Reference no: EM13139548

Topic 
The Mondragon Cooperative Corporation's ten basic principles provide the philosophical foundations for how it organizes. Compare and contrast each of these principles with those of a successful, traditionally-organised, capitalist corporation of your choice and critically discuss the impact of each from an ethical perspective. 
Word length: 3,000 words 
This essay requires you to refer to Mondragón's ten basic principles on pages 116 and 117 of your study book and critically discuss the ethical foundations upon which these theories are based. It further requires that you consider how the enactment of these principles impacts on various stakeholder groups, particularly shareholders and workers. 
The 1982 BBC documentary 'The Mondragon Experiment' is an excellent source of information about the origins and nature of the MCC and how the underlying principles upon which it based are made practical. The USQ has subscribed to a streaming copy of 'The Mondragon Experiment', it can be accessed via the following link - https://usq.kanopystreaming.com/node/77336 . You will be asked to enter your USQ login when accessing this site. Whilst it is preferred that you use access the film via USQ, this film can be found on You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zMvktpKDmo ). Also, a limited number of hard copies are available from the USQ library for students who are unable to access the internet. 
Also, it is likely that the principles upon which your chosen traditionally-organized capitalist corporation is founded are implied rather than explicit. Evidence of their founding principles can be determined by their behaviour and therefore do not need to be cited. 
Suggestion as to how to organise your essay 
This suggestion about you could approach this essay is just that - a suggestion. In other words, you are encouraged to organise your essay as you wish, presumably with a view to making the best case for your specific argument. Like all academic essays, you are required to make an argument that is convincing and well-supported by references. Again, what follows is not meant to prescriptive, just a suggestion about how you might proceed. 
Firstly, review Module 6 to identify the issues that provide the fundamental points of difference between corporations and workers' cooperatives such as Mondragon. It may be a good idea to read a little more widely to consider the political ideologies that underpin the establishment of these organizations. Doing so provides your essay with a sound theoretical foundation as to how human beings are conceptualized by those ideologies and how they relate to the major normative theories (See Fig. 3.2, p. 98, Crane & Matten 2010). From this, good students will be able to get an appreciation and better understanding of the ethical foundation of the MCC. This is important because the major challenge in this essay is to determine how these points of difference (ideologies) manifest as ethical problems in both Chapters 6 and 7 of the Crane and Matten text. 
The first paragraph in the body of the essay should outline the contrasting political ideologies and concepts of human beings and the points of difference and how they impact in terms of creating ethical dilemmas for both shareholders and workers. Subsequent paragraphs should be focussed on the relevant ethical dilemmas outlined in the text and discussion should ensue as to how these issues can/may be resolved by adopting an alternative ethical position in the way we organise. 
You should be aware that you write the introductory paragraph and the concluding paragraph last. Good students will find a strong definitive position about the nature of organizing and allude to essential criteria that will facilitate ethical behaviour for both shareholders and workers. Critique of both, the chosen corporation and the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation, will be essential for a high mark. 
Graduate attributes tested and developed 
G1 - Demonstrate applied knowledge of business ethics and practice. 
G4 - Evaluate, synthesise & critically review theoretical frameworks with other evidence to provide solutions to real-world problems. 
G7 - Comprehend and address complex ethical dilemmas. 
G8 - Demonstrate an understanding of complex sustainable dilemmas and the need for responsible leadership. 
G11 - Communicate professionally & effectively in both oral and written communication to various audiences to achieve targeted outcomes.