Analysis of the Ethical Problem of An employee of WOD Chemical - Case Study Example

Micro Case s Executive Summary In the case, an employee of WOD Chemical is faced with quite difficult ethical and practical issue. Because of the seeds that the corporation sold to Indian farmers, the crop of multiple farms is damaged. At the same time, the owners of these farms turned to be accidental victims of the sale of genetically modified wheat seeds between the corporation and its neighboring farms. The reason for this situation was the cross-pollination of modified wheat and wild wheat at the neighboring farms. Now, when affected farms and the farmers, who bought seeds from corporation are dissatisfied with existing situation, an employee must decide, which way out of this situation will bring more benefits to all sides of the conflict, including the WOD Chemical corporation. Thus, an employee should solve the problem in such a way that it will be acceptable to the injured party and the corporation itself. This case is characterized by difficult ethical, practical and cost issues. The main problem is to understand, who really got damage and how serious it is, to determine, which solution will compensate this damage, in such a way that it will be ethically acceptable and at the same time correct for the corporation from a practical point of view. To my thinking, an employee must report to the main office of the corporation that their Indian customers are not affected by this situation. However, their neighboring farms became the random victims of altered seeds of wheat, which entailed a deterioration of their natural wheat crop. At the same time, it is important to preserve the reputation of the WOD Corporation and make the right decisions in terms of the cost issue. Thus, the employee should decide to pay compensation to the affected farmers, despite the fact that the corporation will lose part of its finance. It will allow to do the right thing ethically, not to lose the corporation’s customers and to avoid possible charges and trial against the corporation. Part 1: Introduction The micro case 1 on page 427 outlines the ethical problem, which is associated with the spread of GMO wheat seed among the companies in India. WOD Chemical, a multinational corporation, sold genetically altered seed of wheal to several farmers. However, one year later, an employee of the corporation with the help of an investigation, which was conducted by the inspectors and the police, found out that there was a problem. He discovered that because of cross-pollination, in the crop of farms that did not buy grain from corporation, but they are located close to those farms that purchased seed, genetically modified wheat is found. Because of this fact, the farms that bought the seed of corporation believe that the neighbors farms got large modified crop free of charge, and they require to resolve this issue. On the other hand, farmers, in the harvest of which modified wheat appeared, are dissatisfied. These farmers explain it by the fact that they are not satisfied with such a harvest, they are interested in growing only natural, wild wheat. This situation has caused еру resentment on both sides. On the one hand, farmers, who bought wheat seed, want the neighbors to pay the money for the new altered crop. On the other hand, the owners of neighboring farms are outraged and demand from the corporation to compensate them the caused damage. An employee of WOD Chemical should solve this difficult issue and provide a report to the head office of the corporation. Thus, the problem is whether it is ethically acceptable not to pay the compensation to farmers, who received genetically modified crop, because in fact, it is not the fault of the WOD Chemical corporation, and it will allow to keep the finances of the corporation or whether another solution to this problem should be found. Part 2: The Case A serious problem of this case is the fact that Indian buyers of altered seeds are outraged, because the nearby farms received the modified crop for free. However, the issue is more difficult that it seems. Upon closer inspection, from an ethical viewpoint, it becomes clear that the real victims are the owners of the neighboring farms. These farmers grow wild wheat and are not interested in altered cultivars. Due to the fact that neither the corporation, nor the farmers, who had bought the modified seeds had not thought the consequences and the farmers had sowed the seeds, cross-pollinated occurred and thus, the crop of the neighboring farms became partly genetically modified, and partly natural. An employee is faced with many issues, which should be taken into account to make the right, ethically acceptable solution. The question about the acceptance of right decision of an employee about situation with farmers can be answered from the perspective of the ethical theory of Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism, as a principle of evaluation of all phenomena, events, facts from the standpoint of quickly implemented utility, the possibility of their use as means of achieving any goal, allows analyzing the problem presented. (Graham G., 2004, p.129) Thus, when considering the problem of an accidental appearance of modified crop on farms and dissatisfaction with this fact of owners of neighboring farms, who bought modified wheat seed and the decision of this issue, the moral value of an act or behavior should be determined by its usefulness. Proceeding from the provisions of this ethical theory, moral is that brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. (Graham G., 2004, p.128) If the achieved result is good, it does not matter that means of its achieving are immoral: the end justifies the means, and the means should be evaluated not as immoral, but as moral things. Morality of the deed must be assessed not on the basis of morality of action itself, and exceptionally by its consequences, that is by what it brings, pleasure or pain. The ethical imperative of