Decision-Making in Chiquita Bananas - Term Paper Example

Develop a decision making process in your company (Chiquita Bananas) al Affiliation) Decision-making is a process were alternative courses of action are evaluated and the best option chosen from among the numerous alternatives. To make decision in an ethical manner will require a detailed knowledge of business ethics. Business ethics are the standards and regulations that the stakeholders within a particular industry have to abide by. The key stakeholders within the sector are responsible for determining these policies; the policies may change over a period (Fraedrich et al. 2012). When guidelines on ethics are not properly adhered to a conflict may occur. The conflict mainly occurs when dubious decisions are made within an organization and these decisions result into a major dispute that even demands a legal resolution. The ethical requirements within a particular industry should therefore be properly defined to give business owners an opportunity to properly follow them and avoid any legal process that may result( Fraedrich et al. 2012). An ethical decision making process is therefore a well-established procedure within a particular organization that aids in the determination of the best path of action among various alternatives in a way that upholds the ethical requirements of the industry. Chiquita bananas Chiquita is an agribusiness organization involved in banana trade in Colombia though it is based within the United States. During its operations over the years, multiple ethical dilemmas have resulted in the organization having trouble with the law. These issues include the use of child laborers in banana production activities and the possible payment of multiples sums of money to criminal organizations for protection. The issue on engaging criminal organizations was a serious violation of the industry’s ethical codes and laws. This resulted in the organization facing serious fines from the government. A proper approach to decision making would thus be very important (Fraedrich et al. 2012). Identification of the problem The first and the most important step to take when one intends to make a decision, is to identify the problem. Once the management is able to determine what has caused a problem it eases the decision making process. This involves gathering many facts about the situation. Gathering facts should be done in a very specific and objective manner. Taking done notes on important points is very necessary (Fraedrich et al. 2012). A manager should also determine if the problem is affecting all the stakeholders to the business. Once the problem has been identified and properly defined, arriving at the solution will be much easier. In the scenario where child labor is being made use of in the banana industry, a proper analysis on the issue would be necessary. First step is to identify why the children prefer to be employed rather than attend school. What are the circumstances that exist in the society that make the children want to earn a living, what is the motivation for the employer to want to employ children? Once these have been identified and well-defined finding a possible solution to the problem is easy. Definition of the ethical issues A serious evaluation of the ethical issues surrounding the matter should be carefully considered. The code of conduct that governs the industry should carefully be analyzed. Does the cord of conduct spell out something on the matter, does it prohibit the matter or is it silent on the issue? After having considered all these facts, the process of getting a decision will be well on course. For the case of child labor, the law does not permit anybody below the age of majority to be gainfully employed. The decision on the issue will thus be very easily to make though other factors still have to be considered. On the case of paying criminal organizations for protection, the cord of conduct governing the issue may not be very precise and loopholes may exist. Identification of all the stakeholders Knowing all the stakeholders is a very important consideration. Making a decision will have various consequences on the key players within and out of the organization. The impact of the intended decision on each of these parties then has to be clearly determined. It will be important to analyze the problem from the perspective of each of the stakeholders. This will give an in-depth perspective when the time to make the decision comes. The stakeholders in the case of child labor are the parents to the children, the authorities, the children themselves and the organization. Enumerate all the possible consequences A detailed analysis of all the possible consequences has to be done. What will be the effects of making a decision is to all the stakeholders, will every individual be able to benefit from the decision or will others suffer. Once this has been clearly determined the can proceed to make the decision well aware of all the possible consequences. Child labor would mean the organization is massively reducing its cost of production as children are paid less amounts of income. The children though will fail to attend school and get educated. A conclusive analysis of these issues should be done before an individual embarks on a decision making process (Fraedrich et al. 2012). Have a look at the law The laws that govern the jurisdiction where the organization is in operation need to be put into perspective. This will aid in ensuring that the decision one arrives at is within the confines of the law and hence no legal proceedings may result. Consult on the issues The organizations management should consult other key palyers within the sector on the issue; these would include the government, other organizations and experts who may have an opinion on the matter. Evaluate the various causes of action Once appropriate consultations have been properly conducted, possible consequences of all the causes of action identified should be evaluated. The outcome of each action is the considered. This will include the impact of the decision on the all the stakeholders. Make a decision and implement the best alternative The above process culminates in the determination of one possible cause of action. This cause of action should be legal, conform to the ethical requirements and be considerate to all the stakeholders’ interests. This decision will then be implemented. Evaluation of the outcomes Once a decision has been implemented, a follow up activity should be carried out to assess the possible impact of the decision. It seeks to establish whether the decision has remained within the ethical and legal framework, whether it conforms to what the law requires and whether all the stakeholders pleased. To maintain integrity and have a good performance, the business should follow these procedures when making all their decisions. In the banana production industry, the managers’ face challenges on daily basis. These are on numerous issues some of which include, use of packaging that than can be recycled to protect the environment( Fraedrich et al.2012).Issues on the methods of production, proper location of the plant, use of renewable sources of energy that limit emission of carbon dioxide and the mode of transportation to use for produce. When faced with such challenges the management should make use of the ethical decision making model to arrive at a solution. The employees should also be properly enlightened on ethical decision-making approaches. This would involve holding seminars with the employees to educate them on importance of the ethical decision making process. Finally, the leadership of any organization has to create an organizational culture where adherence to ethics is a key component. This culture will enable the organization to abide by ethics when decision-making is concerned (Fraedrich et al.2012). References Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, O. C., & Ferrell, L. (2012). Ethical decision making for business. Mason, Ohio: Southwestern Ethical Decision Making. (n.d.). Ethical Decision Making. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.ethicaldecisionmaking.net/ Ethical Decision Making: How to Make Ethical Decisions in 5 Steps. (n.d.). Ethical Decision Making: How to Make Ethical Decisions in 5 Steps. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.mftrou.com/ethical-decision-making.html What Codes of Conduct Tell Us: corporate social responsibility and the nature of the multinational corporation. (n.d.). Academia.edu. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://www.academia.edu/5249685/What_Codes_of_Conduct_Tell_Us_corpora Read More