Business Ethics Case Study

The main question of this situation is whether I, a supplier of business materials, am morally responsible for fixing or replacing a deck when the materials used in construction failed to meet the customer’s expectations to the point where it could have potentially cost her life. Though the incident was not necessarily my responsibility, and I have no legal obligation to fix the problem, I, personally, would not be able to do nothing to help while a customer suffered because something that I claimed would last a lifetime, lasted only a couple of years. Of course, taking the hit financially would be difficult. But as a person who strives to be as moral as I can, I would not in good conscience be able to stand idle while the customer was taken advantage of. To help my position, I will examine several ethical schools of thought to thoroughly inspect my point of view.

Aristotle believed that in order to become a virtuous person, you had to practice moral behavior. In this situation, the moral thing to do would be to help the woman replace her deck, which in turn would make me into an increasingly moral human being. As a whole, Aristotle would say that in helping to fix the situation, I would not only benefit the people who purchased the materials, but also myself as an individual. Aristotle would also point out that doing a morally right deed would begin to create moral habits in my inner being, which in turn would help on the journey towards “eudemonia,” or the consistent state of having a good soul. This was what Aristotle believed to be the main purpose of life, and my decision would contribute towards that