College of Business Administration

Social and Ethical Issues in Business

Education is the Key

GROUP MEMBERS:

Julie Huang
Paula J. Robison
Chad Skolte
Sue Anne Vilaysane

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

In today's society, education plays a key role in one's success. Without basic reading and writing skills, everyday life becomes extremely difficult. For this reason, we chose to aid the Evenstart Literacy Program as our project. Evenstart, a nonprofit organization, helps low income families with a literacy need to read, write and effectively communicate in their daily lives. In addition, Evenstart collects food, clothing, toys, and other necessities to distribute amongst these families. In selecting a profit organization, we searched for an organization that would have excess supplies from either the closing or merger of their branch organizations. After contacting a branch manager of Home Savings of America, they agreed to the idea. Upon approval from their corporate office, they were glad to donate to a worthwhile organization. We then transported the equipment to Evenstart in Lemon Grove. They were happy to receive 13 typewriters, 7 calculators, 4 rolling office chairs, wooden cabinet table, file trays, and a few other pieces of miscellaneous office equipment. These donations will enable Evenstart to use these supplies within their program of educational support.

We evaluated our project against all the ethical frameworks and concentrated on the following reasons for its ethical and social importance. James Rachels said "Society has a strict duty towards others, striving to promote welfare, respecting individual rights, avoiding harm and endeavoring to further the ends of others." Those people that want to achieve a better education should be helped with the tools to achieve their goals. This will enable them to function in society in a more advantaged status. Justice is often called a corrective to utilitarianism. The greatest good for the greatest number may not always be to help those who are less privileged. However, in this case justice helps those that utilitarianism may overlook. Managerial Utilitarianism applies because it requires an adequate reason for a profit organization to benefit a nonprofit organization. Home Savings can donate supplies, clean out their storage and write off the donation in taxes. Lastly, from an ethical viewpoint everyone deserves a chance to acquire skills, which allows them to live with dignity and self-respect. We want to assess people as good people. Those individuals that want to achieve goals honestly, to be industrious, have self-discipline and self-reliance, are exhibiting characteristics of virtue. The Evenstart members were so excited that we were assisting their organization that the instructors would tell us about their own experiences. They told us stories about coming in to learn, improving their education levels, then turning around to share their triumphs with others and to help them be successful. This seemed to consolidate the overall theory of virtue by example.

We strongly feel that our project was successful. Evenstart will be able to use the donated equipment on a continual basis to help their students achieve higher levels of education, set examples to their children on the importance of education, as well as improve their ability to train for future jobs. Home Savings of America is relieved of the storage and clutter of excess supplies and equipment that just serves as a reminder of the transition of a merger. A win/win situation for both organizations was achieved through our project.

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