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Ethical Theories
An Overview of Consequential, Nonconsequential, and Virtue Ethics Theories

What is Ethics?
Ethics is the study of those values that relate to our moral conduct, including questions of good and evil, right and wrong, and moral responsibility.

Consequentialist Theories
Consequentialist theories claim that the morality of an action depends only on its consequences.
It only considers the result of actions and not principles or rules in determining morality.

Types of Consequentialist Theories
Ethical Egoism argues that each person should act in their own self interests.
Act Utilitariansim argues that each person should act in a way that produces the greatest happiness for everyone.
Rule Utilitarianism argues that each person should follow rules that tend to produce the greatest happiness for everyone.

Weaknesses of Consequentialist Theories
Requires person to predict the future and all possible outcomes.
Can easily be used to justify questionable actions (the ends justifies the means).

Nonconsequentialist Theories
Nonconsequentialist theories claim that the morality of an action depends on principles or other factors that are not related to consequences.

Types of Nonconsequentialist Theories
Divine command theory argues that we should obey the laws of God.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative states that we should always act in a way that is based on reason, duty, and would be considered ethical if everyone acted in the exact same way. Also, people should be treated as an ends and not as a means.

Weaknesses of Nonconsequentialist Theories
Divine Command requires a high degree of interpretation skills.
Variety of religions makes standards hard to develop for all.
Can be rigid and ignore outcomes

Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics seeks to identify character traits of a moral person and develop those with the idea that the virtuous person will act in a virtuous manner. It does not look to principles or consequences.
Virtue ethics was developed among the ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Confucius.
Virtue ethics enjoys modern support as an approach that avoids many of the problems with Consequential and Nonconsequential ethical theories.

Weaknesses of Virtue Theory
Difficulty in determining just which characteristics are virtues
Justification for respecting a virtue usually brings one back to either consequences or principles.
Difficulty in applying to specific situations.

Conclusion
One theory is not enough to cover all possible choices.
Theories can be synthesized to fit one’s philosophy of life.
One theory’s weakness is another’s strength.

Unit1 [Small Business Management]

1

Unit 1 Assignment

Living the Dream: Not-So-Sweet Surrender (Chapter 2) Toscanini’s Ice Cream

In Chapter 2 of your textbook, read the ―Living the Dream‖ mini-case study on

Toscanini’s Ice Cream in Chapter 2 of your text. Then answer the following questions:

Gus Rancatore struggled financially and neglected paying his business taxes until the

government seized and closed his business.

Review the Ethical Systems PowerPoint® and use the information to respond to the

questions below:

1. Discuss the impact of a business owner failing to obey tax laws.

2. What are the ethical implications of such failure?

3. From an ethical perspective, is his reasoning an acceptable defense?
Why, or why not?

Assignment Checklist — Make sure to address the following points in your response to

the Assignment questions:

 What is the ethical dilemma?

 Discuss the consequential and non-consequential reasoning involved.

 Specify the potential impact on all parties affected.

Submission Instructions:

Write your response in paragraph form using Times New Roman 12 point font,

double spaced, in 1–2 pages using Microsoft Word.

Name your document: Firstname_Lastname_Assignment_Unit#

Example: JohnDoe_Assignment_Unit1

Submit the Assignment to the Unit 1 Assignment Dropbox for grading.

javascript:ulinkPopup(‘%20http://wip.kaplan.edu.edgesuite.net/bus-ist/MT209_1104C/MT209_Ethical_Systems1.ppt’,’%20http://wip.kaplan.edu.edgesuite.net/bus-ist/MT209_1104C/MT209_Ethical_Systems1.ppt’,’800′,’600′,’location=yes,toolbar=yes,menubar=yes,status=yes,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes’)

Unit 1 [Small Business Management]

2

UNIT 1 Assignment:

Per Cent Kaplan

Possible Score For This
Project: 100 40

Per Cent Points Points

Content per checklists: Possible possible Earned

Answer provides correct and complete
information:

 What is the ethical dilemma?

