Great Lakes: Great Decisions

Assignment 1: Great Lakes: Great Decisions

Joice E. Russell

Professor Matthew M. Ademola

BUS499

April 19, 2012

Great Lakes Chemical Corporation is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of bromine and brominated chemical products. Bromine mixes with hundreds of organic compounds, producing thousands of toxic and non-toxic chemicals. Great Lakes rely heavily on this product for its revenue. Great Lakes has developed and produced a variety of products, but has had its greatest success Octel Associates. Octel Associates is a producer of tetraethyl lead (TEL).

In 1989, Great Lakes acquired Octel Associates for its capacity to produce bromine. Now, Great Lakes face great pressure from external factors worldwide for its continued production of lead additives through Octel Associates. Great Lakes has come to depend heavily on the profits of lead additives that have been banned from the United States and other developed countries, because there are developing countries that still use lead additives. However, Great Lakes never set out to be a lead producer. To stop producing the lead additive would have a negative impact on Great Lakes’ profits, as well as the developing countries that depend on leaded products for its cars and machinery.

In regards to the Social/Demographic factors, Great Lakes was willing to “take on the last years of the production of lead additives—as well as ethical, and public relations, challenge” (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2011, p. 156). This means that Great Lakes was willing to take responsibility for the affects its product causes, in order to get the bromine-producing capability. Lead problems still exist in China, the Middle East, and many African countries, despite the dangerous affects lead has on the population. This includes children who are most adversely affected by lead exposure. Between one and two years of age, children absorb 40 to 50 percent of ingested lead, whereas adults absorb only 10 to 15...