Business and Virtue Ethics Essay

Abstr snatch For the purposes of this assignment we leave alone analyze the Mattel showcase and discuss the actions of the guild regarding the behavior and actions in companionship with the Global Manufacturing Process that was use. Breaches of the two business ethics elements of integrity and egoism ordain be assessed. Within the discussion I puzzle set the justices circumspection, justice, fidelity, and courage that were largely pillaged by the Mattel organization and how it affected the employees of Mattel.We will discuss the implications of chastity, deontological, and utilitarian ethics regarding their potential usefulness in rating of the Mattel case. Introduction Mattels concept of Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) was not a bracing concept. The m all forms of GMP including International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and considerably Manufacturing Practices (GMP) have been both(prenominal) for decades and have worked to insure that specific indust ries ar held to a step that is pains wide. ISOs model is Say what you do, and do what you say.When a company endeavors to become ISO qualified, it is take ond to document every activity (as a standard operating procedure, SOP) that occurs within the company and adhere to that process without deviation. ISO qualified companies atomic number 18 alship canal subject to canvass by other ISO registered companies and is initi tout ensembley audited by four such companies in order to acquire certification. Having been directly refer with ISO implementation at a former employer that supplied fasteners for manufacturing, I am fully aw ar of how involved the certification is. The company SOP was oer atomic number 19 pages.Additionally, another ISO company can and will come in and audit your company prior to electing to conduct business with your company. In some instances, ISO energy is not profuse to be awarded the business. The victuals industry also adheres to the Good Manufac turing Practices, of which I was postulate to be certified in every year. separately department of the nutritional company I worked for had its own GMP standards that we were to adhere implicitly. The nutrition industry, while not regulated by the FDA, is controlled indirectly by the FDA. GMP is an FDA requirement.Having worked in two industries where the concept is not only standed, but required in some instances I was not impressed by the fact that Mattel implemented GMP of their own volition for the sole purpose to improve universe light aft(prenominal) misconduct was exposed by the media. Business Ethics come in The one word that I found that resonates finishedout the article, whether spoken or implied, is integrity. The incoming CEO invoked that Mattel would behave in all actions with unwavering integrity and that the companys commitment to the GMP remained unequivocal and undiminished.(Sethi, Shapiro, Emelianova, pg.490) Ironically, I identify the most noticeable and important business ethics reveal as just that a lack of integrity. Merriam Webster defines integrity as the slopped adherence to a code of oddly moral value, the tone or sate of being complete or undivided, and the quality of being supraboard or fair. Mattel exhibited none of these traits insofar as where their GMPs were concerned. In fact, thither were numerous infractions regarding the non-enforcement of their GMPs across the board in the Asia and Mexico based manufacturing facilities. The endorsement ethics issue I identified was narcissism.Mattel implemented this GMP curriculum with the pose of look at what were doing but with minimal effort to agree the success of the program. According to Duchon and Drake (2009) extreme narcissistic organizations will establish these lump ethics programs but will not have much doing on hindering un estimable behaviors. This was evident in that the supervisors at the factories knew what they were divinatory to be doing but found ways to circumvent the system and at that place were no reprisals as a result of their nonconformance. Ultimately, it was a program of rowing and not motions.Three Virtues Prudence Careful good supposition that allows someone to avoid danger or risks. (M-W, 2013) In my opinion, a great push-down list of misfortune and hardship could have been avoided if Mattel would have practiced a modicum of prudence before ever moving their manufacturing to Asia. In a perfect world, and especially in a modern world we do not expect electric razorren to work. However, when dealing with netherdeveloped countries it is normal for children to work in conditions that would be an insult to any Americans moral nature having abandoned child labor decades ago.If Mattel had done due diligence, they would have known that the easiness in Indonesia was operating in an unacceptable manner (Sethi, et al. pg. 486) and could have implemented running(a) conditions and requirements from the get-go. Then the e xposure by the media would have never been an issue. I have no doubt that the draw of paying lower wages and extend productivity was the catalyst to everywherelook the conditions in those overseas factories. Justice The quality of being just, impartial, or fair. Conformity to truth, fact, or reason. (M-W, 2013) The concept of justice was altogether lost on Mattel. While the implementation of the GMP program was comprehensive the execution of instrument and enforcement was unconscionable. The last paragraph of the GMP, exhibit 1 says that if Mattel determines that any of its manufacturing facilities or vendors violate these principles, we may either terminate our business relationship or require that facility to take corrective action. If corrective action is advised and not taken, Mattel will immediately terminate current production and suspend posture of future orders. (Sethi, et al.pg. 487).However, when audits were performed the facilities were rife with infractions but in that respect was no follow through when corrective actions were required. The facilities were allowed to continue to operate unhindered. Astonishingly, the 20 plus companies that were not possess by Mattel were allowed to operate without any disciplinary actions imposed by Mattel for infractions if any auditing was conducted at all. Considering the fact that both Mattel owned and vendor factories employ some hundred kilobyte plus employeesMattels actions were nowhere near impartial, fair, or conforming to fact or reason. Fidelity Quality or state of being faithful, accuracy in details. (M-W, 2013) For this virtue, I am concentrating on the act of being faithful to the employees. Whether or not the GMPs were self-imposed or not, Mattel had an certificate of indebtedness to the people it employs. Throughout the article, it was found during audits that