| Course | PHI-3840 Ethics and the Business Professional |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Module 2 application assignment: corporate social responsibility and stakeholders |
| Length | About 551 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PHI 3840 Module 2
Landfill or Second Life? Stakeholders and Responsibility in Used Office Furniture
Student Name
Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies, Thomas Edison State University
PHI-3840: Ethics and the Business Professional
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Landfill or Second Life? Stakeholders and Responsibility in Used Office Furniture
The Issue
When we install new furniture for a client, we remove the old desks, chairs and panels. Last year that was about 9,000 pieces, roughly 340 tons, and about 80 percent went to a landfill at a cost of about $95,000 in hauling and fees. Much of it was usable. Two clients asked this year what happens to their old furniture, and one large prospect asked about it in a proposal.
Stakeholders and Their Claims
Freeman (1984) described stakeholders as all the groups and people who influence or feel the effects of what an organization sets out to do, and urged managers to weigh every such group, not shareholders alone. Byars and Stanberry (2018) distinguish primary stakeholders, with a direct stake in the company, from secondary stakeholders, affected more indirectly.
| Stakeholder | Type | Claim or interest |
|---|---|---|
| Owners | Primary | Profit and reputation |
| Clients | Primary | Sustainability goals; a clear answer to "where does it go?" |
| Employees | Primary | Pride in the work; installers dislike breaking usable furniture |
| Manufacturers | Primary | Some offer take-back programs; brand reputation |
| Local community and nonprofits | Secondary | Schools and charities need furniture |
| Environment and future generations | Secondary | Less landfill, fewer new materials |
Carroll's Pyramid
Carroll (1991) described four layers of corporate social responsibility: economic duties at the base, legal duties above them, ethical duties next and philanthropic giving at the peak. Our current practice meets the first two: landfilling is legal and keeps costs predictable. In Carroll's account the ethical layer asks firms to act justly and fairly in matters no statute covers. Our practice does not meet that layer, since it wastes usable goods when alternatives exist, or the philanthropic layer.
The Triple Bottom Line
Elkington (1997) proposed that companies measure performance on three bottom lines: profit, people and planet.
| Bottom line | Landfill | Refurbish and donate |
|---|---|---|
| Profit | $95,000 disposal cost | About $60,000 for a refurbishment bay and two part-time technicians, offset by resale of 30 percent of pieces, about $70,000 |
| People | No benefit | Furniture for schools and nonprofits; skilled work for technicians |
| Planet | 270 tons to landfill | About 60 tons to landfill; less demand for new materials |
Recommendation
Start a refurbishment program: resell good-quality pieces to small businesses, donate usable pieces to schools and nonprofits in Bergen and Passaic counties, return eligible chairs to manufacturers' take-back programs and recycle the rest. Report to clients the share of their old furniture diverted from landfill. The program meets all four layers of Carroll's pyramid and improves all three bottom lines.
Who Would Run It
The program needs an owner. Our warehouse supervisor, who already manages returns, would oversee the refurbishment bay, and our sales team would include the diversion report in every proposal. A local school district and two nonprofits have said they would take desks and chairs, and a used furniture broker has offered to buy panels in bulk. Starting with these partners reduces the risk of collecting furniture no one wants.
Risks
Refurbished furniture must be safe, so chairs with failed mechanisms will be recycled, not donated. Storage space is limited; the program should start with chairs and desks, the most reusable items.
Conclusion
Stakeholder analysis shows that clients, employees and the community all have claims the landfill practice ignores, and the refurbishment program honors them without sacrificing profit.
References
Byars, S. M., & Stanberry, K. (2018). Business ethics. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/business-ethics
Carroll, A. B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34(4), 39-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-6813(91)90005-G
Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Capstone.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.
PHI 3840 Module 2 instructions, in plain terms
PHI-3840 includes six application assignments, together over a third of the grade at 35 percent, and four self-assessment activities worth 10 percent. This application assignment covers corporate social responsibility and stakeholders. Expect to identify a company's stakeholders and their claims, apply frameworks such as stakeholder theory, Carroll's pyramid and the triple bottom line, and evaluate or propose responsible practices. Use a real or realistic company, support claims with figures where possible and connect each recommendation to the stakeholders it serves. Map stakeholders in a table with their type and their claim, then apply at least two frameworks. Put rough figures on the options where you can, since a business case strengthens an ethical one. Keep figures rough but honest.
How the PHI 3840 Module 2 example is put together
The paper opens with the issue and its scale. A table maps six stakeholders by type and claim, drawing on stakeholder theory. A section applies Carroll's four layers and shows where current practice falls short. A triple bottom line table compares the options with rough figures. A recommendation, risks and a conclusion follow, tying the program to each framework. A section on who would run the program names an owner, partners for donations and a buyer for panels, so the recommendation is ready to start. Carroll's ethical layer is defined before the practice is judged against it. The risks section limits the program to chairs and desks at first and recycles unsafe pieces rather than donating them. Each table is read in a sentence.
PHI 3840 Module 2 rubric: what earns full marks
Mentors grade application assignments on accurate use of course concepts, thoughtful analysis, support for claims and clear writing. Papers that identify stakeholders' specific claims, rather than listing groups, show understanding of stakeholder theory. Applying several frameworks to one decision demonstrates depth. Rough figures for each option make the case concrete and show that responsibility and profit can be weighed together. Naming who would run a recommended program, and the partners it needs, shows that CSR has been treated as management rather than as a wish. Clear tables for stakeholders and bottom lines make the comparison easy to follow. Risks named with responses show realism.
PHI 3840 Module 2 help: mistakes that cost marks
Students lose points by listing stakeholders without their claims, by applying one framework superficially or by recommending responsibility without considering cost. Others treat CSR as charity only. Name each stakeholder's interest. Apply Carroll's layers to the actual practice. Compare options on all three bottom lines. Recommend a practice with its risks. Name who would carry out your recommendation and the partners it depends on, so the proposal has a starting date. Weigh what the program costs against what landfilling already costs, since the comparison often surprises. A free first sample on your own PHI-3840 application assignment is available on request.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More PHI 3840 and Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies sample papers
- PHI 3840 Module 1: Discussion: Three Frameworks and an Inflated Sales Forecast
- PHI 3840 Module 3: Discussion: A Gift, a Facilitation Payment and the FCPA
- PHI 3840 Module 4: Application Assignment: Monitoring Installers by GPS
- PHI 3840 Module 5: Discussion: A Prayer Break Request and Reasonable Accommodation
- PHI 3840 Module 6: Final Project: James Burke, the Credo and the Tylenol Recall
- MKT 3100 Module 2: Written Assignment: A Strategic Selling Plan for Two Kinds of Kitchens
- BPS 4950 Module 4: Final Project: Capstone Report on a Move Into Training and Development
PHI 3840 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free PHI 3840 Module 2 sample paper?
A stakeholder and CSR analysis of used office furniture disposal is the assignment above.
What is a stakeholder?
Anyone, a person or a group, who influences an organization's goals or feels the effects of pursuing them.
What are the four layers of Carroll's pyramid?
Economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities.
What is the triple bottom line?
Measuring performance on profit, people and planet.
How do primary and secondary stakeholders differ?
Primary stakeholders have a direct stake in the company; secondary stakeholders are affected more indirectly.