; as

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students will be aware that Carousell has banned contract writers. Students will develop skills,
traits, attributes and knowledge that will be extremely valuable in the long term.

Drafted Code of Business Practice Codes is creating more good than bad/evil it also satisfies
Utilitarian ethics. According to (Nantel and Weeks, 1996), an action is only ethical if it
maximises the largest number of positive consequences for the greatest number of individuals
while limiting negative consequences for the least number of people.

The Code of Business Practice Codes drafted above satisfy and is being supported by Virtue
ethics. (Aristotle, 1999) wanted to establish that human eudaimonia is based on the performance
of virtues rather than the mere possession of them. Carousell's CSR statement stated that they
focus on "real-world concerns," yet they were really producing real-world difficulties in the
shape of online plagiarism, contract drafting, and so on. However, as stated in the Code of
Business Practice Codes, Carousell will prohibit contract writers from advertising their services
on their site and will instead encourage mentorship, which will assist needy students with course-
related questions or concerns rather than assignments, promoting human flourishing. As (Alzola,
Hennig and Romar, 2019) states, virtue ethics is concerned with the agent and understands the
value of affiliation and caring, only a virtuous entity will engage in this act for the purpose of
human flourishing, it recognises the ties that bind social roles and relations.

Deontology, Teleology, Utilitarianism, and Virtue ethics have all backed up and supported the
draft Code of Business Practice Codes.

6.0 Conclusions
A business should not exclusively focus on increasing profits; instead, it should concentrate on
the methods it employs to create money, ensuring that the methods it employs do not threaten
society, anything, or anybody in general. Their judgments must not jeopardize anyone in any
manner, regardless of whether they are beneficial or not.

A business's decisions must be made with duty and morality of the activity in mind. Businesses
must first ensure that their present operations, services, or products do not cause any problems
before incorporating CSR strategies that address real-world issues. When services or goods are
discovered to be causing ethical problems or to have a harmful impact on its consumers or
society, they must be eliminated, in order to ensure that all the products and services sold,
activities conducted by business are ethical in nature.

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7.0 References
Alzola, M., Hennig, A. and Romar, E., 2019. Thematic Symposium Editorial: Virtue Ethics
Between East and West. Journal of Business Ethics, 165(2), pp.177-189.

Aristotle, 1999. Nicomachean ethics. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.

Benlahcene, A., Zainuddin, R. and Akmal, N., 2018. A Narrative Review Of Ethics Theories:
Teleological & Deontological Ethics. IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, 23(7),
pp.31-38.

Bhattacharya, CB., Sen, S., Korschun, D., 2008 Using corporate social responsibility to win the
war for talent. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(2), p.37(7).

Bretag, T., 2020. Contract Cheating at collages and other non-university higher education
provider. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp.393-418.

Bowen, H., 1953. Social Responsibilities of the Businessman. Harper, New York, NY, p.6.

CARA YAP, Y., 2020. Why Carousell's co-founder wants to help creatives chase their dreams.
[online] CNA Luxury. Available at: <https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/people/carousell-
co-founder-marcus-tan-183156> [Accessed 19 March 2022].

Cortez, F., 2015. Critical Business Ethics: Contributions and Challenges. Kritike: An Online
Journal of Philosophy, 9(2), pp.98-117.

Ferrell, O. and Gresham, L., 1985. A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical
Decision Making in Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 49(3), p.87.

Granitz, N. and Loewy, D., 2006. Applying Ethical Theories: Interpreting and Responding to
Student Plagiarism. Journal of Business Ethics, 72(3), pp.293-306.

Nantel, J. and Weeks, W., 1996. Marketing ethics: is there more to it than the utilitarian
approach?. European Journal of Marketing, 30(5), pp.9-19.

Sorooshian, S., 2016. Fake Graduates. Science and Engineering Ethics, 23(3), pp.941-942.

SHIAN, L., 2019. Helping social organisations create impact. [online] Businesstimes.com.sg.
Available at: <https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/life-culture/company-of-good/helping-social-
organisations-create-impact?close=true> [Accessed 19 March 2022].

Vasquez, R., 2021. The ethical decision-making gap in student ethics: examining how university
students approach ethical dilemmas. International Journal of Ethics Education.