Volkswagen Emissions Scandal. (Essay Sample)

Volkswagen Emissions Scandal.
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Volkswagen Emissions Scandal.
A recent ethical scandal in the business field is the Volkswagen emissions scandal. In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered that Volkswagen had programmed their diesel vehicles to recognize when they were being tested for emissions (Lynch, et al., 2016). The vehicles would then activate a “clean diesel” mode which would reduce the amount of pollutants emitted. As a result, Volkswagen was able to pass emissions tests, even though their vehicles were actually emitting up to 40 times the legal limit of pollutants (Jung and Sharon, 2019).
This scandal had significant legal and ethical implications for Volkswagen. Legally, the company was found guilty of violating the Clean Air Act and was fined a record-breaking $14.7 billion. Ethically, Volkswagen was guilty of deceiving their customers, the government, and the public in order to make a larger profit. The scandal also had implications for the environment, as it caused more pollutants to be released into the atmosphere than would have been if the emissions standards had been followed (Irwin, 2018).
In order to resolve this ethical dilemma, Volkswagen should have recognized the risks associated with their actions and developed a plan to uphold their ethical standards. They should have taken responsibility for their actions, instead of trying to cover them up. The company should have also been transparent about their emissions testing and should have taken steps to reduce emissions before they were caught by the EPA (Jung and Sharon, 2019). Additionally, Volkswagen should have worked with the EPA to develop a plan of action to reduce emissions and to ensure that they are in compliance with all emissions regulations.
Overall, the Volkswagen emissions scandal is an example of a company