Business Ethics
PART A - Background Facts
A1
To make the company to be successful among other competitors, various issues should be resolved in a proper way. To proceed with urgent issues and get the success, there should be set out the main aims, considering prospects and declines of the company, advantages and disadvantages of the employees’ work regards their duties, principles, obligations, and payment of salaries report. There should be found out the reason of the decline of the company, including the fact of the prosperity of the company after its opening. Taking into consideration the main causes of the decline the situation can be resolved. The decision process should be concentrated on gathering the facts about the company, defining ethical issues, and identifying the affected parties. Gathering the facts will help to know reason of the occurring the decline of the company, be aware of historical events and facts of the current situation. With the help of defining ethical issues it is easily identify the rights of the company and the workers, the influence of ethical treatment between the manager and the workers, their cooperation at the workplace. Such principles as promise, keeping loyalty, and honesty among the workers and manager are the integral part of successful prosperity of the company. Identifying the affected parties will help to define benefits and harm to the company. Meeting the needs of the local community will help to bring profit to the company and become one of the best among the competitors (Trevino & Nelson, 2014). To proceed properly there should be put important questions that demands careful resolution. What is the reason of occurring decline of the company? What is the current situation of the company? How do the workers’ rights respond to the law? Does the company meet the needs of society, local community and consumers?
Deontological theories of business ethics is one of the most appropriate theories for success of the company. It deals with making proper decisions, focus on principles, obligations and duties. The primary cause of the base of good treatment among the workers and the manager that build the foundation for prosperity of the company are fairness, honesty, loyalty, promise, justice, respect for human beings and property, keeping rights (to privacy, safety), compassion, and responsibility (Trevino & Nelson, 2014). Providing each other the situation of the company regards financial difficulties, reliable information about the quality of products and their delivery, focusing on rights rather than principles, values, and duties will change the situation and lead to its improvement. Following the Golden Rule, ‘‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’’, (Trevino & Nelson, 2014) will create a foundation of business ethics decisions. Respect and mutual understanding between the manager and the workers, good treatment to each other at the workplace, and assistance will provoke the success.
Analytical model of characteristics of individuals would be appropriate in making a decision in this case. Characteristics of individuals will be defined with characteristics of organization in ethical awareness, ethical judgment and ethical behavior. Be aware of the information regards the workers and the manager will help to find quick resolution of the decline. With the help if this model social and global environment of business, individual decision making, group and organizational influences will be easily covered. A significant role plays an analytical model of relationship between Law and Ethics. The rights of the workers should be consistent with the law according to which, they should be honest, responsible and follow the rules of the law. Working hours should not exceed the norm and work should not adversely affect the health of the workers.
The products must be of good quality and should be delivered in a due time. Respect, assistance and proper attitude to work, loyalty, teamwork and honesty will help to destroy the root causes of the default.
If the situation is to be out of control, “blow the whistle” will be the best decision in resolving the issues. It can be one of the options in finding a creative way to address the issue. It is widely used when the situation is urgent and there is no time to resolve it. ”Blow the issue” in this case will help the employees responsibly attitude to their duties and resolve ethical issues in cooperation with each other at the workplace. Nevertheless, “blow the whistle” can cause harm to the company. It influences the reputation of the organization, the workers and the staying in the company.
To weight the respective risks and benefits, there should be taken into account the impact of respective risks and benefits. “Blow the whistle” can resolve urgent issue, but the worker can donate staying in the company and his further reputation in relation to the manager and other employees. Before address the issue, there should be considered such factors, as: time limit, developing alternatives and identifying influence and power.
Before signing the quality control form, there should be given advance warning to the manager and the workers regards the quality of the service of the company. If it is not any actions taken in improving the situation, there should be signed the quality control form despite the risks occurred.
A2
To improve the food safety and quality control situation at Delectables, there should be clearly provided the information regard the quantity delivery products and its consumption. If the quantity of delivery products exceeds their consumption, the amount of it should be reduced. Frequent delivery of fresh products will improve quality in food safety and situation at Delectables. The workers will have the opportunity to prepare delicious meals that will force the competitors to stay aside.
The Quality Control Director will be effective in the current company culture, as the company suffered complains from the consumers in finding salmonella in not fresh products. He will be responsible for the proper quality of delivery products that will lead to the prosperity of the company and attracting attention of the consumers.
