HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

Academic Year 2022: July - December

Formative Assessment 1: Business Ethics (HBMN231-1)
NQF Level: 6
Credits: 10
Weighting: 20%
Assessment Type: Essay-Type Questions
Educator: Robin Parry
Examiner: Robin Parry
Due Date: 09 September 2022
Total: 100 Marks

Instructions:
• This paper consists of five (5) questions.
• It is based on Unit 1 - 6 (Chapters 1 – 10) of your prescribed courseware.
• All questions are compulsory.
• Your assessment must be typed using:
o Font: Arial
o Font size: 12
o Line spacing: 1.5
• A Unicheck-verification report will be issued via ColCampus once the
assignment is submitted. Please ensure that you follow the correct steps when
uploading your assignment, to ensure that the verification report is correctly
issued. If the verification report is issued for the incorrect document, or indicates
that a 30% similarity rating has been exceeded, 25% will be deducted from your
final mark.

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The following learning outcomes (LOs) are assessed in this assessment:

Business Ethics (6th edition):

Unit 1: Chapter 1:
• Define and explain the concepts of “business”, “ethics” and “business ethics”.

Unit 4: Chapter 5:
• Explain the nature, purpose, inner logic and challenges of each of the modes
of the descriptive model.

Unit 5: Chapter 8:
• Examine and challenge popular business myths with regards to ethical
business practice.

Unit 6: Chapter 9:
• Discuss the role ethics play in the perceived reputation of an organisation.

Unit 6: Chapter 10:

• Identify and explain the ethics-related factors that are pre-requisites to
unlocking human potential in organisations.

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Question 1 [10 Marks]
Business ethics involves the study of business as organisations and business as
activities.

1.1 Distinguish between the three (3) dimensions of business as an “organisation”

and as an “activity”. (10 Marks)

Question 2 [15 Marks]

2.1 Debate the challenges associated with the amoral, survival and reactive modes
of the Ethics Management Model. (3x5=15 Marks)

Question 3 [30 Marks]

Ethics has become a prominent feature in business in the past few decades. There
exists a fair amount of scepticism as to whether or not a person can run a financially
successful business whilst adhering to ethical standards.

You are a tutor in Business Ethics at a prominent university situated in Johannesburg.

Your lecturer has requested your tutorial group to deliver a presentation, which
addresses the following myths that drive a wedge between business and ethics.

Write a report where you evaluate each of the following myths, that you will use as
presentation.

3.1 Myth 1: “Dog eat dog”. (10 Marks)

3.2 Myth 2: “Survival of the fittest”. (10 Marks)
3.3 Myth 3: “Nice guys / girls come second”. (10 Marks)

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Question 4 [25 Marks]

In light of the below scenario, proceed to answer both Questions 4 and 5.

You are the Ethics Manager of a medium-size investment company, based in Sandton,
Gauteng.
*This is a fictitious scenario.

4.1 You have been requested to develop a presentation to a group of newly-

appointed trainee investment advisors. Compile an essay on the implications for your
company‘s reputation at a corporate level, in terms of both ethics and corporate
reputation, which you will use for your presentation. (25 Marks)

Question 5 [20 Marks]

Propose ways whereby the following ethics-based facilitators may be used to unlock
the human potential within your organisation.

5.1 Ethical values management. (10 Marks)

5.2 The psychological contract. (10 Marks)

[TOTAL: 100 Marks]

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