North South University

Assignment 1
PHI401: business Ethics

Submitted to

Effat Sharmin (EFS)

Department of History and Philosophy

Submitted by

Raffat Arefin Khan

ID: 1611270030
Sections: 02

Date: July 19, 2020

1. Set out the main criticisms that have been leveled at McDonald’s Europe. To what
extent are these criticisms likely to be replicated in Asia? What difference can be
predicted?

Answer: When McDonald started its’ business in Europe it had been faced with lots of criticism
for its’ certain norms, values or ways of business and also for its products too, as all of those
entities failed to maintain the value of business ethics.

We will level out some of the main criticisms that have been mentioned in case:

(a) Calorie dense and nutrition poor foods: The food which is high in Calorie and low in
nutrition is mainly known as unhealthy foods. The main problem that had been leveled in their
product is unhealthy foods. The foods that they had served high in calorie and poor in proper
nutrition, that eventually leads the people to an unhealthy diet routine and caused lots of
diseases. According to Critics, those unhealthy foods caused a rapid growth of the obesity rate
especially in young people.

(b) Exploits the children: through their advertisement McDonalds had also exploited the
children. One of their advertisements highly criticized by the normal people and as well critics,
where they used children grief to sell their products. By that advertisement they compared
children grief with their products. So, that was a great cause for criticism.

(c) McCruelty to Animals: if something bad happened to McDonalds is animal cruelty. People
were become highly furious when they heard about the animal cruelty, and criticized that fact.
This cruelty normally came to light with the expose of their Egg Muffins, which they also
leveled as “The rotten truth about Egg McMuffins”.

(d). Super Size me: After releasing the movie the McDonald were getting different type’s
opinions but especially in Europe they had got huge criticism. In this movie Morgan Spurlock
depicted some things which were unwanted for Europe. By this movie it was clear that the food
McDonalds provided is totally out of balanced diet, which causes a gain of fat in human body in
an enormous amount.

Without those leveled factors they have also came under the wreath of critics for the false
advertisement about their product (as it does not maintain the proper nutrition food value), not to
provide the proper description about their food ingredients (for assuming the quality of foods)
and low wages for the workers. The main factor that really made the critics concern that it has
derived the generation in an unhealthy diet which cause severe health damage for the long term
customers.

Replication in Asia

The fault that McDonalds made earlier in Europe, the same fault or unethical activates continued
in Asia. They have provided food which is high in calorie and less nutrition which causes
increase in rate of obesity in china and other countries in Asia, this thing also change the eating
habit of people and create a severe health issue. In Asia they don’t emphasis the dietary matter as
Europe they are less likely to provide healthy died foods as well as the health concerning
activities are less than the Europe.

But the concerning fact is that like Europe Asia did not raise any voice firmly towards this acts.
So, the facts or the acts that created a huge criticism for McDonald in Europe, the same acts were
repeating in Asia. But Asia did not criticize the McDonald like Europe.

Yet McDonalds change lots of things after the criticism of Europe and if they able to rectify their
fault then it is less likely to raise any criticism in Asia but if they don’t change their acts and
keep doing business in unethical ways then the criticism can be replicated as an obesity epidemic
can be occurred for McDonald.

Differences can be predicted

McDonalds has already faced lots of criticism in Europe for their food quality, advertisements,
ethical behavior and for lots of facts but they did not face this problem in different continents
like in Asia. In Asia people did not raise any concern about those acts and with their products. In
Asia people appreciate their food and consuming it hugely even they have created such service
where they will get their food from McDonald in a short by a home delivery service. But in
Europe people find it unethical and find the food unhealthy so they were less likely to appreciate
their product that’s why they raise such criticism then Asia. And if Asia continued with this
types of diet then people of Asia in different regime will face a obesity and severe health
problem as well as the eating habit is changes so future generation will also face a severe health
issue.

3. Should Mc Donald’s offer healthy alternatives to the same extent in all the countries in
which it operates, or just those where it has been criticized in the past, or is it expecting
further regulation? What if customers overseas do not want healthy options?

Answer: If we Consider the definition of Business Ethics then we can say, a business should do
exactly the works that the business is meant to do for the well fare of it’s’ consumers.
McDonald’s job is to provide a food which is balance diet and don’t make any implication for
human body. And on the basis of this after facing a great criticism in Europe they have provide a
balanced food that is good for human. So based of that factor McDonald should offer healthy
products in every country as long as customers are likely to buy them.

According to the definition of Business ethics it’s the duty of McDonald to raise awareness about
the good food dietary among the people. If people don’t want any healthy option then they should
try with the other food options and also conducting some health caring activities that they did
previously in Europe. As these fast foods enormously harmful for the human body so McDonald
should awareness regarding the foods which are enriched in nutrition and emphasis the activities
that are good for health for example: sport activities.

4. How could Mc Donald's seek to avoid further criticism in the future? Can the company
realistically present itself as an ethical corporation?

Answer: After facing such criticism McDonalds has come up with some new activities which
tried to change the image of the McDonalds. They are like putting healthy foods in menu,
dropped the super size options, replace fries with carrots sticks, providing new booklets with new
menus and healthy options which have sent 17m households in UK, launched exercise and sports
initiatives for young people, promoting the theme of balanced life, promoting the McDosport
tours, promoting McDo Kids Iron tour, sponsored the UEFA EURO 2008, started to do a green
business (convert delivery truck with biodiesel), So all those activities succeed to minimize the
criticism of McDonalds.

If they succeed to maintain those activities in all the region of the world where they operated
then they can easily avoid the future criticism. As well as they have also keep in mind that they
should do exactly that work that they have promised to the consumers and always think about the
well being of the current consumer, environmental resources and future generation by doing that
they will be able to avoid the further criticism in the future.

For McDonalds it is realistically possible to present itself as an ethical corporation. As in

economic perspective it has gain a huge profits as well as good fame. Now all they have to do is
to perform the rest of the duty in an ethical way. Because previously they have proved that they
can also act in ethical way so it is not impossible for them to remove all the works and activities
as well as products which cause unethical behavior. According to TBL they have gain a position
in Environment and Economy now all they have to do to gain the social stability, which is absent
in lots working and providing sectors of McDonalds.