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Project 1- The Smoking Alternative

The purpose of this project is for students to understand the relationship between government, business and society and demonstrate how each attempts to influence the others. In completing this project, you will discuss the role ethics plays in business and how the actions of a business can influence society. Government supports businesses but at the same time, the government acts as a regulator and must address societal matters to ensure businesses act in a socially responsible manner.

Outcomes Met With This Project:

discuss the financial, economic, regulatory, sociopolitical, and technological factors as they relate to a dynamic business environment

describe the ethical and social responsibilities that confront a business

Skill Building:

You are also completing this project to help you develop the skills of critical thinking, writing and developing a personal brand. Writing is a critical skill because in business it is important to convey information clearly and concisely and to develop a personal brand. Developing a personal brand is important because it is the ongoing process of establishing an image or impression in the minds of others especially those in positions above you. Having a strong personal brand can lead to opportunities that include promotions.

Case Scenario:

Read the following case scenario and answer the questions that follow:

James Monsees and Adam Bowen, co-creators of Juul Labs have come under criticism for potentially marketing to teenagers the e-cigarette device. Monsees did not show much concern because he believed the small percentage of underage consumers were making a lot of noise that was distracting Juul from one of the greatest advances in public health. Believed to be safer than cigarettes, Juul devices have shown to be safer than traditional cigarettes containing fewer toxins.

The e-cigarette has captured 70% of the market share for e-cigarettes. A Juul that transforms a pod of nicotine-laced liquid into inhalable fumes sells for $34.99 with a pack of pods costing about $15.99. The company’s revenue is expected to grow to $1 billion in 2018 making the value of the company worth approximately $16.3 billion.

A major attraction of the Juul device is the variety of flavors available to smokers. Flavors include mango, fruit, crème and cucumber, all attractive to adolescents.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scrutinizing the company’s advertising to assess whether Juul has intentionally targeted teenagers. In 2009, President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act granting the FDA the authority to regulate the marketing and sales of tobacco products to reduce adolescent tobacco use. Although the FDA has authority over cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and smokeless tobacco, it does not have jurisdiction over e-cigarettes, cigars, and snus. However, the FDA proposed e-cigarettes, little cigars and other products be labeled as ‘tobacco products,’ which provides regulatory jurisdiction to the FDA under the Tobacco Control Act.

Executives at Juul have taken a position that the company did not intentionally target teenagers. Despite its statement, management at Juul admitted to knowing about the popularity of the e-cigarettes among youth. In fact, since the release of the flash-drive shaped device in 2015, teenagers have been seen vaping Juuls.

Since coming under scrutiny, Juul has changed it advertising to move away from using young models in their 20’s to models over 35 years of age. This effort was to better align its advertising to the company mission to appeal to adult smokers. In 2018, Juul Labs made another change to its advertisements that led to depicting real people who had switch from cigarettes to Juul.

Juul Labs has an official Marketing & Social Media Code that states, “We adhere to strict guidelines to ensure that our marketing is directed toward existing adult smokers.”

On October 1, 2018, the FDA made a surprise inspection of the headquarters of Juul Labs confiscating documents that furthered its efforts against marketing tobacco products to children. CEO, Kevin Burns released a message stating the goal of Juul Labs is to improve the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers and to eliminate cigarettes. He further added that underage use of e-cigarettes is an unintended problem that goes against the company’s mission and is bad for the health of the public. Juul Labs claimed to have a common goal with the FDA in wanting to prevent youth from using e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, the debates rages on. The FDA has proposed restricting sales of most flavored products and products that resemble juice boxes or candy and for stores that verify a customer’s age and possibly require a separate, age-restricted area for e-cigarettes. In March 2019, Hawaii announced it would follow San Francisco’s lead proposing a ban on flavored e-cigarette liquids such as Maui Mango, Cookie Monsta and clove and to place restrictions on tobacco and e-cigarettes to those older than 21. Students testified before Hawaii lawmakers pleading for action as they claimed vaping in school bathrooms was adversely affecting the health of students. Hawaii’s health agency voiced concern over the negative affects nicotine can have on adolescent growth of the brain circuits that control attention and learning.

