Management Decisions and Ethics - Essay Example

Management Decisions and Ethics Massey’s Approach to Ethical and Social Responsibility Massey Energy as a company has always been committed to ensuring a working environment that is conducive for all its workers. This is clearly indicated by the company’s commitment to safety as a priority. This too is evident from the various measures that the company has put in place to prevent incidences that would negatively affect the safety of the workers, both in the administrative functions and the mines and the community living around all our mines. Massey Energy is a recognized company that has been leading in safety. The company has always been ahead in the embracement of technologies to ensure that the miners are protected. The company’s responsibility to the environment also has stayed undeterred over the years. Being a steward of our natural resources, the company has been and will continue being committed to environmental sustainability to ensure that our home is protected and taken care of (Korhonen 25-39). It has always been our commitment to leave a positive impact on the environment our mining operations takes place. This environment includes the people or the community with which we interact. The people around us have for a long time been employed in the company and their families and the community enjoying the company’s contribution in healthcare and education. By striving to do what is right always, Massey Energy has always been venturing into deals that bring aboard personnel and equipment that are supportive in attaining the vision of protecting the workers and the environment. These activities among others are based on the long-held principle by the company of maintaining focus on the fundamentals of the mining activities while still making sure that these activities are within the sound ethical and legal business practices. Our safety strategy popularly known as “S-1” (safety first) instills in the company a culture of safety. This strategy has brought into play a well-developed process that involves training, mentoring and monitoring risk reduction and innovation. Through a regular and comprehensive assessment of the safety situation, the company has been in a position to ensure a stable and safe workforce. Currently, the corporate culture of the company is based on the priorities of safety, ethics and excellence, having treasured the people for the last fifty years. First, the company has always sought to be the employer of choice in the region. By considering the workers as an integral part of the company, we choose to refer to them as “members." We also ensure that we act and operate in line with the legally set guidelines of safety. We ensure high standards of working environment. This is assured through integration of two more goals, P-2 and M-3 besides the S-1 strategy. In P-2, the company applies the best and most recent production practices in the mining industry through promotion of training, communication and monitoring. This has allowed the company to keep standards above the threshold recommendation.M-3, on the other hand, requires that all the managers maintain accurate and updated information of all the processes and operations. Future Approach to Social and Ethical Responsibility Strong commitment to the ethical values of any company ensures that the company remains in the business and improves its position. As such, an ethical company is much more profitable than a company that tries to hide behind its unethical activities. Ethical decisions also help the company to reduce the stress on workers and managers who do not have to struggle to maintain the reputation of the company (Cherry and Sneirson, pp 983-1039). In addition, with the enhanced leadership that results from ethical commitment, the company can avoid demanding and costly regulations. Our company has come a long way in the issues of social and ethical responsibility. To this far, there have been great progress in these concepts of doing business. However, even with our utmost efforts, some challenges remain to be addressed. First, there is a challenge that is common for all coal-mining companies which is eliminating fatalities and major mines accidents. Secondly, there is the technological challenge that is directly tied to the first challenge aforementioned. Looking into the future, the company intends to make these challenges outdated. First, the company needs to track expansion and development to be in line with what the infrastructure and the technology can support. This will mean that despite being led by the goal of becoming the biggest mining company nationwide, the company also should ensure that this crowning comes alongside that of safety. Infrastructure development should focus on ensuring that there are adequate directions in the mines and escape routes that should be readily accessible to all the workers. Safety cubicles should also be stationed underground and be adequately supplied with basic needs to ensure that if workers are trapped in, they can easily be rescued. Secondly, the technological advancement of the company should be prioritized. The recent developed and tested rescue technology should cover all the mines and be advanced as to ensure that it can even monitor the movement of the workers and direct them to the safety cubicles in case of danger. Installation of reliable communication systems in the underground mines will also be in the plan for the next one year. This is aimed at enhancing the monitoring and control of safety in the mines. Alongside these, there should be an alarm fitted sensors in the mines to sense the levels of carbon monoxide and methane, which have been indicated as the most common causes of accidents. This will go a long way in enhancing monitoring and action before an accident. However, it is also important to note that this kind of technological change requires prior and ongoing training to ensure it is effective. The employee training should go hand in hand with the development. On social responsibility, I will recommend that the company continue supporting the community in terms of healthcare. The company should ensure that the progress and the development that is taking place inside as it grows economically and technologically is reflected on the changing of people’s ways of life (Li et al., pp 192-196). The environment too should be reflecting the progress, and the company can seek to rebuild its reputation in the community through improvement of the infrastructure and social security. The Way Forward The company has, in an effort to ensure safety at the workplace, identified several mines that are a threat to workers safety. As the company seeks to move on with the safety and technological development plans, these dangerous mines will have to be temporarily closed. The closure will not only increase the available extra workforce to undertake the development plans, but the foregone maintenance funds will be necessary for the plans aforementioned. Reinvesting these funds and other resources in the company improves the company’s economic position and enhance compliance to the social and ethical standards. First, technological improvement will require funds. A part of these funds will be obtained from the money foregone in the closed mines. This money will be used to purchase and install the safety systems in the offices, and the mines including the miners’ communication systems, safety cubicles and the dangerous gasses sensors that need to be installed. Further, the money will be used to register these systems and improve the infrastructure to include and develop escape routes through which miners can escape in the event of an accident. In addition, the training system will also require funds to be effective. The workers who are working in the closed mines will be moved to the other mines under development. The increased workforce will enhance flexibility in the working environment and give an opportunity to address the issue of technology and ethical training of employees. This will enhance safety and compliance from their position that will be important for the company at a large. The closure of the dangerous mines and investing of the funds in the safety improvement plans as described will be important for the company in three ways, first, the company will be in a position to function better economically having accomplished all the requirements of the legal system in regard to workers safety . Through these activities, the compliance of the company will increase its profitability and its ability to establish even larger markets in the region. Secondly, the company will be in a position to avoid imposed fines associated with failure to comply with standards and regulations. This, therefore, means that all proceeds from the remaining mines that are regarded as safe will be used in the economic and infrastructural development of the company and hence stimulate economic growth. Lastly, the compliance that will be achieved through this re-investment will improve the positive reputation that the company already has in the region (Hinson and Ndhlovu, 332-346). This goes a long way in ensuring that the company has the best workforce and partners. These stakeholders are crucial for the economic development of the company (Windsor 628-632). Works cited “As Rescue Efforts Continue for Miners, Officials Press for Answers,” The New York Times, April 8, 2010, accessed September 4, 2010, from www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/us/08westvirginia.html Read More