Ethics Case Analysis (Essay Sample)

Ethics Case Analysis
Name
Institution
Ethics Case Analysis
Ethical issues cannot be avoided in management and running of a business just like in our daily lives. What is a good or bad, right or wrong, ethical or unethical action and working free from moral defect sounds easy to enforce but it is not always the case. External forces and circumstances may sometimes deter one’s well- grounded morals and values. Managers often juggle choices and priorities in attaining set goals. They have a strong impact on setting ethical grounds within an organization.
Ethics outline the rules that should be followed in making decisions. The Technology Company had a good reputation. An ethical issue comes up when Lauren found out that the product deviated from the required standard. Though by a small margin, this still pose a threat. Additionally, her immediate managers dismissed this fact and wanted mass production of the merchandise. Lauren was faced with a moral issue. Analyzing the situation was a task since her non-compliance would strain her relationship with her immediate bosses. Her signature on a fraudulent report would make the company delay production, lose or take up the contract. Her immediate bosses did not consult the upper management or the company that had outsourced the work. All the stakeholders are equally important since the decision taken would ultimately affect them. Scholars have developed several approaches to ethics.
The utilitarian approach addresses the outcome of the actions. It advocates that the results should do more good than harm. Ethicists agree that an ethical process offer a significant balance of good over wrong (Pritchard, 2006). Solutions of any action should provide more good and the least harm to customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, the environment, and surrounding communities. An ethical warfare should consider all the parties affected. A good overlook of all the possible solutions and the outcomes ought to be well analyzed. The action that produces the greatest benefit to the greatest number should be taken. In considering our case, a great harm will be done to the majority, who are the customers since they will be sold substandard goods that do not meet all the specifications. The company should consider manufacturing of up to standard goods that keep their customers satisfied with their services. The probability of customers identifying the defect or hitch in extreme conditions is high since the product met the requirements by only a small margin. This would jeopardize their relationship with customers in the long-run.
The rights approach advocates for freedom of action. Philosophers argued that humans are free beings and should be liberal in their actions. They have the capacity to think over their actions and the resultant consequences. The dignity of human beings should not be violated by imposing what they should do and how they should do it (Koehn, 2010). They should be given the freedom to choose their course of action. This profound right should be respected. Lauren by all means knew that pushing the product through production was morally wrong. The two bosses above her advocated for the move. The managers did not give her a right to choose what was right. She was being impelled approve the product. A violation of her freedom to make a choice implies that the action that the managers wanted her to take was wrong.
The justice approach, also known as the fairness approach, originates from the famous Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who recommended that individuals of equal stature should be treated equally, while unequal individuals should be treated unequally (Allegretti and Frederick, 1995). Discrimination or favors towards a particular individual or a set of persons is considered unjust and unethical. Ethical and moral actions have to treat all human beings equally or in some instances unequally based on justifiable grounds. The managers were only working on their self-interest to making profits. This does not provide any defense to the unjust act of producing sub-standard products. They should have the concern of customers at heart and produce products that they would also commend to themselves. They should reckon that customers are equal to them and produce quality goods.
According to Pritchard (2006), “the common good approach advocates for actions that benefit the entire community.” Indiv...