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The significance of Corporate Social Responsibility
Essay define corporate social responsibility
Case studies in business ethics and corporate governance
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Introduction
Stirling Bridge is a well-established, tool manufacturing company who demonstrated a lack of moral responsibility by failing to disclose vital product safety information to an overseas buyer following the company’s voluntary product recall.
Background
Stirling Bridge had been a thriving power tool business for over 100 years. The company had sold and distributed power tools and equipment all over the U.S., Europe, and third world countries. Recently one of Stirling Bridge’s top selling products, the Braveheart power tool line, came under attack when consumer agencies conducted research and found many consumers who purchased the power tools were experiencing significant harm and personal injury after use. Stirling Bridge (STIRLING BRIDGE) had identified potential safety concerns with their power tools and hired an independent research company to investigate why consumers were being injured using their power tools, well before the company came under the attack of public agencies.
Company stakeholders included the President of the power tool division Mike Wallace, the Chief Executive Officer Robert Bruce, the Chief sales representative John Comyn, Vice President Melvin Gibson and Clay More, the President of the hardware retailer trade association in Polynesia and the consumers.
Analysis
Stirling Bridge demonstrated strong moral principles when deciding how to best approach consumer injuries related to the Braveheart power tools line. STIRLING BRIDGE took the public interest to heart and exercised the utilitarian approach to serve the greatest good for the greatest number. Stirling Bridge exhausted substantial financial and labor resources to focus more on the well-bei...
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... exhibited ethical decision making and the utilitarian approach when they addressed the safety issues of the Braveheart power tools. They enhanced safety features, improved product instructions and highlighted product warning information; however, when they chose to sale the recalled power tools overseas and made a conscious moral decision not to fully disclose the potential hazards to the buyer, they displayed a lack of integrity and violated their moral duty and potentially caused a threat to the health and well-being of the overseas consumer.
Works Cited
Beauchamp, Tom L.. "Stirling Bridge's Unloading of Surpluss Tools." Case studies in
business, society, and ethics. 1983. Reprint, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 2003.
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Velasquez, Manuel. Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases. 1992. Reprint, Upper Saddle River,
N.J.: Pearson, 2012.
In conclusion, based upon my understanding of the social responsibilities and ethics of businesses, this is a clear example of businesses ignoring their responsibilities. By allowing their first tank to be placed in such a dangerous area, the business placed their employees in danger, completely ignoring the entire concepts of both job safety and employee well-being. It was their place to ensure that their employees would be safe, and they completely ignored
Consider a business case that challenges ethical behavior and standards. As the new controller for Mega Wheels, Inc., Julie Emerson needs to adhere to the IMA’s Statement of Ethical Profession...
Black & Decker (B&D) is a global manufacturer and the world’s largest producer of power tools, power tool accessories, electric lawn and garden tools, and residential security hardware. The company was a pioneer in innovation and development of power tools and has used that position to build strong brand names that enjoy worldwide recognition. Key Causes for Poor Performance in the Professional-Tradesmen Segment The reason B&D has performed poorly in the professional-tradesmen segment is due to the positioning of the B&D brand in this segment. Poor positioning of the brand has resulted in customer confusion and negatively impacted customer perception of the brand in terms of being a quality product. B&D Performance in the Power Tool Industry Overall Any adjustments to B&D’s strategy in the professional-tradesmen segment must not have an adverse impact on their success in the consumer or professional-industrial segments. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the needs of each segment will be important in building a viable strategy to challenge Makita in the professional-tradesmen segment, while continuing to maintain share in the other two segments. _Consumer _Segment Professional-Tradesmen Segment This category consists of professionals who are buying a product for their own use on a job site. Their livelihood depends on the quality and performance, as well as the reflection on their skills that using a particular tool brings from others on the job site. Since they are purchasing their own tools, this segment needs this high quality performance at a reasonable price. However, since Makita and Milwaukee are both priced higher than B&D and are seeing greater success in this category, tradesmen are clearly willing to pay more for a product they perceive will be more effective for their use. Key needs for this market segment include: Performance and quality - {text:change} does the job needed to be done, doesn’t break down, produces high-quality results and more efficiently gets the job done. Reliability and durability - does the job every time and can be used for an extended period of heavy continual use. Safety Support from the Manufacturer – if the product breaks or performs poorly, access to replacement parts and service will be key in maximizing performance up-time.
