Reference no: EM133257093

Case:

You are in charge of corporate social responsibility at your company, and you have been asked to assess the following issue and present your recommendation to the board of directors.

In presenting your recommendation to the board of directors, you want to go through the guidelines for ethical decision making (see Chapter 4 of your book).  Discuss each of these factors, explain your analysis of the issue under each factor, and make your case to the board.  Convince them that you have considered each guideline for ethical decision making and that the solution you are suggesting is the right one. 

You work for a publishing company based in Fairbanks, Alaska.  It employs 1,000 people and most of the books published have an Alaska theme and is geared toward Alaska culture.  The minimum wage the company pays its employees is $20.00/hour, which is more than $10.00 more than Alaska's minimum wage.[1] 

The company is considering moving its headquarters to California to try to expand its reach including adding varied topics, not just focusing on Alaska and Alaskan culture.  If it does so, most of the people the company employs will be laid off.  The company would pay its employees $12.00/hour, which is California's minimum wage.  In addition, if the company moves its headquarters to California, it would take pull its current offerings off the shelves and rewrite them to make them more universally appealing (as opposed to appealing to Alaskans or those who know and appreciate Alaskan culture).  It would not make this switch if it stays in Alaska.  

The board of directors have asked you, the company's Director of Corporate Social Responsibility to make a presentation and recommendation on the following question: Should the company move its headquarters to California, or should it stay in Alaska? 

1. What Facts impact my decision?
2. What are the Alternatives?
3. Who are the Stakeholders?
4. How do the alternatives impact Society as a Whole?
5. How do the alternatives impact My Business Firm?
6. How do the alternatives impact Me, the Decision Maker?
7. What are the Ethics of each alternative?
8. What are the Practical Constraints of each alternative?
9. What Course of Action should be taken and how do we Implement it?