Business Ethics: Assignment 1: Commercialization of Organ Transplants

Imagine that you are a member of an ethics committee listening to arguments for and against altering the way in which human organs are obtained for patients in need of transplants. A new policy to allow the sale of organs by consenting individuals to patients in need and to medical institutions has been proposed. Critics argue that permitting organs to be bought and sold is unethical. You have been asked to review the arguments for and against the commercialization of organ transplants and to construct a report with your suggested plan of action. Use the Internet or Strayer databases to search for arguments for and against the commercialization of organ transplants, and then apply the principles learned in Weeks 1-3 to formulate your report.

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you: 

1. Briefly summarize the arguments for and against the commercialization of transplants that you found in your research. 
2. Formulate your position on the debate of whether or not the sale of organs should be permitted. 
3. Defend your moral judgment with a moral argument. Identify the moral principle that you are appealing to in your moral argument. 
4. Determine which normative theory best supports your conclusion.
5. Use at least two (2) quality references. (Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.)

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Determine the considerations for and process of ethical business decision making to balance corporate and social responsibilities and address moral, economic, and legal concerns.
• Analyze selected business situations using the predominant ethical theories, such as utilitarian, Kantian, and virtue ethics to guide ethical business decision making.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in business ethics.
• Write clearly and concisely about business ethics using proper writing mechanics.