ASSIGNMENT

_______________________________________________________________________________
BMOM5203
ORGANISATION AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
SEPTEMBER SEMESTER 2019

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION

1. Answer in English or Bahasa Malaysia.

2. Number of words : 3000 – 5000 words excluding references.

3. Submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file.

4. Submit your assignment ONLINE.

5. Submission date: 4th November 2019 until 18th November 2019.

6. This assignment accounts for 60% of the total marks for the course.

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

OBJECTIVE:

1
This assignment is designed to enhance learners’ ability to analyse ethical issues based on the
given case study, and to provide strategies to overcome the issues.

REQUIREMENT:

KUALA LUMPUR (2018) -- Malaysian labour rights groups have called for an investigation into the
world's largest glove-maker, Top Glove, after cases were uncovered of migrant workers toiling for
long hours and working illegal overtime to pay off huge debts. The Thomson Reuters Foundation
revealed that migrant workers at the Malaysian firm often work long hours to earn overtime pay,
and in some cases exceed the limit of overtime hours allowed under national laws. The company,
which produces one out of every four pairs of rubber gloves used in the world, said it would
investigate and cut ties with unethical recruitment agents and that it has this year introduced
changes to ensure workers get adequate rest.

The abuses within Top Glove are just a sad part of a much wider story. It is believed that these
allegations require an urgent response that involves government, civil society, and most of all, the
active participation of workers. Excessive hours often lead to worker fatigue and poor safety
practices, magnifying the risks of accidents or fatalities.

Top Glove is a key supplier of medical and rubber gloves which exports to 195 countries including
Britain and the United States, has more than 11,000 migrant workers in Malaysia, hailing from
countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Workers interviewed by the Thomson Reuters
Foundation said they hoped to quickly repay loans of at least RM5,000 they took out to pay
recruitment agents back home. They said others had been charged up to RM20,000.

The United Nations' International Labour Organization says that high recruitment fees can trap
workers in debt bondage, and make it difficult for them to leave even when they are abused.
Workers at one Top Glove factory clock 90 to 120 hours of overtime work a month, with very few
or no rest days according to documents seen by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Under
Malaysian laws, workers should be given a rest day each week and work no more than 104 hours
of overtime a month. Campaigners also urged Malaysia to review its minimum wage policy and
introduce a living wage system to ensure workers do not have to work excessive hours to meet
basic economic needs.

Top Glove workers have said they were paid a basic salary of at least RM1,000, Malaysia's current
minimum wage. The cases uncovered at Top Glove were only the "tip of the iceberg" and that
labour exploitation was common across sectors in Malaysia, which relies heavily on foreign labour.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran told the Thomson Reuters Foundation this week that
major companies in the country must take the lead to ensure there are no labor abuses.

2
Source : Nikkei Asian Review (2018). Top Glove Under Fire In Malaysia Over Migrant Worker Rights.

Based on the above case, critically analyse and discuss the following :

a. Explain what is ethical system in the business environment.

b. Determine the main cause of the problem. Justify what makes you think it is the main cause of
the problem.
c. Evaluate how the ethical decision making process should take place based on the main cause
of the problem.
d. Examine and discuss how Top Glove can promote ethical conduct to remedy the main cause of
the problem.
e. In general, identify the strategies that can be used to enhance ethics in organisations.
f. Additionally, you are to gather and support your answers with at least FIVE (5) literature from
journal articles, research reports, books, etc.
[Total: 60 marks]

MARKS ALLOCATION:

No Contents Marks
1 Introduction of ethical system in the business environment 7
2 Able to determine the main cause of the problem with appropriate justification. 9
3 Able to explain how the ethical decision making process should take place. 9
4 Able to list down the area of concern and provide appropriate discussion on how 10
to promote ethical conduct as a remedy to the problem.
5 Able to list down appropriate strategies to enhance ethics in an organization. 10
6 Appropriate selection of literature / journal articles / research reports / books, etc 10
to support the answer.
7 Summary & References (APA Format) 5
Total : 60

3
4
1