Business Ethics Case Study 3: the Polluter's Dilemma

The facts of the case

• Jonica Gunson: Environment Compliance Manager for a small plastics manufacturing company

• New Technology: Can reduce the level of toxins that is being released from the back of their factory into the lake

• Lakes current emission levels: Within legal standards

• Scientific Evidence: If the toxins continue the lake is at risk of being permanently polluted

• Environmental Compliance budget: Tight

• Dilemma: Should the company install the new technology?

Questions for Discussion:

1. What motives would the company have to install the new technology?

The new technology will make the company environmentally friendly. It could prevent the government policy from happening which would ultimately lead to loss of time and money through the monthly emission level reports.

Due to environmental ethics, in this case the possibility of harmful fish for human consumption, this new technology could mean the start of green manufacturing by the company. Green manufacturing is meant to reduce pollution and waste by minimizing natural resource use, recycling and reusing what was considered waste, and reducing emissions. The new technology reduces emission levels therefore it can be considered as part of green manufacturing. A study conducted by Melnyk, Sroufe, and R. Calantone (2012) concluded that green manufacturing combined with green marketing has increased companies profits. Due to this the new technology, that can reduce toxin emission, can become very beneficial for the company by making them more profitable, especially nowadays that consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious. They need to market them self as a green manufacturing company to make consumers aware of this development in their company.

Also if the technology developer can convince the customer, in this case the company represented by Mrs. Jonica Gunson, that the developer has developed a truly improved product/technology; the company could be motivated to buy...