Business Ethics Case Study: The Slow Movement

In Case 6 “The Slow Movement” the problem of balancing work and private life is addressed. In this case, the issue of Josh’s prioritization of his family, mental and physical health, over devoting his life to working can be justified through care ethics. In the “Ethics of Care as Moral Theory,” it states that “the ethics of care is on the compelling moral salience of attending to and meeting the need of the particular others for whom you take responsibility (10). This means that in Josh’s case, he has the moral need not only to work for his family but to take care of and spend time with them. By not being totally enveloped in his work, Josh is still able to financially support his family and support them emotionally by being present in their lives. The “Ethics of Care as Moral Theory” also states that it “values emotion rather than rejects it” (10). By listening to his inner emotions of feeling overworked and unhappy, as well as recognizing that his constant stream of emails and obligations were affecting his family life, Josh is valuing his emotions rather than rejecting them. He is also taking into consideration how his spouse feels and how their children might feel not having their father present with him after work.
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On the other hand, if Josh is giving his all during his scheduled hours, is respectful and responsive to his coworkers, him not being able to work after hours does not reflect his work ethic. Instead, it reflects his good character for taking the time to take care of himself, his children and his wife. Therefore, Josh is in the right for participating in “The Slow Movement” because he is still fulfilling his contractual duties at work but also fulfilling his roles in maintaining his health, happiness, and role as a father and