Upper management influences culture of the company. Such problems, as careful control of the situation, critical policy decisions, eliminating and identifying unproductive work, act according the company’s reputation concern and values should be addressed by it. The issues related to attitude of foremen on the factory floor and the workers that are in misunderstanding, disrespect to each other, and unethical leadership should be immediately resolved. Improvement in quality control at Delectables will face pressures and challenges. Unethical behavior, trustworthiness, disrespect from the employees, emotional stress can provoke the collapse. However, concentrating on the main aim of success, such pressures and challenges can be easily overcome.
PART B– Background Facts
The government faces the challenges such as, consumers’ demand, income decline in the labor market, lack of enough funds, and inspections staff that deals with food safety issues at companies like Delectables. The consumers are the first who assess the level of products quality. They pay money for food safety and the government obtains the income. If food safety not responds the quality, the number of customers will be reduced and the profits will decline. The government should act according to the health care and needs of its citizens, sustaining the basic principles of business ethics.
The state of Georgia should attract attention of the consumers with the help of providing reliable information about the level of food safety quality firstly placing the interests of the consumers. Encouragement and support of the government will help the companies to act more socially responsibly in improving hygienic standards. The government should ensure regular inspections on food safety, quality conditions and ensure the acting of the companies according to the required federal laws (Trevino & Nelson, 2014). The state should not let food companies regulate themselves, as it will lead to unethical practices of business that may cause harm to the society. Industry self-regulation may be compatible with protecting the public interests in operating based on the main principles of business ethics and culture.
PART C – Background Facts
Various ethical and legal issues are raised by proposal of the supervisor to ship Red-tagged cases of peanut butter to San Lopegattia. Delivery of low quality products to San Lopegattia will lead to legal issues. Operating unfair business provokes criminal liability that is not supported by international, federal and state business laws. The duty of the supervisor is to deliver high quality products. He is responsible for the health of consumers. Violation the rules lead to adverse consequences that can cause liability abuse of the supervisor and total company’s default. The ethical issues in this case are identified in lack of honesty, fairness in marketing process, involvement in unlawful trade and lack of high degree of food quality products’ safety in Delectables. The arguments of the supervisor are not subjected to the international business ethics theories and models. The obligations, duties of the supervisor and principles, are neglected and according to deontological theories of business ethics. Fairness, loyalty, respect for human being lost its value (Trevino & Nelson, 2014). The supervisor avoids the analytical model of characteristics of individuals. Ethical awareness, ethical judgment and ethical behavior are not proper for him in resolving the issues of the company. His actions are done against the law. Analytical model of relationship between Law and Ethics is unacceptable in this case. He does not take into consideration interests, responsibilities and requirements of the society.
If the proposal relates instead to Yellow sticker products, the analysis will remain the same. The yellow sticker peanut products as well as red sticker peanut products are harmful to the health of the consumers. The duty of the company is to deliver high quality products to the society without any deficiencies. Nevertheless, all the products before food consumption should be carefully tested and passed the proper quality control, as any deficiency can lead to undesirable consequences both unethical and illegal.
PART D – Background Facts
Business ethics should be based on honesty, fairness, respect and meet the needs of consumers. Any violation of these properties leads to the decline of the company. Violation of rules such as delivery of low quality products, bribery lead to serious legal offence both nationally as well as internationally. Decision of Delectables Company regards of accepting the San Lopez supermarket’s offer will be against the business laws of the country. To cooperate with another company, Delectables should respond to business ethics in needs of the consumers and quality control of the products. Detecting illegal behavior of the inspection can provide severe punishment for organizations that are convicted of crimes. Cooperating with investigative authorities all the information regards illegal behavior is detected. The situations that lead to decline of the company provoke both illegal and unethical actions. The employees and the supervisor do not follow their main duties, neglect the needs of the consumers and deliver low quality products guided violation of the laws.
Summing up, fairness, honesty and loyalty will help to prevent the illegal actions. Signing an act of delivery high quality products and follow the main rules is possible for a business decision to be legal but still possibly not be ethical. To make profit and improve the situation of the company, there should be taken into consideration both ethical and legal actions. Following the basic rules of ethical business of the company, the success and profit will bring prosperity to Delectables Company.
