Case Study: Corporate Social Responsibility (Case Study Sample)

Instructions:

Paper instructions Use the Instructions for Case Analyses to craft a response to this case, articulating the main issues and ethical dilemma. Review the assessment criteria below before you begin writing. Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility People Involved: Bob, President John, Chemical Engineer Henry, Controller Kirk, Assistant Controller Kirk is a bright individual who is being groomed for the Controller’s position in a medium-sized manufacturing firm. After his first year as Assistant Controller, the officers of the firm were starting to include him in major company functions. For instance, today he was attending the monthly financial statement summary given at a prestigious consulting firm. During the meeting, Kirk was intrigued at how all the financial data he had been accumulating was transformed by the consultant into revealing charts and graphs. Kirk was generally optimistic about the session and the company’s future until the consultant started talking about the new manufacturing plant the company was adding to the current location and the costs per unit of the chemically plated products it produced. At that time, Bob (the President) and John (the chemical engineer) started talking about waste treatment and disposal problems. John mentioned that the current waste facilities were not adequate to handle the waste products that would be created by the “ultramodern” new plant in a manner that would meet the industry's fairly high standards, although they could still comply with federal standards. Kirk’s boss, Henry, noted that the estimated cost per unit would be increased if the waste treatment facilities were upgraded according to recent industry standards. While industry standards are presently more stringent than federal regulations, environmentalists are strongly pressuring for more stringent regulations at the federal level. Bob mentioned that since their closest competitor did not have the waste treatment facilities that already existed at their firm, he was not in favor of further expenditure in this area. Most managers at this meeting resoundingly agreed with Bob, and business continued on to another topic. Kirk did not hear a word during the rest of the meeting. He kept wondering how the company could possibly have such a casual attitude toward the environment. Yet he did not know if, how, or when he could share his opinion. Soon he started reflecting on whether this was the right firm for him. What should Kirk do? Putting Corporate Responsibility first, but recognizing the politics at play, what is the most ethical thing to do? The most practical? What strategy would you suggest to Kirk if he came to you for advice? Written Assignment Requirements Submit a written paper which is 3 pages in length exclusive of reference page and that is double-spaced. The paper should cite sources to support your ideas. Be sure to review the assessment /Guidlines criteria attached before beginning your paper. Cite any reference(s) you use in the preparation of your essay using proper APA format. source..

Content:

Corporate Social Responsibility Student’s Name Department, Institution Course Name Professor Date of Submission Corporate Social Responsibility Background Pollution is the degradation of water, air, and land either by various natural phenomena or by human actions. In the given case, Kirk is an assistant controller of a manufacturing company who is collecting experience to become a controller. During a meeting with a consulting firm, Kirk hears about his firm’s plan to construct a new manufacturing plant for chemically plated products. However, the plant will produce waste material that cannot be treated with the current waste facility. Kirk is confronted with a dilemma to choose between the company’s decision to ignore the pollution guidelines of the industry or to practice corporate social responsibility and protect the environment form pollution. Dilemma The ethical problem that Kirk faces is to challenge his employer who has agreed to the construction of a manufacturing plant that will pollute the environment. The case presents such ethical aspects as the firm’s lack of integrity, concern for human life and health, and accountability (“12 Ethical Principles for Business Executives”, n.d.). The company decides to continue building the plant with the knowledge that the waste produced affects human health and the environment. The firm does not hold itself accountable for the risks presented by the waste if it is released to the environment. In addition, the firm lacks integrity, valuing their own capital gains and growth over the state of the environment. The ethical issues ignored by the firm will lead to the construction of the plant, which will result in pollution of the environment. Stakeholders The case involves specific individuals who are to be held accountable. These people include Bob, who is the president of the firm, John, its chemical engineer, Henry who is the controller and Kirk’s boss, and Kirk himself. Bob, Henry, and John all ignore the ethical decision to install upgrades to the current waste treatment facility. The parties involved are responsible for their decision because they have all the information needed but act according to their considerations. Strategies The ethical issues that arise from the text can be solved through the use of different strategies. Kirk can use such strategies as whistle blowing the construction of the manufacturing plant and talking to the president about corporate social responsibility (“Corporate Social Responsibility: Environmental Impact”, n.d.). The first strategy, namely whistle blowing, can catch the attention of environmentalists who can help delay or stop the construction of the plant. Moreover, the environmentalist can help to inform the public about the dangers of the venture. The public can pressure the company to stop or cancel the project and demand the formation of new policies by the federal government to control industrial toxic waste (Brown, 2001). The second strategy Kirk should consider is to approach Bob. Kirk should talk to the president in a respectable manner, emphasizing his ethical concerns about the environment. If the president understands the immoral issues of the project, he might change his mind and decide to upgrade the waste facilities or stop the development of the plant completely. Ethical Implications Ethical implications are to result from executing the strategies. To be specific, if the first strategy is executed, the ethical implications would mean that Kirk has betrayed his firm or helped the public. This strategy would mostly affect the firm, as the plant construction process has to be cancelled. The ethical implications of the second strategy would be the firm accepting accountability, if Kirk succeeds, or betrayal, if the president decides to fire Kirk and continue with the project. This strategy has the potential to influence Kirk largely since he could lose his job if, expectedly, the management of the company values their own business goals over the ethical considerations of their assistant controller. Constraints Specific risks are associated with pursuit of each strategy. The risks for the first strategy include Kirk being fired and panic arising in the co...

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Case Study: Corporate Social Responsibility (Case Study Sample)

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