Pre-Employment Screening and Facebook: Ethical Consideration
Chapter Two
Safety Standards in Product Design Goals of Ethical Companies
Safety regulatory measures and policies are often considered basic tenets and
requirements that ethical organizations put into place to ensure that their products comply with
the stated standards. As consumers increasingly turn out to be dependent on engineered products,
the element of product safety and liability has turned out to be of global significance. As imbued
in several companies, the ethicality of product safety and accountability is addressed by
considering global trade standards and practices. In this regard, organizations need to ensure that
they prioritize the adherence to these measures and requirements by ensuring that their products
meet the enshrined safety standards (Langerman, 2015). Meeting the established safety
precautions or standards remains an essential aspect of product design; however, it is
insufficient. Familiarity with the foundations and principles of the utilitarian model of ethics
reveals that to underscore an action as ethical requires one to determine whether an action
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maximizes the highest level of positive outcomes for several people while on the other hand
minimizing all the adverse outcomes to the least number.
As provided in this case, ensuring that an organization’s product meets the established
safety standards may yield the highest favorable outcomes for consumers and minimize the
negative repercussions that may pose a threat to the lives of the consumers. According to
Langerman (2015), ethical organizations before engaging in launching their products often
ensure that pilot tests are conducted several to ensure that they meet the prescribed safety and
precautionary measures. However, it is essential to establish that it is often challenging for firms
to conduct a 360-degree inquiry or research on their products. Therefore, this creates the
rationale behind faulty products, posing a need for an organization to ensure that products meet
and satisfy the needs of the customers (Langerman, 2015).
Arguably, meeting safety measures may not be sufficient in product design. Product
safety professionals in light of this hold on to more profound convictions regarding the
importance of ensuring that the consumers and their companies are provided with the best efforts
that support the design, manufacturing, and distribution of products considered safe for
consumption.
Specific Stories that would make Doug’s Presentation Interesting: Doug, as provided in
this case, may consider including the case of Ford in ensuring that his presentation is appealing
or attractive. As provided in Ford’s current operations and planning, it is established that the
organization sort after measures driven towards launching their lightweight automobile that was
incredibly affordable in price for the consumers. The company president provided specifications
that the designers were required to adhere to in the unit’s production. In other words, the
production unit needed to have ensured that the Pinto weighed 2000 pounds and would cost
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consumers close to $2000 and other related expenses such as advertisements. However, this
unit’s production was met with a flaw following the lack of compliance with the federal safety
standards established for the production of such a model (Tidwell, 2000). One of the significant
problems that were sighted was in regards to the fuel tank that was prone to rapturing when the
car was at maximum speed. This occurred following an investigation that occurred after a
dreadful accident that left six occupants in the vehicle dead after the rapturing and explosion of
the fuel tank.
Doug would resort to the application of the principle of universalism. According to this
principle, the authority of an ethical standard is mainly determined by the level in which a
concern or an act treats people, supporting the claim that moral principles often hold for all
people and not merely for a section of individuals (Tidwell, 2000). From the tests conducted on
this automobile, it was later evident that Ford was in full awareness that its vehicle’s gasoline
tank was faulty and prone to explode when the cars were at top speed or its rear collided. Given
this, the company failed to recall these units to correct the situation and was unable to warn the
consumers on the effects of the car. Therefore, it reveals that safety measures and standards are
ethically vital in organizations, establishing the essence of compliance.
Likely Possibilities from the Case
As provided in the case above, there are several likelihoods regarding the safety standards
of ethical companies’ product design goals. Firstly, ethical organizations may resort to ensuring
that their ethical practices are connected to their corporate social responsibilities. Therefore, this
establishes that ethical organizations owe their customers, employees, the community, and their
shareholders’ safety. These remain fundamental in the fulfillment of their corporate obligations
and sustainability. Utilitarianism provides a straightforward approach that organizations may use
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to arrive at moral decisions that weigh the cause of their actions in specific situations (Tidwell,
2000). To determine what organizations need to do in cases, such as that of Ford, there is a need
first to underpin the courses of their actions. Secondly, organizations may need to determine the
foreseeable benefits and consequences of each of their actions for the highest number of people
affected. Lastly, firms may resort to the choice of actions that may provide the greatest of all
benefits after taking consideration of the involved costs. In a nutshell, the ethicality of product
safety and accountability is addressed by considering global trade standards and practices that
guide and provide frameworks that organizations need to follow.
References
Eryılmaz, E. (2016). Applied Ethics: The Secular and Utilitarian Approach. Turkish Journal of
Business Ethics, 9(1).
Langerman, N. (2015). Safety and ethics. Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, 22(3), 44–45.
Tidwell, A. (2000). Ethics, Safety, and Managers. Business and Professional Ethics Journal,
19(3), 161–180.
