Current Ethical Issues in Business
Current Ethical Issues in Business
November 22, 2010
PHL/323: Mr. Michael Smith
Current Ethical Issues in Business Ethics plays an important role in the function of a business. The overall standards of a company often determine the conscious effort and importance of ethical standards. There are various reasons for business ethics that go beyond the invisible line set by most business standards. Competition, security, and safety become compromised by carelessness, neglect, and ethic violations for companies that do not regulate themselves on a regular basis. Conflicts in leadership and a change in rank and procedures are often the end result in a company that has violated business ethics. This paper will evaluate the Upper Big Branch mining incident in West Virginia last April, 2010. The accident that killed 29 miners was because of multiple safety violation; the business leadership made an unethical decision to attempt, to cover it up. This team will evaluate the events, causes, and leadership roles that occurred; and suggest proposed changes that could be made to ensure a better business ethic.
The issues that are involved are human error or correct the error to cover-up. In the Upper Branch Mining Disaster there was human error and also cover-up the problem. So, are people using ethic when deciding whether to cover-up, or what really caused the human error? The mining accident that killed 29 people, there are several factors that caused this accident. Several challenges that led to this disaster, communication is the main factor, although this is about ethics, communication is vital in ethics and in anything that requires decision making, planning, implementing, precaution, action, and reaction. The deficiencies in this accident were the risks; dangers associated with this cave or miner mission, and still allowed the miners to go down there. Ethically speaking the regulators of this working environment are those at fault, they could have stopped the
November 22, 2010
PHL/323: Mr. Michael Smith
Current Ethical Issues in Business Ethics plays an important role in the function of a business. The overall standards of a company often determine the conscious effort and importance of ethical standards. There are various reasons for business ethics that go beyond the invisible line set by most business standards. Competition, security, and safety become compromised by carelessness, neglect, and ethic violations for companies that do not regulate themselves on a regular basis. Conflicts in leadership and a change in rank and procedures are often the end result in a company that has violated business ethics. This paper will evaluate the Upper Big Branch mining incident in West Virginia last April, 2010. The accident that killed 29 miners was because of multiple safety violation; the business leadership made an unethical decision to attempt, to cover it up. This team will evaluate the events, causes, and leadership roles that occurred; and suggest proposed changes that could be made to ensure a better business ethic.
The issues that are involved are human error or correct the error to cover-up. In the Upper Branch Mining Disaster there was human error and also cover-up the problem. So, are people using ethic when deciding whether to cover-up, or what really caused the human error? The mining accident that killed 29 people, there are several factors that caused this accident. Several challenges that led to this disaster, communication is the main factor, although this is about ethics, communication is vital in ethics and in anything that requires decision making, planning, implementing, precaution, action, and reaction. The deficiencies in this accident were the risks; dangers associated with this cave or miner mission, and still allowed the miners to go down there. Ethically speaking the regulators of this working environment are those at fault, they could have stopped the
References: Martin, R. (2010). Regulators: Correct the error or the cover-up? Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/apr2010/ca20100420_479716.htm MSHA (2010). Briefing by department of labor, mine safety and health administration on disaster at Massey energy’s upper big branch mine-south. Retrieved from http://www.msha.gov/performancecoal/DOL-MSHA_president_report.pdf Stratton, C. & Fisk, M., (2010). Massey fatal mine blast said to be target in grand juries’ probe. Retrieved from, http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-11-05/massey-fatal-mine- blast-said-to-be-target-in-grand-juries-probe.html