Movie Assignment On

The Insider

Course Title: Business Ethics Course Code: BUS 224

Submitted To:

Md. Tapan Mahmud

Lecturer, Faculty of Business

ASA University Bangladesh

Submitted By

Sl no. Name ID

01 Mahmudul Hasan 082-12-0033

02 Md. Mainul Islam 082-12-0034

O3 Md. Jubayir Islam Khan 082-

3rd January, 2010

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

January 03, 2011

To,

Md. Tapan Mahmud

Course Teacher,

Business Ethics

Faculty of Business

ASA University Bangladesh

Subject: Submission of Audio Visual Assignment

Dear Sir,

We are the student of “Business Ethics” course is here by presenting movie assignment. It is an

opportunity for us to present the study. When we are preparing this case we have tried to

maintain your guidelines and directions. We want to say that, the movie assignment is quickly

prepared by us. We have tried our best to submit this study report within the frame.

It was an interesting research and we would like to take this opportunity and thank you for

allowing us to work on this topic and for your constant guidance and support.

Yours’ most obediently

01 Mahmudul Hasan 082-12-0033

02 Md. Mainul Islam 082-12-0034

03 Md. Zubyer Islam Khan 082-12-0032

04 Md. Fieid Ibna Abbas 082-12-0028

05 Sk. Razib Uddin 082-12-0015

TABLE OF CONTENT

Sl. no. Topics Name Page no.

1 Title Fly page

2 Title Page

3 Letter of transmittal i

4 Table of content ii

5 Movie summary

6 Problem Statement

7 Answer to the specific questions

8 Analysis and Recommendations

9 Conclusion

Movie Summary

The Insider movie based on a true story about a CBS 60 Minutes-episode in 1994 on

malpractices in the tobacco industry, that was not aired because CBS parent company

Westinghouse objected. Pacino plays the 60 Minutes Producer.

In this movie "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman sniffs a story when a former research

biologist for Brown & Williamson, Jeff Wigand, won't talk to him. When the company leans

hard on Wigand to honor a confidentiality agreement, he gets his back up. Trusting Bergman and

despite a crumbling marriage, he goes on camera for a Mike Wallace interview and risks arrest

for contempt of court. Westinghouse is negotiating to buy CBS, so CBS attorneys advise CBS

News to shelve the interview and avoid a lawsuit. "60 Minutes" and CBS News bosses cave,

Wigand's hung out to dry, Bergman is compromised, and the CEOs of Big Tobacco may get

away with perjury. Unfortunately, both protagonists of this story learn the hard way that simply

telling the truth is not enough as they struggle against both Big Tobacco's attempts to silence

them and the CBS TV Network's own cowardly complicit preference of putting money as a

higher priority over the truth.

Problem Statement

By watching the movie we can find out some problems. Those problems are given below:

The Seven C.E.O of Big Tobacco said nicotine was not addictive but that was not right.

They perjured themselves.

Thomas Sandefur, C.E.O. Brown & Williamson fired Dr. Wigand for the reason was

poor communication skills. That was not true because. Dr. Wigand finds out problems of

the nicotine and he sent the document to the Sandefur but didn’t want to stop its

production as it would impacts sales. Sandefur and Brown & Williamson ignoring health

consideration consciously.

The Big Tobacco Company threatens Dr. Wigand for not talking about the internal issues

of the company. But the issue was mostly related to health of the people. That’s why

Mr. Wigand had blown the whistle.

Lowell Bergman producer of “60 Minutes" influenced Mr. Wigand to talking about the

internal matter of B & W. But at a time CBS News to shelve the interview and avoid a

lawsuit. From our point of view it’s unethical. They should think about the problems first

then they wanted to talk with Mr. Wigand.

From our thinking the second wife of Mr. Wigand should not leave the Wigand. She

always talked about herself and his family members but he should think about interest of

mass people.

Mr. Wigand hide about his first wife to Mr. Bergman that’s not expected from the Dr,

Wigand.

Answer to the specific question

1. Question: Do you think the title of the movie “The Insider” was justified? Please explain

your answer.

Answer: Yes, we think the title of the movie was justified. We think the movie was all about the

whistle blowing. Dr. Wigand was a whistle blower. He blew the whistle against his company. He

was a head of research and development and also Corporate Vice-President for Brown &

Williamson Tobacco Company. So Dr. Wigand was an insider of Brown & Williamson Tobacco

Company. For the interest of mass people he had blown the whistle against his company. The

movie wanted to show that how can an insider blow the whistle and what problems he should be

faced. So it’s clear that the name of the movie is justified.

2. Question: Referring to the context of the movie who are the stakeholders of the “Whistle

Blowing” act?

Answer: In this movie we found two stakeholders of the Whistle Blowing act. Dr. Jeff Wigand

and Mr. Bergman are the stakeholders who had blown the whistle. Dr. Wigand had blown the

whistle against his company because the company was doing the unethical work. Mr. Bergman

had blown whistle against CBS News because CBS decide not to air the interview because of

fear of litigation from Brown and Williamson.

