Running head: The Responsibility Project

The Responsibility Project Student Name Ethics and Social Responsibility/ETH316 Date Instructor Name

The Responsibility Project The Responsibility Project

Ethical principles are constantly in use but so eti es pushed aside! These principles are an i portant part o" any organi#ation and the addressing o" organi#ational issues! So e o" these are $ritten in organi#ational docu entation but ost are si ply a part o" personal choice and

character! The Responsibility Project conducted by %iberty &utual 'nsurance has put together a $ebsite that shares blogs( sur)eys * polls( and e)en short )ideos that assist in identi"ying certain ethical scenarios and sho$ing ho$ each sta+eholder is a""ected by the decisions o" others! The short )ideo that $ill be discussed here is titled Hot Seat! The "il centers on a dilapidated chair that nobody $ants to use! The chair is s$apped to

di""erent people( or rabbits as it is in the )ideo( $hile they are no loo+ing! The rabbits in the o""ice e)entually do e)erything they can to +eep "ro lea)ing their chairs so they are not stuc+

$ith this )enge"ul piece o" o""ice "urniture! 'n the end se)eral o" the e ployees are "ighting o)er the chair $hen one "inally steps up and gi)es his good chair to the ' portance o" 'ssues The ethical issues in this short "il represented by the rabbits s$apping the $orn chair and ta+es the "aulty one!

"or another,s good chair $hile they are not loo+ing are a+in to accountability( responsibility( and honesty! 'n a business en)iron ent it is di""icult to aintain proper $or+ing relationships and

trust $hen one does not ta+e accountability "or his or her actions! There are e)en ti es that one ust ta+e accountability "or another persons actions $hen it is "or a greater purpose or i" that person is a direct report! 'n order to aintain a society o" rational $ell eaning people all ust

conduct the sel)es in a pro"essional and honest

anner that pro otes the sa e beha)ior in

others! The action o" ta+ing the bro+en chair and sacri"icing his per"ectly good chair in the end one single person( or rabbit as the case is( sho$s ho$ a si ple action li+e this can boost orale

The Responsibility Project and shi"t the dyna ic o" a situation! E-ternal Social Pressure Role E-ternal social pressures such as the aesthetics and appearance a bro+en chair represents o" ones status in a social hierarchy indicates his or her authoritati)e stance in the organi#ation! There is a sense o" belonging that is "elt by ha)ing the sa e tools and resources as others in the sa e or si ilar capacity! .y ha)ing one ite

that is less than all others it gi)es a "eeling

o" being le"t out o" the group! /itting in is a strong "actor in any en)iron ent! Ho$e)er( the )ideo sho$s that one s all gesture to recei)e the lesser product in order to aintain piece

and happiness a ongst ones colleagues has the ability to bring upon an e)en stronger since o" belonging and tea e""ort! 0rgani#ational and Personal 1ecision Rele)ance 0nes decisions are si ilar regardless o" pro"essional or personal conte-t! There is to consider $ith a pro"essional decision as speci"ic organi#ational ethics ore

ay con"lict $ith ones

nor al personal ethics( such as a stance on a social issue pertaining to the en)iron ent! 2onsiderations $hen ust be ade "or the organi#ational policies( personal )ie$s( and societal )ie$s

a+ing any decision that a""ects the organi#ation! 3hen all o" these areas are $eighed the ost sta+eholders possible pro)iding the best possible decision a+e a personal decision $ith

decision is enco passes the based on as

any "actors as possible! Si ilarly one $ould ind as

organi#ational ethics in

any organi#ations o" this ti e ha)e the ability to hire and "ire

e ployees based on the $ay he or she li)es personally! %egal and Ethical Relationship Replacing so eone,s chair $ith a +no$n de"ecti)e unit can introduce possible ethical issues as $ell as legal issues 4Tre)ino( 25567! 0" course it is considered to be unethical to

The Responsibility Project per"or an action that is intended to de"raud another but by doing this it could e)en result in an

injury! '" one is injured by an action or decision there is a possibility o" legal action! 9ot e)ery unethical action ay result in legal action but there is al$ays the possibility! 0ne ust ta+e into ay

consideration the legality o" the decision and action e)en i" it appears to be ethical! &ost not thin+ that s$apping out a chair can result in legal action e)en though they unethical( but there is de"initely a possibility o" this!

ay reali#e it to be

The Responsibility Project Re"erences Responsibility Project! 2512! Hot Seat! Retrie)ed on ;une 1( 2512 "ro project!liberty utual!co /"il s/hot<seat="bid>h?+n@)/)li3! http://responsibility<

Tre)ino( %! A! * 9elson( A! B! 425567! Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right 48th ed!7! Hobo+en( 9;: ;ohn 3iley * Sons!