Game Simulation What Were the Ethical Issues

Game Simulation

What were the ethical issues presented in the simulation?

The two scenarios had different ethical issues that presented themselves. The first scenario was about a contaminant that was found in a supplement that the company was using, and the second was about selling a defective product to buyers in another country. In the first ethical dilemma, the levels of contamination were lower than the FDA recommendation, but higher than the company standards. The task was to decide whether the company should recall the slightly tainted supplement or not. For the second dilemma, the issue was that the FDA had raised its standard and the marketing department was trying to get the inspector to sign off on selling the product in other countries where the standards were not as strict.

What decision-making steps did you take to ethically address these issues?

The steps were to follow the lenses and make sure that every step was accompanied by an ethical decision. It could be considered ethical to do nothing, on some level, but the integrity of the company would be compromised. Both dilemmas tested the knowledge of the company's core values and what should be done if the company believed that even one person could be harmed by the product. Detailing the different steps of the dilemma was crucial to understanding all that the problem entailed and determining what the best course of action was. Another primary issue was understanding who all of the stakeholders were and maintaining a personal responsibility to them.

What ethical perspectives, or lenses, did you use to make your decisions in the simulation?

The ethical lens that I used in the first case was rights/responsibilities. I focused on the rights of all the stakeholders and the responsibility that the company had to enforce those rights. This allowed me to consider the outcome of my decision. If I were not aware of the responsibility that the company has toward the consumers, the decision would have cost the company to lose money. The consumer has the right to be informed about the products that he or she consumes. This lens also allowed me to identify the impact my decision would have on the stakeholders. Had my decision caused major liability issues everyone would be affected from the consumers to the shareholders. The shareholders are the company's primary purpose. However, neglecting the consumer would greatly impact that purpose. The shareholder has the right to expect the company to act without malice and in a manner that will maximize profits. The CEO has the right to expect the company to maintain its reputation by adhering to the core values of the company. I have the right to not perform any task that violates my core values. Considering all the rights owed to the stakeholders, my decision to inform the consumer so that he or she would be able to make an informed decision was the best for everyone involved. I had the responsibility to make sure that the company was treating the customers the way all those concerned would want to be treated.

In the second case, I used the relationship lens. The thought of selling products in a foreign market that I would not sell in the United States raised many issues on my part. Upholding the company's internal quality was an issue in the first case. If the product did not meet the company's standards, what would it be saying about the company if we sold these products overseas and still face the possibility of litigation liabilities? In order for the company to maintain its core values, it was not possible on my part to decide to sell the contaminated product to the foreign market. All of the company's consumers are entitled to rights no matter the wealth or status of the consumer. All stakeholders in this situation had the right to fair process. They also had the right to know what the rules are and what processes the company uses to enforce them. The company has the responsibility to uphold those rights.

How did these ethical perspectives, or lenses, influence your management decisions?