3. Question: Do you think whistle blowing was morally justified for Dr. Wigand?

Answer: Yes, we think whistle blowing was morally justified for Dr. Wigand. Because he blown

the whistle for the public welfare. But according to the law Dr. Wigand did a wrong thing

because he had a confidential agreement with The B & W Tobacco Company.

4. Question: The media was inclined to support Dr. Wigand’s noble cause, but later on it

declined to do so. Why did it happen?

Answer: The media was inclined to support Dr. Wigand’s noble cause, but later on it declined

because Westinghouse is negotiating to buy CBS, so CBS attorneys advise CBS News to shelve

the interview and avoid a lawsuit. If the CBS News shown the interview CBS will be faced by a

multi-billion dollar lawsuit from Brown & Williamson. So they edited interview take the place of

the original. Basically media was afraid about the power of B & W Tobacco Company.

5. Question: Substitute yourself in the position of Dr. Wigand; if you were there would you

do the same thing?

Answer: Yes, we would the same thing that had done by the Dr. Wigand because he thinks

about the public welfare over his self interest. Everybody should do the work ethically. We know

that the work much not easy to do. But we have to try.

6. Question: Why Mr. Lowell interested to help Dr. Wigand?

Answer: In the movie Mr. Lowell was a producer "60 Minutes". Bergman receives an

anonymous package containing documents relating to tobacco company Philip Morris, and

approaches a friend at the Food and Drug Administration for the name of someone who can put

the information in layman’s terms. Mr. Lowell wanted to make a show on big tobacco companies

secret. That’s why he needs the information from Wigand. But Mr. Wigand cannot talk anything

about Tobacco because of his confidentiality agreement. So Mr. Lowell interested to help Dr.

Wigand for his TV show but after that Mr. Lowell wanted to help Dr. Wigand because Wigand

agreed to talk about his ex-company based on the Lowell’s support. So Mr. Lowell taken as a

duty to protects Wigand.

7. Question: Explain the moral issues regarding the negative activity of the company from

the point of view of Egoism, Utilitarianism, Kanatian Right’s perspective.

Answer: There are some negative activities we have seen in the movie. Like, nicotine

consciously, using power to influence media, bad sides of law, problems faced by whistle

blowing etc. Now we are trying our level best to Explain the moral issues regarding the negative

activity of the company from the point of view of Egoism, Utilitarianism, Kanatian Right’s

perspective.

Egoism theory: According to Egoism theory all the negative activities that have done by the

company was Ethical. Because Egoism Theory refers if anyone does any activity for his own

interest then that activity is ethical.

Utilitarianism theory: According to Utilitarianism theory all the negative activities of the B &

W was unethical. Because Utilitarianism theory says if the activities of the company can grow

the happiness of the society then it’s ethical. But their representation clearly misstated what is

common language within the company. But Brown & Williamson have consciously ignored

public health considerations in the name of profit. So its totally unethical according to this

theory.

Kantian Right’s: Kantian Right’s says that all people are equal. There are two formulation of

Kantian Right’s. Those formulations are giving below.

First Formulation has two parts

Reversibility: B & W Tobacco Company doing business earn by using nicotine.

That is very harmful for the human body. So The Company is unethical.

Universalizability: By this theory B & W Tobacco Company is ethical because

they earn profit does not matter which way they earn profit.

Second Formulation

The Tobacco company is not ethical by this formulation because their doing business to use

nicotine. They didn’t provide this information to the public.

8. Question: What are the consequences faced by Dr. Wigand after blowing whistle?

Answer: In this movie we saw lots of problem that faced by Dr. Wigand after blowing whistle.

We are tried to find out those consequences. Those consequences are as follow:

Wigand received death threats via email.

Federal Bureau of Investigation who accusing him of being emotionally unbalanced,

confiscate his computer for evidence.

It’s difficult to fulfill the need of his family without job.

Wigand had to leave the house and taken a affordable house.

His wife and children have left him.

CBS TV doesn’t want to broadcast the whole truth because of that he can be jailed for

misstatement.

Analysis and Recommendations

Conclusion:

The Insider was an excellent movie that depicted a multitude of ethical dilemmas.   Although the

focus of the movie surrounds the two main characters, Jeffrey Wigand and Lowell Bergman,

there is unethical behavior existing amongst these individuals and everyone in their

surroundings.   The film's depiction of   ethics is a perfect example of what situations one can

face in the modern business world.   Some of the ethical issues in the film include falsification,

honesty, abusive and intimidating behavior, lying, conflict of interest, libel, and an overall lack

of social responsibility. The overlying issue over the entire movie, and the reason for the 60

Minutes broadcast is the completely unethical behavior of the tobacco industry.   The industry is

guilty of committing several unethical behavior multiple times.   First, since the day the FDA

announced that cigarettes are damaging to the lung, throat, and body in general, the tobacco

industry.