Reflection on Ethics

Reflections on Ethics

MGT/216

May 17, 2010

Tony Taylor

Reflections of Ethics

During these reflections, I will be: (a) defining and defending my decisions for each case, (b) describing the relationship between concepts of virtue, values, and morals in the simulation, (c) giving examples of how these concepts relate to my workplace, and (d) explaining ways in which external social pressures influence business ethics in the simulation.

The Case of Fair Warning

In this case, I faced an ethical dilemma of making the decision about a product that had been found contaminated. The test on this product was not completed until after it had been approved and shipped to the stores. The results of the test showed that the main ingredient, GBS-F, had been contaminated. This ingredient is used in more than two-thirds of the company’s products. My dilemma was whether to recall the products already in stores or to warn and what information to provide consumers about the contaminant. This decision focused on the rights/responsibility and results lens.

My first option was to recall the product, and give refunds for the purchase price or replace the product. I felt that if we were aware that a product was contaminated, then we should take it off the shelves, which could also prevent any legal actions against us. I also realized that my second option, which is also ethical, would be to disseminate the information on increased risk and let the consumer make an informed choice.

I choose to disseminate the information on increased risk. This would allow the consumer to make informed decisions on whether they would purchase the product. This decision showed that I used the rights/responsibility lens. This is considered as the “best decision tilted toward rationality as you give all consumers equal information upon which to base their independent choice” (University of Phoenix, 2007). It is the company’s duties to ensure that ingredient labels provide accurate...