Addressing an Ethical Issue

u10a1 Addressing an Ethical Issue

Capella University

Ethics and Enterprise

BUS 4801

Professor David Scott

December 12, 2013

Abstract

Co-founded by Africa experts Gayle Smith and John Prendergast, Enough launched in early 2007 as a project of the Center for American Progress. Enough is based in Washington, DC, and works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve crises of genocide and crimes against humanity. For a second time, The Enough Project has ranked the largest electronics companies on their efforts toward using and investing in conflict-free minerals in their products. The Enough Project claims that Nintendo is the only technology company [of the 24 surveyed] that hasn’t made a single effort of finding out whether it uses conflict minerals – minerals mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuses – in its products. Intel scored the highest, with 60 and twelve others above 33, the next to last was HTC with 4 points, than Nintendo with 0. “Nintendo is, I believe, the only company that has basically refused to acknowledge the issue or demonstrate they are making any sort of effort on it. And this is despite a good two years of trying to get in contact with them.”

In a statement issued to CNN, Nintendo said it “outsources the manufacture and assembly of all Nintendo products to our production partners and therefore is not directly involved in the sourcing of raw materials that are ultimately used in our products.”

It is not our premise that Nintendo is an unethical organization, but we do find it plausible that they claim no responsibility because they outsource and therefore not directly involved in the sourcing of raw materials. Conflict minerals are considered as gold, tin, tantalum, tungsten (the "3 T's"), and are mined in eastern Congo and are in all consumer electronics products.

This paper is an imaginary depiction of how we would address the issue as tasked by the CEO, evaluating...