BUS 201 Business Law Module 1 Chapter 1, 2 and 3 LearnSmart Assignment 2015

Chapter 1

Introduction

The Legal Philosophy of Future Judges

Read the overview below and complete the activities that follow.

A computer firm named TechNow is anticipating a major expansion in a highly controversial area of business. The management of TechNow believes that risk is, in the end, always rewarding. However, the one kind of risk they most fear is an unstable legal environment. Through an old college friend who is on the staff at the White House, they obtained a list of the probable appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court over the next four years. They immediately put their best researcher on the task of identifying the legal opinions of each candidate. They know that legal philosophy is the best predictor of future decisions; they focus on the legal reasoning of Juan Oh, the reported first choice of the president for the next position on the court.

CONCEPT REVIEW:
The underlying assumptions that a judge brings to a case play a major role in shaping his or her decisions. The description of legal philosophies on pages 9–11 provides a thumbnail sketch of the kinds of assumptions about human nature that guide legal reasoning. For example, a judge guided by benefit-cost calculations would attempt to see legal cases as a struggle over the monetary value of risks and harm and business behavior.

· 1.

Judge Oh represents which of the following legal philosophies?

· 2.

How would you expect Judge Oh to rule in a case where a toy manufacturer is being sued for producing a toy that led to the death of an infant when the infant swallowed the tiny colored beads that were an important part of the toy?

3.

How would you characterize the underlying causes of Judge Oh's philosophy of law?

· 4.

In a dispute between advocates of restrictions on advertising to children and advertising firms, Judge Oh would favor ___.

· 5.

Looking at Judge Oh's decisions, what similarity do you see among the unemployed, the aged, and the relatively illiterate?

· 6.

On the basis of his decisions, Judge Oh would be unlikely to decide cases in favor of ___________.

· 7.

At times Judge Oh's decisions may sound as if he is a legal realist because ___________.

Chapter 2 Assignment –

Use the decision making process taught in this chapter to create a socially responsible ethical decision for Smooth Ride. They know that whatever they do, they will displease people they do not wish to disappoint. Yet as with all tough ethical decisions, they have little choice but to make a decision that will allow them to thrive, while being true to their ethical vision.

Smooth Ride Tires is experiencing economic hard times. Their current revenue stream is simply not covering their costs. Although the management of Smooth Ride has not made a definite commitment yet, they are leaning toward moving their facilities to Honduras. The reasons are many. The labor force in Honduras, while not as well-trained as the American workforce, is almost half as expensive. In addition, the Honduran government has promised that soldiers will be used to stop any effort by the Honduran workforce to organize a union. Finally, the weak environmental protection laws in Honduras will provide a much friendlier production environment for a manufacturing process that is often "dirty." The daughter of a major stockholder is threatening to go to the press to "expose" the motivations of management. How should management respond if it is going to live up to its image as "one of the most ethical firms in the modern marketplace?"

·
1.

The W in the WPH framework for business ethics stands for _______________.

· 2.

The P in the WPH framework for business ethics stands for __________________.

3.

The H in the WPH framework for business ethics stands for _______________.

· 4.

______________ are the basic unit of business ethics.

· 5.

When using values to determine the overall purpose that a firm has, it is important to do which of the following?

· 6.

The universalization test is a useful ethical guide because ___________.

· 7.

The public disclosure test is a useful ethical guide because _________.

Chapter 3 Assignment –

Ramiro believes Ashlea breached their contract and plans to sue her. Informal negotiations fail. Roll over each term to read a more detailed description. Drag the steps the parties will now follow onto the timeline in the correct order.