College of Business Administration

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SDSU on-site MBA Program at




Management 722
Seminar in Business Ethics and Social Institutions

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Written Assignment 4

1) It has been suggested that punitive damages have gotten 'out of control,' and that tort reform is necessary in order to relieve 'deep pocket' defendents of unreasonable levels of fines. Provide your own recommendation(s) for tort reform, being careful to provide a solid justification for same.
or
2) The Ford Pinto case provided a landmark ruling on punitive damages. In the public's mind, it seems clear that, while not technically violating the 'letter of the law,' Ford management transgressed important principles--such as that one ought not to knowingly do harm. If you were an ethics consultant to Ford, what observation(s) would you offer management regarding the shortcomings of their decision-making processes? What recommendation(s) would you offer to improve managerial decision-making--and what justification would you use to support these recommendation(s)?
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