Reference no: EM132243672

Module 2 - Home

Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking

Modular Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:

• Case

o Define virtue ethics, and apply virtue ethics to a real-world organization.

o Distinguish between descriptive and critical/argumentative writing.

• SLP

o Apply argumentative writing techniques to an ethical dilemma.

• Discussion

o Assess one's own virtues and character strengths.

Module Overview

For much of your academic life starting from elementary school you have probably gotten used to writing papers that are just summarizing information that you found. At the graduate-level, you will have to go beyond "just the facts" and incorporate some of your own original thoughts and analysis in your papers. This is especially important for the study of business ethics, as you need to go beyond simply knowing the definitions of different types of ethical frameworks and actually apply your knowledge of ethics to real world situations.

For Module 2, we will be covering one of the earliest notions of ethics which is called virtue ethics. This line of thought goes back to the great ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato but is still widely applied in the study of business ethics. For this module, you will need to not only understand the theories behind virtue ethics but also how to apply virtue ethics to real-world business situations. In addition to covering virtue ethics, this module also has some material on critical thinking that will assist you in completing your assignments for this module as well as the remaining modules.

Module 2 - Background

Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking

ASSIGNMENT 1 CASE Module 2 - Case

Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking

Assignment Overview

Leader Analysis

What is an ethical leader? These individuals lead by example and exemplify ethical decision making and conduct focused on a common good.

They are known to act with integrity and inspire respect among peers, constituents, and subordinates. Successful ethical leaders are champions of their beliefs and communicate them throughout an organization in an effort to develop a supportive culture.

Case Assignment

Select a public figure, preferably a business leader or politician, and determine through research and analysis if the individual is an ethical leader. Keep in mind that all people possess virtues and vices, and while they may strive to support ethical tenets, they may fail at times.
Utilizing the Brusseau (2012) or Velasquez et al. (2008) resources in the module's Required Readings, choose one virtue and one vice and evaluate the ethical traits of your subject.

Background

State the virtue and vice that will be used in the analysis. Briefly explain the behaviors using reputable sources like a dictionary or encyclopedia. It is important to describe the traits in your own words since you'll be using high-end analysis based on the qualities. The better you understand them, the richer the paper will be.

This section should be two paragraphs (with no quotes) and contain at least two internal citations with the corresponding two resources listed on the reference list.

Virtue

Analyze how your target leader uses this virtue to manage his or her organization in a specific circumstance. Link back to what you learned in the module's readings and your research.

Vice

Analyze how your target leader uses this vice to manage his or her organization in a specific circumstance. Link back to what you learned in the module's readings and your research.

The two sections should be one page in length each, well-researched and contain no quotes. Advanced critical thinking skills will be readily apparent in these sections of your Case Assignment.

This is the main part of the assignment and requires extensive critical thinking. Don't rely on summarizing information; instead explain based on the definition of each virtue and vice how they apply to your chosen leader. Use your library articles to provide support for the analysis.

Use the template and divide your paper into clear sections with headings based on each of the virtues and vices you are discussing.

Conclusion

Conclude the paper with one or two paragraphs providing an evaluation of the leader and his/her ethics based on the content presented in the earlier sections. You may want to compare your leader to someone else in the same field who embraces a different set of ethics.

This section should be one page in length (with no quotes) and be supported by quality research.

Assignment Expectations

Using articles primarily from the Trident Online Library's full-text databases (such as Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete, and/or ProQuest Central), research the chosen topic and create a well-balanced 3- to 3½-page submission that demonstrates evidence of critical thinking. Remember that this means your paper should not be just a summary of the articles and book chapters that you read, but an in-depth analysis that is supported by quality, graduate-level research.

Do not use any quotations. Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite and reference the sources in APA format. The paper should be written in the third person; this means words like "I", "we," and "you" are not appropriate. For more information, see Differences Between

First and Third Person.

Your submission will include:

• Trident University International's cover page

• A 3- to 3½-page paper with APA citations (2- to 3-sentence introduction, body)

• The reference list page in APA format

ASSIGNMENT 2 SLP Module 2 - SLP

Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking

Championing an Ethical Cause

Being a professional in the Internet age requires mastering a variety of writing styles. In the previous module, we addressed well-balanced research, and the SLP focused on an aspect of Internet privacy. For this SLP, you will develop a written report that champions one side of a controversial ethical issue.

Feel free to use one of the topics provided in Module 1 that you did not choose for those assignments, or select your own theme.

Research Requirements: You must use at least 2 articles from the Trident Online Library's online databases (Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete and/or ProQuest Central).

Employing an abbreviated version of the Classic Model for an Argument, create a work that highlights your research abilities, critical thinking skills, and communication talents. Your paper should include:

• Introduction which includes background Information and ends with your position (point of view) (2 -3 paragraphs).

• Support for your position (1 page)

• Addressing the opposing viewpoint (1 page)

• Conclusion (2 -3 paragraphs)

Focus on making a solid case for your point of view on one side or the other of a controversial issue. Your grade will be based on the strength of your position, your ability to analyze rather than summarize research, and your ability to effectively support your view.

In academic writing it is necessary to use the third person vs. the first person. For more information, see Differences Between First and Third Person. This SLP will be written in the third person. Do not use any quotations. Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite and reference the sources in APA format.

Your submission will include:

• Trident University International's cover page

• A three-page paper with APA citations (introduction, body, conclusion)

• The reference list in APA format

Module 2 - Outcomes

Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking

• Module

o Apply virtue ethics to a session long organizational case study.

o Apply critical thinking and argumentative writing to analyze an ethical dilemma.

• Case

o Define virtue ethics, and apply virtue ethics to a real-world organization.

o Distinguish between descriptive and critical/argumentative writing.

• SLP

o Apply argumentative writing techniques to an ethical dilemma.

• Discussion

o Assess one's own virtues and character strengths.