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WGU Business Ethics Task 1
If you searched “WGU business ethics task 1,” you are probably looking at your course list and trying to confirm you are even looking at the right assignment. That is normal. WGU does not always make the connection between course names and course codes obvious in student-facing materials, and a lot of what comes up in search results assumes you already know which course you are in.
Here is the short answer: WGU’s Business Ethics course is C717, and Task 1 is its first written performance assessment. This page exists to help you confirm that, understand what the task actually involves, and point you to a full breakdown if you need one.
Is WGU Business Ethics the Same as C717?
Yes. WGU’s Business Ethics course carries the course code C717. If your course list shows “Business Ethics” without a code, or shows “C717” without the name, they are the same course. This applies across WGU’s business programs, including BSBA and MBA tracks where C717 is a required competency unit.
Some older WGU course materials or third-party study sites also reference this course as EKP1, FZP1, or EPK1. These are WGU’s internal assessment codes for the same course and the same task, used at different points as WGU has updated its course numbering. If you see any of these codes alongside “Business Ethics,” you are in the right place.
What Is Task 1 in WGU Business Ethics?
Task 1 is a written, case-based performance assessment. You are given a business scenario and asked to analyze it using ethical theory, stakeholder analysis, and corporate social responsibility frameworks. It is graded on a competency basis: Competent or Not Yet Competent, with detailed evaluator feedback if revisions are needed.
Most C717 students are assigned the same case for Task 1: the TechFite scenario, involving a mid-sized electronics company that reclassified employees to cut benefits costs and walked away from a community investment partnership with a city government. Your paper will need to analyze this situation, not summarize it.
Quick Identification Check
| If your assignment asks you to… | You are working on… |
|---|---|
| Identify corporate policies, analyze stakeholders, apply an ethical theory, and evaluate CSR | Task 1 |
| Discuss employee rights and employer ethical responsibilities, or design an ethics training curriculum | Task 2 |
If you are not sure which task you have open, check the task title in your WGU course materials. It will say “Task 1” or “Task 2” directly above the rubric.
What Task 1 Actually Requires
At a minimum, a competent Task 1 submission needs to:
- Identify and describe the organization and its ethical context
- Analyze how the situation affects each relevant stakeholder group differently
- Apply at least one ethical theory (utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics are the most common choices) to the specific decisions in the case, not to the topic in general
- Evaluate the organization’s corporate social responsibility across Carroll’s four tiers: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic
- Provide specific, actionable recommendations tied directly back to the analysis
The most common reason students land on “Not Yet Competent” is treating these sections as separate, disconnected write-ups instead of building one continuous argument. An evaluator should be able to trace a straight line from your stakeholder analysis, through your ethical theory section, to your final recommendations.
Why This Course Trips Students Up
C717 is not conceptually difficult. Most students who struggle are not struggling with ethics as a subject. They are struggling with two things: figuring out exactly what the rubric wants in language that does not match the task prompt, and applying ethical theory rather than just defining it. Naming utilitarianism is not the same as using it to reach a judgment about TechFite’s decisions, and evaluators are trained to spot the difference immediately.
If you want the full breakdown, including a rubric-by-rubric walkthrough of the TechFite scenario, a complete sample paper, and the specific language patterns that separate a pass from a revision request, we have built a complete guide for that.
Read the Full WGU C717 Task 1 Guide and Sample Paper →
It covers the TechFite case in detail, stakeholder-by-stakeholder, theory-by-theory, with a full sample paper you can study against the rubric.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WGU Business Ethics hard?
Most students find C717 conceptually approachable but rubric-sensitive. The course material itself is not advanced, but the written assessments require precise application of ethical theory and CSR frameworks rather than general discussion. Students who read the rubric closely before drafting tend to pass on the first attempt.
How long does WGU C717 take to complete?
Timelines vary by student pace, but most students complete the coursework and Task 1 submission within two to four weeks, depending on prior familiarity with business ethics concepts and how much revision their first draft requires.
Does WGU Business Ethics use the same case for every student?
Most students are assigned the TechFite scenario for Task 1, though WGU periodically rotates or updates case materials. Confirm the scenario in your own task instructions, since requirements can shift between course versions.
What is the difference between Task 1 and Task 2 in C717?
Task 1 focuses on organizational ethics, stakeholder analysis, and corporate social responsibility. Task 2 shifts focus to employee rights and employer ethical responsibilities, often requiring you to design or evaluate an ethics training curriculum.