Shawn and two classmates visit the campus library to conduct the required online

Question

Shawn and two classmates visit the campus library to conduct the required online literature searches on their topics. After 30 minutes of surfing the web, Mike announces that he’s found a website that provides students with inexpensive research papers on a wide variety of subjects. Mike says to Shawn and Anna that he is planning to buy a paper when he finds one relating to his assigned topic. Shawn, who has never cheated in her academic career, hears Mike but says nothing and continues concentrating on her own research paper. Anna, who is appalled by Mike’s intention to cheat, vows that she will report Mike to their professor. Mike believes: "There’s no way I’ll be caught. I don’t think the professor even knows a website like this exists!" Anna is starting to get irritated by Mike’s distracting actions. Shawn is still hearing what Mike is saying and is not sure if she should get involved. They are all considering different actions to be taken and difficult decisions that will affect not only themselves but also others. Your job is to imagine the thinking that each student might have and answer the questions relating to their moral reasoning.

1) How are your values similar to and different from the students? What are the sources of your values?

2) What are the ethical issues in this social context/situation? Who do you agree with Anna or Shawn? Explain why?

3) From your perspective; what do you think will happen to the student’s relationship if Mike cheats?

4) How will their relationship be affected if Anna turns Mike in?

Explanation / Answer

(1) How are your values similar to and different from the students? What are the sources of your values?

The campus library is the source provided to all students for them to refer and conduct their research. By purchasing the ready-made research paper from the website, Mike is clearly violating the ethical principles and code of conduct of conducting research. My values will be similar to Anna and different from Mike. Moral Principles that drive an Individual or a group’s behavior on the activity that is being conducted is generally referred as Ethics. Any initiatives that affect the quantitative and qualitative values of an individual or a group viz., Trust, Performance, Collaboration and Innovation etc., are referred to as core values that one can exhibit. These are the sources of my values.

(2) What are the ethical issues in this social context/situation? Who do you agree with Anna or Shawn? Explain why?

The ethical issues in this social context are the clear violation and breach of procedure of conducting research, malpractice of copying the research work of others linking to their own assignment. I strongly agree with Anna as the act of Mike not only impact him but also rest of the students and their grades. More importantly, the inferiority complex for Mike and distancing behavior of others like Anna & Shawn might impact everyone’s future relationship.

(3) From your perspective; what do you think will happen to the student’s relationship if Mike cheats?

If Mike cheats, the relationship of the students will be greatly affected. For example, Anna will certainly report this to the professor who in turn will take action against Mike. Mike might, in turn, take revenge against Anna. Anna’s academics might get impacted. Shawn might be on the neutral grounds unable to make a decision. However, she’ll later get into a depression if she follows what Mike does as it might affect herself respect & dignity as she has not done any cheating work throughout her life.

(4) How will their relationship be affected if Anna turns Mike in?

If Anna turns Mike in, to begin with, Shawn who is in the dilemma will also join Mike and Anna. But such breach of conduct will impact their relationship in long run. At a later stage, for some other conflict of interest, even if one among the three is going to report this behavior to the professor, it will impact everyone’s career. Secondly, from the core values perspective, they’ll go through the mental trauma of not following the guidelines and violating the set procedure of conducting the research.

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