the employees time cards would systematically be incomplete where they were not being allowed to clock-out. This resonates that th ese people were being required to work overtime off the books.Employees were not being disposed the distract days off or vacation time. Some living conditions and mobile canteen conditions were substandard. Fines were being imposed. (Sethi, et al. 2011) The list goes on and on. In my opinion, Mattel should have had impartial representatives on the ground in these factories to look that the rules for payment, work overtime, and work conditions were being upheld. in that location should have been constant supervision and vigilance on a somatic level.To think that audits that were being conducted every three years was comprehensive enough to get the job done was blind and narrow minded. Courage To go one step further. A virtue is an attitude. Courage is measured when there is risk involved but also rationality. To be truly mettlesome there needs to be a clear picture of what a persons values are. Courage does not need to be proven beyond a doubt. (Hartman, 2008) In the case of Mattel, I whole tone it was courageous to implement such a comprehensive GMP program although it was ill-conceived and ultimately failed.An even more courageous act would have been to rehab the program and bring it to its full potential and fruition. The article does not mention whether Mattel undergo any loss of revenue as a result, but public perception is a fickle entity and once all of the attention over sweat shops and child labor overseas died down, Mattel was no longer under the microscope. Financially, Mattel was spending money it perceivably no longer needed to spend. Since their program was self-imposed it is no surprise that Mattel just unceremoniously abandoned the GMP program after nine years.When some organizations implement and enforce codes as part of a self-regulation process and others do not, those who self-regulate invariably incur greater costs. These costs are usually passed onto the consumer who subsequently (and sensibly) choses the organization which offer s the cheaper product. (Blackburn & McGee, 2004) Virtue Ethics Virtues are attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop this potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted.Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues. (Andre, Meyer, Shanks, and Velazquez. 1988) Virtue ethics indicates that business terminations should be made in a manner that attributes to the overall goals of the professional. It stresses activities and motives, what we do and why. Virtue ethics offer up that action and motive are connected to character and disposition. Actions are taken and decisions made because they are linked to a certain character.(Blackburn and McGee. 2004) That ought does not mean right can be seen in another sort of case as well, namely, when what one ought to do in ones sight results from ones own prior wrongdoing. In such a case, doing what one ought to do may not be the same as doing a right act or a good deed. In fact, the same prior failure may both increase ones level of obligation to do a given act now and decrease ones level of praiseworthiness. (Russell, 2008) The above quote is especially poignant in the Mattel case.Because Mattel implemented the GMP program on the heels of a media expose, the intentions were not solely based on the right occasion to do, but on what they ought to do. Mattel probably did not get the recognition or good press they were looking for and therefore had no proclivity to ensure that the plan was a success. Utilitarian Ethics Actions are approved when they are as such to promote happiness and disapproved when they have a vogue to cause unhappiness. (Driver, 2009) We also know that utilitarian ethics work for the superlative good for the greatest number of people.Mattel directly employs over twenty thousand people throughout Asia and Mexico. If the happiness of those employees would have been considered the pay, working conditions, time off, and canteen programs would have never been an issue. If the executives of the company would have experienced any of those indecent conditions, they would have cried foul all the way to an attorney. The employees are ultimately odd without a voice and no recourse. Deontology To act according to the dictum that you would propensity all other rational people to follow as though it were universal law. Never treat a person as a means to an end. (Pecorino, 2000) Kant contends that where morality is concerned, it is guided by law and therefore judgment is not necessary to fill in the blanks, because there are no blanks. He believed that people can conform to duty and not be morally limited. He believed that we could use indeterminate action-guidance for imperfect duties, and Im paraphrasing to weigh the moral options for decisions regarding duty towards others. Because that decision requires the minimum of our morality . Kant rejected virtue ethics.(McAleer, 2001) My opinion is that deontology would not work in the Mattel case. There are to a fault many variables to consider in order to narrow down the maxim that will be comprehensive enough to include thousands of people over a number of cultural variances. Conclusion While the design of Mattels Global Manufacturing Principles may have been well intended and meant to improve the working conditions of the employees, the implementation was short-sighted and poorly executed. All too often when the few take to set standards for the many, the end result is a miscalculation.GMPs are not a one size fits all type of endeavor. Each facility should have had a program that was custom to their country and working conditions. The ethical treatment of employees was the intention but the ultimate governance was not enforced. The backwash was the abandonment of the program due to the lack of interest and participation on the public and other companies in the i ndustry. References Andre, Claire, Meyer, Michael and S. J. , Shanks, Thomas, Velasquez, Manuel. (1988) Ethics and Virtue. Issues in Ethics, V1 N3. Retrieved from http//www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/decision/ethicsandvirtue.html on November 4, 2013 Blackburn, M. , & McGhee, P. (2004). TALKING chastity PROFESSIONALISM IN BUSINESS AND VIRTUE ETHICS. Global Virtue Ethics Review, 5(4), 90-122. Retrieved from http//search. proquest. com/docview/235113539? accountid=28844 Driver, Julia. The History of Utilitarianism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), uniform resource locator = . Duchon, D. , & Drake, B. (2009). Organizational Narcissism and Virtuous Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(3), 301-308. Retrieved from ProQuest on June 1, 2012. Hartman, E. 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