Instructions:

You will use the following steps to complete this project. Make sure to complete each step to ensure the highest possible grade.

Step 1: Course Material

For this project, you are required to use the case scenario facts and the course material. External sources are not permitted. You are not researching on the Internet or using resources from outside the course. You are expected to answer the requirements identified below showing the connection between the case scenario facts and the course material. Using course material goes beyond defining terms and are used to explain the ‘why and how’ of a situation. Avoid merely making statements but close the loop of the discussion by explaining how something happens or why something happens, which focuses on importance and impact. In closing the loop, you will demonstrate the ability to think clearly and rationally showing an understanding of the logical connections between the ideas presented in a case scenario, the course material and the question(s) being asked. Using one or two in-text citations from the course material throughout the entire paper will not earn many points on an assignment. The use of a variety of course material is expected consistently supporting what is presented. The support must be relevant and applicable to the topic being discussed. Points are not earned for mentioning a term or concept but by clearly and thoroughly explaining or discussing the question at hand.

NOTE: If external sources are used, what is presented will not count and a penalty for following instruction will apply.

Step 2: Create Headings

You will use the following headings for this project. Make sure that each heading is in place and use the headings as a guide to write each section of the project.

Introduction

Ethical and Legal Behavior

Ethical and Legal Issues

An Ethical Organization

Business, Government and Society

Conclusion

Step 3: Write an Introduction paragraph

The Introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper and will be used to describe to the reader the intent of the paper explaining the main points covered in the paper. This intent should be understood prior to reading the remainder of the paper so the reader knows exactly what is being covered in the paper.

Write the introduction last to ensure all of the main points are covered.

Step 4: Ethical and Legal Behavior

You learned about business ethics and the nature of ethical and legal behavior in business. You will use the course material to support your ideas and reasoning to:

Differentiate between ethical and legal behavior.

Identify and discuss the legal issue(s) associated with Juul Labs.

Identify and discuss the ethical issue(s) associated with Juul Labs.

Step 5: An Ethical Organization

An organization can take measures to ensure the business operates ethically. Not looking at what Juul Labs claims to be doing currently,

Explain what measures Juul Labs can take to ensure the company operates as an ethical organization in the future.

Step 6: Business, Government and Society

In week 1, you analyzed the role of business, government in relation to society using the companies that produce marijuana. For this scenario,

Explain how society has or is attempting to influence business through government activity.

Step 7: Conclusion

Write a concluding paragraph that is brief and summarizes the main points. Provide specific information related to the major topics discussed in the paper.

How to Set Up the Paper

Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced, 12-point font. The final product will be no longer than 2 and one-half pages in length excluding the title page and reference page. Write clearly and concisely.

Completing the Paper

In order to complete this project, you will want to first read the module, Learn How to Support What You Write, as this assignment requires you to use the course readings and research to support what you write. Also,

Read and use the grading rubric while completing the exercise to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.

Third person writing is required. Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person.

Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.

Paraphrase and do not use direct quotation marks. Paraphrase means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document. Instead put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document. Not using direct quotation marks means that there should be no passages with quotation marks and instead the source material is paraphrased as stated above. Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. You may not use more than four consecutive words from a source document, as doing so would require direct quotation marks. Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks. If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this material will not be included in the grade and could lead to allegations of academic dishonesty.

You are expected to use the case scenarios and weekly course material to develop the analysis and support the reasoning. There should be a robust use of the course material along with thorough analysis of potential location information. Material used from a source document must be cited and referenced. A reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks. If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this material will not be included in the grade and could lead to allegations of academic dishonesty.

Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference associated with each in-text citation.

The only book you may use is the course eBook. This project only allows you to use the course material. You may not use any external sources including a dictionary or Wikipedia.

Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation presented. If the eBook does not have pages, provide the chapter title and topic heading.

Self-Plagiarism: Self-plagiarism is the act of reusing significant, identical or nearly identical portions of one’s own work. You cannot re-use any portion of a paper or other graded work that was submitted to another class even if you are retaking this course. You also will not reuse any portion of previously submitted work in this class. A zero will be assigned to the assignment if self-plagiarized. Faculty do not have the discretion to accept self-plagiarized work.