VitalBlend Pharmaceuticals: Ethical Dilemma

The microbiology team leader at pharmaceutical manufacturer VitalBlend Pharmaceuticals was facing an ethical dilemma. VitalBlend Pharmaceuticals was urgently trying to ship its latest product, baby vitamin drops, to its customer. In her role as team leader of the company’s microbiology testing laboratory, she had discovered that the entire batch of the new product might be contaminated by a harmful bacterium that could be particularly dangerous for babies and young children. Despite having expressed her suspicions, the team leader was pressured by her supervisor and other managers to sign off on releasing the product to the customer, since it had passed all of the standard quality control tests and management did not want to delay the shipment. She now had to decide what to do.

This case is intended for use in courses on business ethics, organizational behaviour, decision-making, or general management. It is appropriate for master of business administration students as well as advanced undergraduate business students. The situation and events described in the case provide a scenario to help students appreciate what it is like to speak up for what is right and make an ethical and responsible decision in a challenging context. Specifically, the case presents students with the opportunity to do the following:<ul><li>Discuss the importance of ethical behaviour in organizations and why individuals can sometimes find it challenging to practise such behaviour.</li><li>Examine the concept of ethical awareness and its importance in ethical decision-making and behaviour.</li><li>Explore moral theory and structured decision-making processes that can enable more effective ethical decision-making.</li><li>Consider how organizational culture and other situational factors can affect ethical awareness and decision-making.</li></ul>

• ethical awareness, decision making