Human Resources And Management Cases On Ethics

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Case 1: A clothing manufacturer produced a T-shirt emblazoned with a ferocious red and blue eagle beneath the words "American Made." However, a small label inside revealed that the shirt was made in Mexico. In response to complaints that the slogan was deceptive, a company spokeswoman said that "American Made" referred to the actual person wearing the shirt, not the manufacturer.

Business ethics provide a means for creating a blueprint of expected organizational behaviors for employees and management. In the Case 1, the challenge is in the communication of such business expected behaviors during selling merchandise or products to attract and sustain the targeted consumer audience. Case in point, the discrepancy factor plays into the moral standards of the actual company claiming ownership of the brand product to selling a native made item or falsifying the claim to garner emotional buying. In marketing, the emotional concept to buying is essential in many levels form the needs factor to an impulse buying experience.

Try and think of the business entity of clothing manufacturer produced a T-shirt emblazoned with a ferocious red and blue eagle beneath the words "American Made." The label stating made in Mexico is a discrepancy to the business ethical standards of honesty. Thus, the focus should reflect how and to whom the resolution is applied towards, in most, cases a disclosure is made somewhere on the product as in:

"The product is made in the USA with majority of the materials / plants with small amount of processing of .10% made in Mexico (or the mention of another country, etc.)"

The point to focus on is the approach to clarify the intention or to leave as stated with such a discrepancy for the buyer to decide - that this behavior is ethical or unethical. Of course, the unethical standards present itself in this case due to the discrepancy but it is also the resolution applied by the company to clearly state either or in the matter.

Case 2: As a manager interviewing prospective employees for your organization, you are expected to tell candidates that the firm is a great place to work. However, you know that the work environment is bad, morale is low, and staff turnover is high.

Depending on the circumstances to the reported work environment, the hiring manager must word correctly on describing the positives and the negatives. In most cases, the ...