Business Ethics
Instructions
In this exercise, read through the situational overview below. Using the information presented in Chapter 3 of your textbook, answer the following questions. Your answers should use a 12-point font, be double-spaced, and use APA formatting to cite references on the last page of your assignment (if you use any external sources). It should be submitted as a Word or PDF document. Please review the rubric at the bottom of the page to review how this assignment will be graded.
Situational Overview
James Stilton is the chief executive officer (CEO) of RightLiving, Inc., a company that buys life insurance policies at a discount from terminally ill persons and sells the policies to investors. RightLiving pays the terminally ill patients a percentage of the future death benefit (usually 65%) and then sells the policies to investors for 85% of the value of the future benefit. The patients receive the cash to use for medical and other expenses, and the investors are “guaranteed” a positive return on their investment. The difference between the purchase and sale prices is RightLiving’s profit.
Stilton is aware that some sick patients may obtain insurance policies through fraud (by not revealing their illness on the insurance application). An insurance company that discovers such fraud will cancel the policy and refuse to pay. Stilton believes that most of the policies he has purchased are legitimate, but he knows that some are probably not.
Answer the following questions:
Would a person who adheres to the principle of rights consider it ethical for Stilton not to disclose the potential risk of cancellation to investors? Why or why not?
Under the categorical imperative, are the actions of RightLiving ethical? Why or why not?
Under utilitarianism, are Stilton’s actions ethical? Why or why not? If most of the policies are legitimate, does this make a difference in your analysis?
Using the IDDR approach, discuss the decision process Stilton should use in deciding whether to disclose the risk of fraudulent policies to potential investors.
What are other ethical concerns that Stilton may be facing?
