Ethics Cases
The following cases were produced by members of the NAU faculty and staff. They are intended to be used as discussion prompts, not full class or training activities. If a case has been published in an academic journal, it is noted with its citation. Each case is labeled with a summary and the Topic Area(s) to which it relates.
Published in The Case Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2014.
Summary: A look at the health and marketing concerns with the cereal industry and childhood obesity.
Topic Areas: Business, Hospitality
Published in the Journal of International Business Education, Vol 8, 2013.
Summary: A mobile application where the user shakes their mobile device to stop a baby from crying was released to the public. Though it quickly was removed, it generates discussion about censorship and control by the operating system owners.
Topic Areas: Business
Published in the Journal of Law, Business & Ethics, Vol 22, 2016.
Summary: A start-up catering company owned by the family who also owns the Cardinals bids for a concessions contract at the stadium.
Topic Areas: Business, Hospitality
Published in the Journal of Business Cases and Applications, Vol 4, 2011.
Summary: During times of financial stress, a corporation makes a loan to another entity owned in part by a shareholder of the first corporation. Amid litigation, the CEO wants to settle the case in a manner that may benefit a personal friend at the expense of the corporation.
Topic Areas: Business, Leadership
Published in the Journal of Law, Business & Ethics, Vol 27, 2011.
Summary: Reverse mortgages can be useful financial planning tools but there is a risk that they may be promoted inappropriately to senior citizens.
Topic Areas: Business
Unpublished. Part of a series developed for The W. A. Franke College of Business.
Summary: Screening copies of several Warner Bros. films were sent out in anticipation of the Academy Awards. Someone at Innovative Artists shared those screening copies on a Google Drive that was accessible by internal and external people, thus potentially rendering the movies ineligible for the awards.
Topic Areas: Business, Communication and Mass Media, Data Ethics
Unpublished. Part of a series developed for The W. A. Franke College of Business.
Summary: A paparazzi took a picture of actress Katherine Heigl leaving a Duane Reade drug store and posted it on a webpage. The Duane Reade marketing team finds it and must decide whether, and under what circumstances, it can use the picture on the company’s social media feed to increase sales.
Topic Areas: Business, Communication, and Mass Media
Unpublished. Part of a series developed for The W. A. Franke College of Business.
Summary: In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, professional football player Rashard Mendenhall posted several tweets about the amount of unknown information. In 2011, after Osama bin Laden was killed, Mendenhall tweeted criticisms that the whole story still was untold. Mendenhall’s endorsement contract with Champion Sportswear included a morals clause and the company had to determine whether or not to terminate the contract.
Topic Areas: Business, Communication, and Mass Media
Unpublished. Part of a series developed for The W. A. Franke College of Business.
Summary: Chef Geoffrey Zakarian had a contract to open a high-end restaurant in the Trump Hotel in Washington D.C. When candidate Trump made comments Zakarian considered racist, Zakarian had to decide whether to cancel the contract.
Topic Areas: Business; Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
Unpublished. Part of a series developed for The W. A. Franke College of Business.
Summary: Actress Hunter Tylo had a contract with Aaron Spelling to perform in a top-rated night-time drama. When she informed Spelling that she was pregnant, Spelling terminated her contract. The legality of the termination was contested (anti-discrimination statutes versus contract provisions allowing for termination for change of appearance) and a discussion focused on the ethics of the decision are appropriate.
Topic Areas: Business; Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Unpublished. Part of a series developed for The W. A. Franke College of Business.
Summary: Retailer Urban Outfitters developed a line of products to capitalize on the popularity of Native American designs. This case posits questions about cultural appropriation and the use of the Navajo name in a commercial context.
Topic Areas: Business; Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Published by Professor Galen Collins in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Cases.
Summary: This case looks at the ethical issue of vendor gifts to management in the food and beverage industry.
Topics: Business; Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion