FINAL – Essay Assignment
Assignment Guidelines (based on Carroll & Buchholtz, 2009)
1) Name this section Problem Identification; address the following:
a. What are the central facts of the case and the assumptions you are making on the basis of
these facts?
b. What major questions/issues does this case address that merit(s) their/its study in
Management?
2) Name this section Analysis/Evaluation; address the following:
a. Who are the stakeholders in this case, and what are the stakes? What
challenges/threats/opportunities are posed by these stakeholders?
b. What Corporate Social Responsibilities (economic/legal/ethical) are present in the case?
How do these impact the various stakeholders?
3) Name this section Recommendations; address the following:
a. What ethical framework guides your thought process on this particular case? Choose
from: Utilitarian, Self-Interest (Ego), Rights, Justice, Religious/Deontological, or
Social/Cultural.
b. What recommendations would you make in this case? Be specific, and include a
discussion of alternatives (right now, short-term, and long-term)
c. If the applicant mistakenly thought that her record had been cleared over time and
therefore did not lie intentionally, would that make any difference?
d. Should the fact that the applicant did not tell the truth on one part of the application
automatically disqualify her from further consideration?
e. Should the supervising manager be allowed to hire this applicant despite the fact that the
applicant lied on her application, provided the manager is willing to take the risk and
assume responsibility for the applicant?
f. If the applicant freely admitted the conviction, should she still be considered for the
position? Should a minor offense committed 18 years ago, when the applicant was in her
early twenties, disqualify her when she is overall the most qualified applicant? What
types of convictions, and how recent, should disqualify potential new hires?
Review our previous exercise on Ethical Decision Making and the accompanying documentation for more
information.
There’s no right/wrong ethical framework; therefore, I won’t grade this on your ability to choose a
particular ethical framework. Instead, I’m more concerned with your ability to explain your answers to
the subsequent questions based on the chosen approach. These will help me assess whether or not you
understand the concepts.
Make sure your name appears somewhere within the document that you submit. You can include a
title/cover page, but it is not required. Please use 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, and
double-space your assignment.
To Hire or Not to Hire (by Tim Timmons)
SELECTING A NEW COMPUTER ANALYST
As a manager in human resources, part of my job is to guide the process by which my company selects new
employees. Recently, we selected an applicant to fill a computer analyst position. The supervising manager and a
selection panel selected this applicant over a number of others based on her superior qualifications and interview.
BACKGROUND CHECK
However, a routine background check indicated that the applicant had been convicted 18 years earlier for false
check writing. The application form has a section where the applicant is asked if he or she has ever been convicted
of anything other than a traffic violation. In response to that question, this applicant wrote “no.” When informed
of this, the supervising manager stated that she would still like to hire the applicant but asked me for my
recommendation. The job does not involve money handling.
Grading Rubric
Does Not Meet
Expectations
0-1 points
Meets
Expectations
2-3 points
Exceeds
Expectations
4-5 points
Problem Identification
 Student recognizes the central facts presented in the case.
 Student recognizes overarching managerial issues involved in the case.
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Analysis/Evaluation
 Student identifies a minimum of two stakeholders impacted by the case.
 Student understands the threats associated with particular stakeholders.
 Student understands the opportunities associated with particular stakeholders.
 Student identifies economic corporate social responsibilities associated with the case.
 Student identifies legal corporate social responsibilities associated with the case.
 Student identifies political corporate social responsibilities associated with the case.
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Ethical
 Student recognizes ethical framework(s).
 Student applies ethical framework(s).
 Student evaluates the positive/implications of various alternatives.
 Student can account for variations in the scenario.
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Overall Quality of Paper
 Student properly formats the paper.
 Student submits a paper that passes the Turnitin Similarity Rating and does not
indicate a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy.
 Student submits a paper that is grammatically correct.
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One final note: If you follow the guidelines mentioned in this document, you will meet expectations, which will put you in the middle
(B/C) section of the rubric. Therefore, if your goal is to obtain an A, be sure to exceed my expectations. 