 Discuss the consequential and non-
consequential reasoning involved.

 Specify the potential impact on all
parties affected.

Includes responses to these particular
questions:

Discuss the impact of a business
owner failing to obey tax laws?
What are the ethical implications of
such failure?
From an ethical perspective, is his
reasoning an acceptable defense?
Why, or why not?

10%

20%

20%

4

8

8

Subtotal:
50% 20

Analysis and Critical Thinking 30% 12

Writing, spelling, and grammar 20% 8

Unit 1 [Small Business Management]

3

100% 40

Your Project Score:

Living the Dream:

Toscanini’s is an ice cream shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that is known for offering flavors so appealing that the New York Times declared it “the world’s best ice cream.” Co-owner Gus Rancatore launched the business in 1981 to serve up high-quality ice cream with superior customer service. The formula was immediately successful, and Toscanini’s quickly built quite a following in the neighbor- hood. Soon national publications took notice and gave the shop rave reviews, prompting customers and friends to urge Rancatore to add new locations. After resisting the suggestion for years, he finally decided to open a second shop in 1987. Unfortunately, he had to close it down after more than a decade of less-than-impressive results. Seeing new possibilities, though, Rancatore soon got the expansion bug again and opened yet another shop; then, his ice cream mini-empire grew even more when he took over a coffeehouse called Someday Café and started selling pints of ice cream through grocery stores in New England.

Rancatore and his management system were soon over- whelmed, and the company started to slide into financial trouble. That led to problems with the government.

The bottom line is that, in the day-to-day craziness of running a business that was in danger of going off the rails, I missed tax payments—both employment taxes and my state meals tax. When it came to paying the state on time or making payroll and paying the milkman, I felt I had to worry about taxes second.

This went on for some time—but it could not go on for- ever. Eventually he owed the government a crippling $177,000. Rancatore had to contract with a payroll ser- vice to keep his business from falling further behind on its tax obligations, and Massachusetts state officials worked with him on a repayment plan, but the interest and penalties compounded rapidly so the debt con- tinued to spiral out of control. Rancatore’s sister, Mimi, joined the company in 2006 to help resolve its problems. Together, they closed everything but the original shop, but they still owed the state $167,000 and had no way to pay that down.

This state of limbo dragged on for some time, but on the morning of January 17, 2008, state authorities showed up at Toscanini’s, padlocked the door, and put a bright orange “seized” sticker on the window. With no money to pay back taxes owed, the situation looked hopeless— but it wasn’t. The very next day, Rancatore launched an online campaign, pleading with his loyal customers to make contributions to a PayPal account that would be used as a down payment on his debt to the state. The plan worked! The site took in more than $25,000 in one week, enough to persuade the state to unchain the doors and let Toscanini’s reopen. Rancatore expresses gratitude for his customers’ generosity, and adds, “We certainly pay our taxes absolutely religiously on time, every month.” It appears this is one mistake that is not likely to be repeated.

Sources: Jenn Abelson, “Shop Is Set to Lick Its Tax Prob- lem,” The Boston Globe, January 26, 2008; Matt Dunning, “Toscanini’s Scoops $23k from Ice Cream Fans to Pay Tax Debt,” January 21, 2008, http://www.wickedlocal.com/ cambridge/archive/x1295940537, accessed September 9,

2008; Evelyn Ratigan, “The Ice Cream Man Cometh Back: Toscanini’s Owner Learned some ‘Friendly’ Hard Lessons,” July 17, 2008, http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/ archive/x379990667/The-ice-cream-man-cometh-back- Toscaninis-owner-learned-some-friendly-hard-lessons, accessed September 10, 2008; Gus Rancatore, “Local Hero or Tax Cheat?” Inc. Magazine (April 2008), Vol. 30, No. 4,

pp. 107–111.