6 Discussion Questions

Business Law

Question 1

In some ways contracts can be very easy to enter into. In fact, we often enter into agreements simply by our actions.

For example, many businesses place small notices near their entryways warning that by entering the building you consent to video recording or by parking in a specific lot you agree that the lot owner is not liable should anything happen to your car (even if you paid to park there).

Are these agreements valid?

Should individuals be held to agreements even if they did not know about them?

Use specific details about contract formation and performance in your response.

Question 2

One of the most fundamental issues in business law involves the question of when a company can be held liable for the acts of an individual person, whether this involves a contractual obligation or a personal injury (meaning a tort).  Choose one of the scenarios below and explain whether or not you think the business is liable for the acts under the principles of agency law.

• A real estate agent hires      a handful of local kids to do the landscaping of homes that he is trying      to sell.  In addition to the general payment, he reimburses them for      the cost of gasoline for lawn mowers and other equipment.  While      mowing a lawn, one of the kids loses control of a lawn mower and it mows      down a neighbors very expensive collection of lawn gnomes.
• In a hurry to get his apartment      complex painted, a homeowner hires three people he meets at the local home      improvement store to do the work.  Since they’re not professional      painters, he provides all of the equipment and paint needed to do the      work.  While at the apartment complex, one of them breaks into an      apartment, assaults the resident and steals a wallet.
• An entrepreneur decides to      open up his own car-for-hire business, and creates an app allowing anyone      to connect with people who need a ride.  The passengers pay the      entrepreneur, who in turn pays a percentage to the driver.  Other      than the app, the entrepreneur has no other involvement between the driver      and the passenger.  One night, a driver who is intoxicated picks up a      passenger and then gets into an accident, and the passenger is severely      injured.

Question 3

The responsibility of the directors of a corporation is to provide a return to shareholders on their financial investment in the corporation . . . in other words, shareholders expect to make money on their investment.  Corporations such as Facebook, Google, and Apple are financed through the sale of billions and billions of dollars in shares purchased by investors.  Sometimes, however, the duty to maximize profits runs contrary to legal, but still questionable, business opportunities.

Assume that you’re the director of one of the corporations listed below and have been presented with the business opportunity described in the scenario.  Would you advise the corporation to accept the opportunity?  Make sure to fully explain your answer, considering both the financial return expected and any related ethical concerns.

• ToyCo has just been      informed that it’s wooden trains produced in China contain lead paint and      can no longer be sold in the United States.  However, a distributor      offers to negotiate a deal with a foreign company to sell the trains in a      South American country that has no laws addressing the presence of lead      paint in children’s toys.
• BabyHealth is seeing      decreasing sales of its powdered infant formula in the United States due      to more and more mothers choosing to breastfeed their babies.  In an      effort to offset these losses, BabyHealth chooses to sell their formula in      third world countries.  However, it is widely known that the water      sources in these countries is often contaminated and not boiled prior to      use.
• After producing 10 million      versions of its new smartphone, PhoneLand discovers that due to a      manufacturing oversight, some of the phones may catch fire if left in a      car on a hot day.  While the worst-case financial impact from the      phones catching fire is 10 million dollars in damages, recalling and      repairing the phones will bankrupt the company.

I need 4 sentences each sentence they DO NOT need to have sited sources

Business Ethics

Question 1

We have seen in the news how certain companies are portrayed as having a negative impact on the environment either through carelessness or negligence. Take a moment and answer the following questions dealing with business and the environment:

· Based on what you see in the news, do you think that companies really care if they negatively impact the environment? Why or why not?

· What are your thoughts on the need for stronger laws and stiffer penalties for causing the environment harm through negligence? What recommendations would you make?

Question 2

In your own words define employment-at-will and explain whether or not you agree with this principle. Next, discuss your thoughts on workplace testing and its role in the hiring process. Do you feel this is a fair hiring practice? Why or why not?

Question 3

Many people debate how much privacy an employee can expect at work. Share your thoughts on the following questions:

· Do you think that employees have an expectation of privacy in the workplace? Why or why not?

· What do you feel is more important, job satisfaction or pay? Explain your answer.

I need 4 sentences each sentence they DO NOT need to have sited sources