Utilitarianism states that the only right ethical decision is what as a result brings more benefits than the suffering. Thereby, from the perspective of the ethical theory of Utilitarianism, the employee must make such a decision that to all the three sides, that is a corporation, the farmers, who bought seed and farmers, who have modified wheat by accident will benefit. When assessing the committed action, other philosophical, ethical perspective such as deontology is guided by its compliance or noncompliance with certain rules. It is an ethical system, which is based on the rules of behavior, as they are the basis of the concept of duty. In modern philosophy deontology is usually treated as the ethics of duty, which is different from the ethics of good. According to the deontological viewpoint, an employee of the corporation should make such a decision, at which he will perform his duty to the corporation. This can be expressed in the actions, which are aimed at keeping the WOD Chemical’s finances and a duty to customers and farmers, who have been affected due to the products of the corporation. Intuitionism, in its turn, is a trend in philosophy, recognizing intuition in the most authentic means of cognition and rejecting the formalization of the act of cognition in other philosophical approaches. In addressing the problem of dissatisfaction with the farmers who purchased grain and those whose natural crop of wild seed was suffered, this approach cannot be used, since intuitionalism is characterized by juxtaposition of intuition and intellect. Making a decision based on intuition, the employee can make a mistake, which can further lead to loss of money and customers for the corporation. Therefore, such complex business decision cannot be based only on intuition, but it should include a professional analysis of the situation. Virtue ethics expresses the desire to embrace and organize human activities and its moral principles. In the framework of this ethics, exactly virtuous person is personified epitome of morality. (Graham G., 2004, p.62)From the perspective of the virtue ethics, an employee should act only for the benefit of customers and farmers, who have become the participants of occasional situation. Thus, the corporation should pay compensation to the latter and offer something to farmers, who actually bought grain and are displeased with the existing situation. On the other hand, essentially the problem did not cause serious harm to farmers, who had purchased genetically modified seeds of wheat, since the fact that the wheat has been grown on neighboring farms because of cross-pollination did not cause damage to crop of farmers. Therefore, this ethical theory is better suited to solve the problem of farmers, whose natural crop has been suffered and employee should not care about the benefit of the corporation. I believe that from the ethical viewpoint, the employee must make a decision, in which the farmers, whose crop is damaged, will get a compensation. The embedded level of ethical issue is not surface and not deep, so the level is middle. I believe that to ignore the loss of people, who actually were not related to the seed, which the corporation sells, but which have become victims, is unethical. I also think that in terms of the ethical issues, the corporation should not pay anything to farmers, who believe that their neighbors got their harvest for no cost, because they did not lose anything. On the contrary, they got the expected crop of the modified wheat of the seeds, which they bought from the corporation. Thus, the company should pay attention to the people affected and to rectify the situation. When talking about professional practice issue, the embedded level can be considered rather the deep one. In the case, when the WOD Chemical will not solve the current problem, its reputation can likely become harmed, as the situation of spoiled crops on several farms can lead to scandal or even litigation. In addition, the corporation could not forget its ethical duties to the affected farmers. The corporation should consider the strategy from a professional point of view, in a way that it will able to save the reputation, its customers, and money. Also when deciding, the employee should be aware of the cost issues. When thinking of the cost issues the embedded level is quite deep. If the corporation pay compensation to farmers, who have damaged crop of natural wheat, the company will incur a loss. On the other hand, if the corporation does not pay them, it may suffer losses in connection with a possible court decision. In addition, ignoring the problem of affected farmers can cause a new wave of discontent with neighboring farmers, who intentionally bought wheat seeds. In connection with this, the WOD Chemical can lose its customers. An employee should take into account such possible outcomes when making a decision. Part 3: Conclusion Finally, the consideration of ethical and practical side of this case makes an employee to think about, who from the participants of developed situation are actually suffered. It is important that this consideration allowed to make ethically and practically accepted decision, without excluding the important cost issue. I believe that the possible solution is to make a compensation for losses of farmers, who have become incidental victims of corporation. I do suggest not to consider disgruntled farmers, who bought seeds from the WOD Chemical the victims, as the situation has not affected the amount of genetically modified wheat in the new crop and the corporation does not have to pay anything to these farmers. This is an acceptable solution for both, the victims and the WOD Chemical itself and it will help to avoid possible problems related to the sale of genetically modified wheat seeds in India. References Graham, G. (2004). Eight Theories of Ethics. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Retrieved November 2, 2015 from http://english.360elib.com/datu/G/EM000496.pdf Read More