Genetic Screening: DuPont - Case Study Example

 Genetic Screening: DuPont Case 1. a. The sentence mentioned here ‘Genetic screening could reveal an individual's tolerance for or susceptibility to chemicals used in the workplace’ is a normative sentence. This is because it actually articulates a value judgement regarding a certain situation that might or might not be desirable. Furthermore, it should be noted that a normative statement expresses one's judgement about what should take place or what should be (Wilkinson, 2005). In this sentence, it has been mentioned that Genetic screening could reveal and hence the sentence is not proven, and the veracity of the statement needs to be tested. b. The sentence ‘This is a very naive view' is again a normative sentence. It does not have any proof of whether the view which is being talked about is naive or immature. Hence, again there is a case of testing the veracity of the statement. c. In this regards, the statement ‘Genetic testing is intrusive. So, the legislature has an obligation to pass laws that outlaw or at least restrict it’ is a normative sentence. This is because the statement made here is again stressing about something which ought to be (Henderson, 2011). Moreover the statement is describing one point of view i.e. ‘Genetic testing is intrusive’. On the contrary, other individuals may not find it to be intrusive. Thus, it is a statement which needs to be validated. Hence, it has been found that all the statements made above are normative statements as all the statements made above lacks proper validation and is either mentioning a statement which is ought to be or is presenting someone’s individual point of view. 2. a. In this case, the moral aspects that involved moral theories of the right were mainly identified in the form of principles, rights and duties. The right emerged in the form of the workers' right to work in a place that is not hazardous to health. In the similar way, it is the duty of the management of the company to look after the welfare of the employees and ensure they create an environment that does not put the health of an employee into danger. Lastly, it is the principles that emerged in the form of the company’s activities to shift the workers where they can work efficiently and do not put their life into danger. b. The activities undertaken by DuPont to screen the black employees for sickle-cell anaemia and offer relocation to chemical-free areas are a sign of company’s positive stance towards fulfilling the ethical responsibilities. Another positive outcome is that the employees of the company will be satisfied with the decision of the company. c. The activities undertaken by DuPont also showcase the moral aspects and reflect fairness. The company clearly mentioned that they would not deny jobs but will offer them with the opportunity to reallocate. Moreover, these employees will be reallocated to chemical-free areas in which the chances of disease getting triggered will be minimized. Hence, it is a clear representation of fairness and justice. 3. Moral obligation is defined as an obligation arising out of the deliberations of right or wrong. However, when the obligation is considered from the ethical or moral point of view, it is often deemed as the moral duty (Josephson, 2011). Furthermore, from the ethical point of view, the moral obligations are often adjudged in terms of limiting or restraining certain activities. For example, companies impose certain rules and regulations that hinder employees to perform certain actions. In addition, moral obligations are also developed for the purpose of the company and yet restrain companies from performing certain actions. In the context of DuPont, the moral obligations suggested to them are as follows: The company is recommended to get involved in the act of charity and employee welfare. Another moral obligation of the company is to ensure the deserving candidates are not deprived of the job opportunities in DuPont. In addition, if any of the candidates have some kind of difficulties that may act as an obstruction in performing the job, then it is the moral obligation of the company to ensure his or her problem is addressed properly. Another moral obligation of the company is to ensure that employees remain healthy and do not have to deal with any kind of health hazards while performing the duty. Lastly, the moral obligation of the company is to take special care of the employees prone to different types of diseases. 4. Ethical decision making is about making a certain decision without thinking of the financial benefits (Badiou, 2001). However, it is a decision based on morality and is meant for the well-being of some individuals or groups. It helps people to make decisions when faced with the dilemma of which is right and wrong. Usually, people in this context go with the decision that is more beneficial for the society and does not consider one’s personal interest. It should be also noted that the context or the background greatly matters in the ethical decision making (Mizzoni, 2009). For example, what should be the decision of a CEO regarding offering a bonus to the employees when the company is making a profit or he or she should utilise the excess profit the welfare of the society on a whole. For example, if the company is in the requirement of improving its image, it will obviously invest in CSR activities. Hence, the context or the background of the decision making plays a vital role. Regarding the case of DuPont, the context considered is the welfare of the employees. The company gave more importance to the welfare of employees and does not consider any other context in making this decision. Regarding, the equivalence of ethical relativism and ‘context matter’ the same does not hold true in every sense. Whether an action is right or wrong greatly depends upon the rules and norms of the society in which it is practised (Velasquez, et al., 2012) Reference List Badiou, A., 2001. Ethics: An essay on the understanding of evil. New York: Verso. Henderson, J. W., 2011. Health economics and policy. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Josephson, M., 2011. 3 sources of moral obligation. Josephson Institute, [online] Available at [Accessed 6 Spetember 2013]. Mizzoni. J., 2009. Ethics: The basics. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Velasquez. M., Andre. C., Shanks. T., and Meyer, M, J 2012. Ethical relativism. SCU, [online] Available at: < http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/ethicalrelativism.html> [Accessed 6 September 2013]. Wilkinson, N., 2005, Managerial economics: A problem-solving approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Wisegeek, 2003. What is a Moral Obligation? [online] Available at: [Accessed 6 September 2013] Read More