Ethical Dilemma 1
An annoyed worker in a competitor reveals confidential information about a new product.
Identification of Ethical Issue
This situation presents several issues of ethical consideration. To start with, the employee is revealing confidential information about a new product just because he is disgruntled by his employer. From a business standpoint, my company would benefit immensely from this information. However, this kind of advantage is grossly immoral from an ethical point of view.
Legal Standpoint
From a legal perspective, this situation has a lot of legal implications. Firstly, the law prohibits employees from disclosing confidential information to other people. This also applies to company policy and regulations in almost all corporate establishments. By disclosing confidential information, the employee has already violated contractual agreements between him and the company. Secondly, if my company uses this information, it will be benefiting from illegal business practice.
Moral and Ethical Standpoint
This issue also presents numerous perspectives from an ethical standpoint. It is fundamentally immoral for any employee to disclose confidential information to rival companies. Considering that my company did not approach this employee, it is morally permissible to use this information. According to basic ethical theories, the permissibility or impermissibility of actions should be determined by the outcomes. If the outcomes are beneficial, then an action is morally permissible even if the constituent premises are unethical. (Singer, p. 61)
On the other hand, an action is morally impermissible if its consequences are harmful or undesirable. In this particular situation, the constituent premises are unethical but the outcome is desirable.
The Company in the Long-run
In the long run, the company cannot depend on these kinds of tactics from both legal and moral perspectives. Depending on this kind of information can easily ruin the company’s reputation. Furthermore, legal implications might undermine the company’s performance in the future.
Decision
Considering the potential implications, it would be important for the company send back the information. From both legal and ethical standpoints, using this information would have detrimental effects to the company. In the short run, the company might use this information to have a competitive edge over its rival. However, this would not be the case in the long run. The company’s image would be tarnished and lose faith among its clients. It is also immoral for any company to use an unfair advantage over its competitors. (Singer, p. 92)This is tantamount to the violation of business code of ethics.
Ethical Dilemma 2
The second ethical dilemma presents a situation in which local inhabitants are affected by pollution from the company’s production activities. Even though the pollution levels conform to EPA guidelines, the company is faced with the dilemma of ignoring or responding to the complaints.
Legal Standpoint
The pollution levels from the company conform to the provisions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The company is therefore acting in accordance with the law and cannot be subjected to any legal sanctions. If the emission levels did not conform to EPA standards, the company would have been in a difficult situation from a legal point of view. From another perspective, it is critical to note that the activities of any company should not endanger the lives of other people. Consequently, the neighborhood group has sufficient grounds to sue the company. It is also vital to note that the new scrubber system cannot be installed without the approval of all stakeholders. This is also a critical legal issue that must be addressed.
Moral and Ethical Standpoint
As outlined earlier, an action is considered morally permissible if its consequences are beneficial. On the other hand, a morally impermissible action encompasses an action whose outcomes are undesirable. Even if the company’s production process conforms to EPA regulations, the outcomes are hazardous to the surrounding communities. As a result, even though the company’s production is ethical, the outcomes are morally impermissible. Based on ethical principles, the permissibility of an action should be assessed based on the doer’s intentions. (Singer, p. 97)
If an individual’s actions are guided by bad intentions, such actions are morally impermissible. However, if an individual’s actions are based on good intentions, such actions are morally permissible. Based on this rationale, the company’s production procedures are ethically acceptable since they are based on good intentions.
The company in the long run
If the company continues with this production process, the community’s health will be significantly endangered. On the flipside, the company will have to spend a lot of money in acquiring the scrubber equipment.
Decision
Having critically examined the ethical and legal perspectives in this case, installing the scrubber system would be the best decision. From a moral point of view, it is not ethical for the company to endanger people’s health whereas it has alternatives. Even though the scrubber system is quite expensive, it would serve the company’s best interests for the short and long term. Such an approach would substantially minimize potential conflicts in the future. Furthermore, this would enhance the company’s ethical credibility.
Reference
Singer, Peter. Practical ethics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
