Business Ethics through Movies

Wanda Teays is philosophy professor emerita at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles.

Introduction to the Text

Part 1 Moral Navigation: Business Ethics and Society

1.1 Tools for the Journey

Case Study: A Hijacking

Spotlight: The Corporation

Ethics Code: Apple

1.2 The Moral Compass: Business Ethics and Society

Spotlight: Up in the Air

Case Study: The Poisoned Painkiller

Spotlight: Michael Clayton

Ethics Code: Johnson & Johnson

1.3 Show Me the Money: Greed Is Not Good

Spotlight: Wall Street

Spotlight: Big Men

Case Study 1:Costco’s Tainted Berries

Case Study 2: Listeria in Milkshakes

Case Study 3: Lead in Children’s Applesauce

Spotlight: Outsourced

Ethics Code: Costco

1.4 Talk To Me: The Impact of Technology

Spotlight: Her

Spotlight: The Social Dilemma

Case Study 1: Edward Snowden and the NSA

Spotlight: The Net and Disconnect

Case Study 2: Target’s Data Breach

Case Study 3: Target and Online Tracking

Ethics Code: Yahoo!

1.5 All the News Fit to Print: Journalistic Ethics

Spotlight: Shattered Glass

Case Study 1: Stephen Glass

Case Study 2: Fox News and Election Lies

Spotlight: Spotlight

Spotlight: Control Room

Ethics Code: NPR (National Public Radio)



Part 2 Moral Leadership: Ethical Theory

2.1 Aerial Surveillance: Ethical Theory

Spotlight: The Insider

2.2 The Ends Justify the Means: Teleological Ethics

Spotlight: Contagion

Case Study: The Ford Pinto

Ethics Code: Ford Motor Company

2.3 Duties Rule: Deontological Ethics

Spotlight: The Armstrong Lie

Spotlight: Quiz Show

Case Study 1: Beech-Nut Apple Juice

Case Study 2: Minute Maid Lemonade

Spotlight: Food, Inc.

Case Study 3: Salmonella in Foster Farms’ Chickens

Ethics Code: Dole Foods



2.4 Moral Character: Virtue Ethics

Spotlight: Erin Brockovich

Spotlight: Roger & Me

Spotlight: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Spotlight: Food, Inc.

Case Study 1: Practices of the Pork Industry

Case Study 2: The European Horsemeat Scandal

Case Study 3: Kellogg’s and Michael Phelps

Ethics Code: Kellogg’s “K” Values

2.5 The Caring Community: Feminist Ethics

Spotlight: The Company Men.

Spotlight: The Biggest Little Farm

Case Study: Film Recovery Systems, Inc.

Spotlight: Erin Brockovich

Ethics Code: Microsoft



Part 3 Moral Reflection: Thorny Questions

3.1 Finding the Balance: Environmental Disasters

Spotlight: Civil Action

Case Study 1: W.R. Grace Co.

Case Study 2: West Virginia Chemical Spill

Spotlight: Local Hero

Case Study 3: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Case Study 4: Deepwater Horizon

Case Study 5: Maui Fire of 2023

Ethics Code: British Petroleum

3.2 Going Postal: Workplace Violence

Spotlight: John Q

Case Study 1: Flash Mob Thefts

Case Study 2: Gunman at LAX

Case Study 3: The Montreal Massacre

Spotlight: Polytechnique

Spotlight: Murder by Proxy: America Goes Postal

Ethics Code: Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)

3.3 Stand By Me: Workplace Inequities

Spotlight: Made in Dagenham

Spotlight: Matewan

Case Study 1: United Auto Workers Strike of 2023

Case Study 2: A Living Wage at H&M

Case Study 3: H&M and Child Labor

Case Study 4: Marriage Equality

Ethics Code: H&M

3.4 Enough Already: Workplace Harassment

Spotlight: North Country

Case Study 1: Lois E. Jenson vs. Eveleth Taconite Co.

Spotlight: Athlete A

Spotlight: The Invisible War

Case Study 2: Bullying in the NFL

Spotlight: Disconnect

Ethics Code: The New York Times

3.5 Working for Change: Global Justice and Human Rights

Spotlight: Sleep Dealer

Case Study 1: Child Labor

Case Study 2: The Bangladesh Sweatshop Collapse

Spotlight: Darwin’s Nightmare

Case Study 3: Pfizer’s Meningitis Studies in Nigeria

Spotlight: Fires of Kuwait

Case Study 4: Dunkin’ Donuts Ad Campaign

Ethics Code: Dunkin’ Donuts

3.6 Transformation: The Art of Personal Power

Spotlight: Groundhog Day

Spotlight: Invictus

Case Study: Kudumbashree’s Work Skills Program

Ethics Code: The Coca-Cola Company

Appendix 1. Films Discussed in this Book

Appendix 2. Cases Discussed in this Book

Appendix 3. Ethics Codes Discussed in this Book