BP was founded in 1908 under the name Anglo-Persian Oil Company. They changed their name to British Petroleum in 1954 and merged with Amoco in 1998. (BP Public Website, 2010) “The Texas City Refinery is BP’s largest and most complex oil refinery... It was owned and operated by Amoco prior to the merger of BP and Amoco.” (Michael P. Broadribb, 2006) Throughout their history, there have been a number of accidents that have been caused by negligence and disregard of safety precautions. Unfortunately many lives have been cut short or seriously injured as a result. My research will focus on the 2005 Texas City Oil Refinery Explosion. I will attempt to look into the ethical implications that surrounded this disaster before and after the event and suggest what BP could have done to prevent the incident then and in the future.
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When we consider the case of the Ford Pinto, and its relative controversy, through the varied scope of ethical viewpoints, the results might surprise us. From a personal standpoint, as a consumer, the idea of selling a vehicle to the masses with such a potentially devastating flaw is completely unethical. When we consider the case from other directions and other ethical viewpoints, however, it makes it clear that often ethics are a matter of perspective and philosophy. It’s also clear that there are cases where more information will muddy the waters, rather than clear them.
The engineer breached the duty of care through failing his/her duty to warn by providing insufficient warning on the limitation of the application. His/her software application caused the structural firm to designed a defective bridge and was the direct cause of many deaths. The junior engineer should be held liable for his/her product due to the principle known as product liability. This is evident in the case study because deaths and injuries due to defective product as a result of the software were foreseeable. Looking at the 1971 case of Lambert v. Lastoplex Chemicals Co. Limited et al., the manufacturers must not only instruct the user how to properly use the products but also warn the user the consequences of misuse []. This precedent case proves that the engineer failed to warn the structural firm of the limitation of the application as well as failed to warn the consequences of using the application beyond its capabilities. However, the information technology firm may be held vicariously liable for the mistake of the junior engineer as he/she developed the software application during his/her employment. The reason being the employer generally has deeper pocket than the employee [] and the collapse was a result of the junior engineer developing the application under the authority of the employer. Thus, the junior engineer is one of the tortfeasor to which the information firm maybe vicariously liable for his/her
No one ever goes to work and expects to get injured. Workplace accidents and injuries in the United States, cost employers $62 billion, according to the 2016 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index (Donlon, 2016). Of the $62 billion, 82.5% of those injuries can be credited to 10 of the leading causes (Donlon, 2016). Some of the most serious are nonfatal workplace injuries, yet they still cost companies millions of dollars every year. The workplace injuries impact more people involved than just the person who was hurt and the employer. The employees’ family can be affected by the financial burden, medical costs, and the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing of the employee. The employer and its employees are also affected. In addition
Stakeholders include anyone who reads the ad, any employee from Damon Investment Company, Damon’s competitors, and current and future customers or shareholders of Damon.
BP turbulent history can be considered the impalement to the current safety and operational procedures. BP had emphasized personal safety and improvements, but the company had a personal injury rates that accounted for 95% of the injuries related to the oil industry. Following the Gulf oil spill disaster, a number of safety recommendations were endorsed by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. It was then BP realized the future of the company was in its on hands and possibly sealed, if they didn’t address the much needed safety and operational procedures. The organization had a clear understanding
...A. Paoline III (2012) Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) and Citizen Injuries: The Shocking Empirical Reality, Justice Quarterly, 29:2, 153-182, DOI: 10.1080/07418825.2010.549834
The present situation of the company shows that ideas, Late Mr. McFettridge had, are not implemented properly. Miller Tool Company may have become a favourite investment spot for Financial Institutes, but the reality is quite different. The company needs to sort out a number of matters in the coming future.
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McLaren, B. (2010, July 22). The ethical responsibility of engineers and the rest of us, too [Web log article]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-d-mclaren/the-ethical-responsibilit_b_653812.html