Ethics and Responsibilities go hand in hand. With businesses that develop products for the public, the decision making process is crucial. Before one can make a judgement for what is right and wrong, one must understand to a degree the consequences of those actions.
Businesses have responsibilities for the product they manufacture and distribute, but how much responsibility is too much. In this perspective, we will examine the ethical implications of product manufacturing of Product Quality, Pricing, and Labeling and Packaging.
With Product Quality, the responsibilities of a business are simple. Develop a low cost, high quality product that withstands the normal limitations of it’s use. Quality can be defined as doing the
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This would violate the standard of product quality, which is to create a high quality, low costing product as mentioned earlier.
To further illustrate, Fuller’s Company provides industrial glues, coatings, and paints. If a consumer buys an industrial glue, and it does not work as effectively due to the addition to the noxious oil, this is an example of doing the wrong thing. On the other hand, if the glue works as promised, but the consumer gets sick while using the product the correct way, this is an example of the right thing, done the wrong way. Lastly, if the glue holds for some, and does not for others, then the company has failed to do the right thing, the first time, and every time. This would make this product one of poor quality, and that is unethical.
Companies can avoid unintentionally creating poor quality products, and create a peace of mind with their consumers with the use of warranties. Warranties are obligations to purchasers that sellers assume. (Shaw, 226) The two types of warranties include express, and implied warranties.
Express Warranties are specific promises made by a seller, whether orally, or in print. These promises usually include a description of items, the assurance that the product will work as designed, and factual statements. Concerning case 4.3, an example of an express warranty
1. Breach of an express warranty - An express warranty is a guarantee from the seller of a product that specifies the extent to which the quality or performance of the product is assured and states the conditions under which the product can be returned, replaced, or repaired. It is often given in the form of a specific, written "Warranty" document. However, a warranty may also arise by operation of law based upon the seller's description of the goods, and perhaps their source and quality, and any material deviation from that specification would violate the guarantee. For example, an advertisement describing a product is often full of express warranties; the product must substantially conform to what is advertised. Many advertisers insert disclaimers for this purpose (e.g., "actual color/mileage/results may vary", or "not shown actual size"). Commonly, written warranties will assure the buyer that an article is of good quality and against defects in "materials and workmanship." A warranty may also apply to services that
Target has suggested that its vendors create special products or prevent price comparisons to help decrease consumer show-rooming (Kinicki & Williams, 2013). Pressure of this sort could create opportunities for vendors to participate in unethical practices and could create a negative image for Target (McKay, Nitsch, & Peters, 2015). Although laws, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, are basic frameworks that business operations must comply with, there is no guideline that businesses have to follow when making business decisions. Furthermore, ethical behavior can be perceived by customers, investors, and society as corporate responsible while creating additional value for products or services (Kinicki et al., 2013). Target should ensure that it ethically follows all constraints of the law while considering the impacts its decisions will have on its stakeholders, and while fostering an image, responsibly by corporate.
Ethically the company will not have shipped out a known defective product but consumer moral will be lowered due to not receiving everything that they have paid for. The company operated morally but did not give the consumer what they asked for.
2. In addition, under the rules of UCC § 2-315, (Fitness for Particular Purpose) any cooperation or business that violated an implied warranty of fitness shall be responsible for: At the time of contracting knows a buyer’s particular use (and the buyer relies on the seller’s expertise or judgment in choosing the product) then an ‘implied warranty of fitness has been created.
| says that producers must provide a clearly written warranty if they choose to offer any warranty.
The corporate world has an unfavorable view of itself by being selfish, evil, and against the average American. Companies market themselves and their products in certain ways that makes them and their products appealing to everyone and if not everyone then a certain group of people. Every company has a mission to follow and values to go by, but some companies lack ethics and morals. In this paper I am going to talk about one company that engages in ethical behavior and another that doesn’t.
Ensures consumer goods are always in best possible mechanical condition. Major Drawback of Purchasing
In this essay, I will argue that Ford Motor Company’s business behavior was unethical as demonstrated in the Ford Pinto Case. Ford did not reveal all the facts to consumers about a harmful gas tank design in the Ford Pinto. They tried to justify their decision to sell an unsafe car by using a Cost-Benefit Analysis which determined it was cheaper to sell the cars without changing to a safer gas tank. The price of not fixing the gas tanks is human injuries and fatalities. By choosing not to make the Pinto a safer vehicle Ford placed a price on the head of every consumer. Ford’s primary concern was to maximize profits. Ford had a duty and ethical responsibility to customers to
To offer an annual warranty that did not require an initial treatment. Not requiring the initial treatment made the new service more of an insurance product, versus a guarantee of performance.
Products normally come with an implied warranty of merchantability, which states that the product will be fit for ordinary use, it will
b) From the perspective of GE Oil and Gas, a product it sells under warranty represents a potential loss of the amount of the warranty. It also reflects the company's willingness to guarantee the quality of its product. In the case of the telescopic joint, this would mean $2,000 per product sold. From the perspective of BP as purchaser of the product, the warranty represents protection against potential financial loss incurred as a result of product failure.
Does H. B. Fuller have any responsibility for the abuse of Resistol by street children in Central America? If Resistol were being abused by young people in the United States, would the responsibility of the company be any different?
In a world where loss of reputation can mean the difference between achieving positive revenue, maintaining market position or suffering substantial losses, it has become increasingly important to not only remain at the top of your field in manufacturing and innovation but to also demonstrate sound ethical practices. In order to be seen as a valued organisation and most importantly a
Ethical dilemmas are virtually impossible to avoid if you are a participant in the workforce. The definition of an ethical dilemma stands as a situation that challenges two or more “right” values that arise in a conflict (Treviño & Nelson, 2014). As ethical persons, how may we overcome ethical dilemmas and finish on the “right” side? The research mentioned in Trevino’s and Nelson’s book, “Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How to Do It Right,” suggests that preparing for specific ethical challenges before a situation occurs can adequately prepare the workforce to better handle real-world applications when an ethical situation transpires. The notion that ethics is teachable inspires the following case analysis. The case analysis involving chemical safety will discuss the facts and issues, stakeholders, decision alternatives, and real-work constraints. Focusing on each of the previously mentioned topics, I will describe the applications using Utilitarian, Kantian Ethics, and Rawlsian Justice Analysis’s.
The boss tried to justify why keeping silent was the best solution, and there was going to be a new liner out in one to two years to replace the bad products. At this time, Jacob was involved in a conspiracy to continue in the status quo so the company revenue with the faulty products would not decline, and not worry about the issues the problems would be solved in a few years. The ethical issue involved is client deception; to knowingly sell a product, and failure to respond to complaints about the quality of the defective products (Boatright, 2009). The fraud and lack of social responsibility to the environment, is very disappointing by Richardson Drilling. Hillary, Jacob’s boss, does not want outside sources to know about the problems with the parts. Discounting the inventory, where regulations are less restrictive, opens the door to corporate scandals, and environmental disasters. If I were Jacob, I would immediately inform management there is a potential issue which should be looked into regarding substandard parts being sold, and distributed. I believe if you are an ethical person, you should not have to warn people to beware; there ought to be trust with the company. A person selling something is morally obligated to inform the purchaser of several things: the value of the product, faithfulness to the client,