Reference no: EM133450764

Scenario

You are approached by a tourist operator who is having difficulty gaining the appropriate consents that will enable him to establish his tourist business. His business plan is to build and operate a hotel and bar on the foreshore of a tropical island. He is not a local inhabitant, he is an expatriate who has taken up residence on a nearby island which is more developed and offers a range of tourist amenities. His business will be financed through foreign capital and his company shareholders are primarily based in the United Kingdom. His business will be the first of its kind on this largely undeveloped island. The local inhabitants on this island are descendants of the first settlers, dating back to 1500. They rely heavily on fishing and subsistence agriculture and for many of the island's inhabitants day-to-day survival is a struggle. A large number of the island's young people migrate to larger islands to find work and remit money back home. The foreshore is considered sacred and the site where the development would take place encompasses an area where the locals believe their ancestors depart to the heavens. The locals are divided over whether the development should take place, with some in favour because of the opportunities it might provide for their children and others against because they see it as a threat to their autonomy and way of life. Tourism development in the region has led to the developed islands becoming a sought-after destination for sex tourism.

Should the development be allowed to proceed?

Your task is to examine the business development scenario given and to apply ethical reasoning to decide the best course of action. There is no definitive right or wrong answer.

Use the Framework to guide you and explain your decision. Different ethical approaches may lead to different decisions and you must balance these conflicts in your argument.

Utilitarianism (teleological, consequentialist)

What actions will do the most good and the least harm for everyone who is affected?

a. Who are the stakeholders?

b. What are the alternative courses of action?

c. For each alternative, what are the benefits and costs?

Rights based

(deontological)

What action do you have the moral right to take, that protects the rights of others, and that furthers the rights of others?

a. Do you have a moral right to take the action in question?

Consider:

• Are you willing to have the action in question done to you?

• Are you willing to live in a world where everyone did the action in question?

• Are you treating people with respect?

b. What moral rights do other stakeholders have?

c. Are there conflicts between your moral rights and others? Which takes precedence?

Distributive Justice What actions produce a fair benefits and costs for stakeholders?

a. Egalitarianism: What action produces a fair distribution of benefits and costs?

b. Capitalism: What actions produce costs/benefits based on the contributions of actors?

c. Socialism: What action distributes the benefits based on need and costs based on abilities?

d. Libertarianism: What action has been freely chosen by the stakeholders?

e. Rawls' principles: What action provides all with equal liberties and opportunities while helping those in need to the greatest extent possible?