College of Business Administration

Social and Ethical Issues in Business

Bonita YMCA Canned Food Drive

GROUP MEMBERS:

Edward Assistin
Osmundo Bernabe
Jason Butler
John Norton

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, and many San Diegans in need of food and support, we decided on a project dealing with canned foods. We contacted the San Diego Food Bank, and discovered that they would accept our donations. As the second part of our project stipulates, we are to involve a corporation which would be willing to accept moral responsibility. Our plan of action included the involvement of Vons who would try and match our donations, or at least offer us a percentage on the cans we collected.

Our involvement with the Y.M.C.A. Mission Valley included a paint day, and a pizza party generously sponsored by Godfathers Pizza. The students were very willing to help us, and very receptive when we explained why we were involved in this project. Our goal was to inform them on how to be good citizens, and to agree to the Social Contract. It was a very enjoyable day, and we were able to at least drive the point home that giving, and caring for others who are less fortunate than you, is a very responsible thing to do.

Unfortunately for our group, Vons was not able to help us in our quest. We were turned down in a very unprofessional and unethical manner. Our first step was completed with an oral agreement with several Vons locations, when it came time to deliver the boxes to their stores, we were rudely told to leave, and forced to change our plans.

Having to find other locations was going to be a very difficult proposition. Group members began calling locations around San Diego (mainly grocery stores) to solicit the matching program for our canned food donations, and allow us to set out a collection bin. All grocery stores contacted, turned us down. But, several other locales were very willing to share space with us, and allow our bins to be set out. Our list includes, the Mira Mesa Post Office, Birnie Elementary, Alpha Sigma Chi sorority house, and Grace Chapel in Mira Mesa. These locations were able to help us out, and even offered to match the donations they would receive.

Several companies outside of those mentioned also contributed to us heavily. Five Star Enterprises heads that list as the company that would be willing to match our donations at 25%. That means for every four cans we receive, they would donate one can. They would do this by calling up the Ralphís grocery store on Montezuma Road, and authorize their credit card be used to purchase canned goods to a certain limit. O.A.B. Pension Securities was able to re-imburse us for our cash purchases revolving around the paint off with the Y.M.C.A. which came to $70. Other companies able to take corporate social responsibility included Godfathers Pizza. They donated 10 pizzas for our party in which we would explain the purpose of our project and the joy of giving.

We did feel that our project was a success in regards to learning a lesson, and educating the children. We applied theories of Utilitarianism, Social Contract theory, Virtue Theory, and the Ethic of Care, to our project. We could have changed a few things such as making the project focus more on the canned food drive, than on the education of our group members and the Y.M.C.A. But, cutting this portion of our project out, would not help the future members of our society learn the ethic of care, and the social contract.

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