Mgt 216 Ethical Issues

Running head: ETHICAL ISSUES

Ethical Issues

University of Phoenix

MGT 216

Dr. Joe Walkowicz

July 17, 2010

Business ethics is defined as the moral values that guide the way corporations and other business make decisions. Recently, there have been several highly publicized issues in the news regarding racial profiling, Arizona's immigration law, and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. These are controversial issues that could have a profound impact within a community because of individual beliefs, and the various interpretation of what is or is not moral, ethical, or unethical.

Racial Profiling:

Racial profiling occurs when law enforcement unfairly stop, question, and search minorities, or members of other racial minorities based-solely on the individuals' race or ethnicity (e.g., African American, Hispanic, etc.). Some individuals consider racial profiling as unconstitutional and a violation of one's civil rights. Any form of prejudice or biasness toward any individual based upon race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality undermines the human rights and civil liberties to which every person is entitled. It sends the dehumanizing message to the community that they are being judged by the color of their skin. These types of stereotypes diminish the integrity of the criminal justice system by eviscerating the trust needed for law enforcement effectively protect communities. As long as law enforcement continue to enforce racial profiling, minority communities are less likely to trust law enforcement, report crimes, or be witnesses at trials.

Arizona's Immigration Law:

On April 23, 2010, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 (S.B. 1070) into law. S.B. 1070 is a law that requires officials and agencies of the State of Arizona to comply with, and assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws. It also gives county attorneys subpoena power in certain investigations of employers. It establishes crimes involving trespassing of illegal aliens, non-hiring or solicitation of work under specified circumstances. It also includes harboring, concealing or transporting unlawful aliens, and the respective penalties.

Officials in the state of Arizona consider S.B. 1070 to be a pragmatic sanction in dealing with various crimes involving illegal aliens. This law can lead to a form of racial profiling of Hispanics are treated unfairly, including legal United States residents. One of the biggest criticisms of S.B.1070 is its vagueness. This law fails