The owner of the small Berlin-based Schmidt Press encounters a dilemma when she is given the opportunity to publish a novel about a Muslim woman who attempts to lead an underground movement to take control of the Kaaba, the holy sanctuary at Mecca. Given the events of the prior 25 years - such as the angry fallout after Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses, the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the upheaval in many Middle Eastern countries - publishing the novel presents a host of various ethical dilemmas, including whether Schmidt should put her staff at risk. This case discusses the ethics of a free press and challenges to the profit motive in the face of political and religious world affairs.
The Vigeo case is used in Darden's Global EMBA ""Business Ethics"" course. The case raises the issue of how we determine what constitutes a socially responsible business, and how to apply that idea in a global context. It therefore could also be used effectively in courses in Marketing, Finance, or Global Economies and Markets. With a global leadership and sustainability perspective, this field-based case uses Vigeo, a European leader among environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating agencies headquartered in Paris, to set the stage for an analysis of what it means to be a socially responsible business. It allows for an exploration of decision making and moral overtones that are often difficult to resolve. The material also lets students explore the idea of global values-is there such a thing, and if so, what are they? The case opens with a summary of issues that include how CEO Nicole Notat plans to grow the company in 2012. She had to take a strategic view of where the SRI market was going and be prepared. The board had asked Notat to think more strategically about China. Would Vigeo adapt existing services and products to the Chinese market? Would entering an emerging market such as China mean rethinking the business model from the ground up? How would either strategy fit with the company's overall mission?
Should an international company operating in a violent nation pay a paramilitary group to keep its employees from harm? Executives at Chiquita Brands' Banadex subsidiary in Colombia faced a dilemma in 1997. Carlos Castano, the leader of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, a paramilitary group, was demanding payment in return for not harming Banadex's employees or operations. The executives must weigh the various options including, among others, making the payments or shutting down operations. This case examines the history of Chiquita (formerly the United Fruit Company) in Colombia (and other South American countries), its interaction with the country's political and social structure, and the difficulties of doing business in one of the world's most violent countries.
This technical note outlines background theories of ethics that are relevant to managerial decision-making and develops a framework that managers can use to enhance their ability to make good choices.
Is "Fair Trade" really fair? This case examines the concept, history, and logistics of the Fair Trade movement, specifically for coffee. Fair Trade began as an attempt to ensure farmers received fair compensation for their crops and credit when needed. Fair Trade also provided opportunities to help coffee growers learn best practices and sustainable farming methods (minimal damage to the environment, for example). But Fair Trade had its critics, who claimed that ultimately the farmers did not benefit and that retailers charged more for Fair Trade products and pocketed the difference. This case examines these issues through the eyes of one coffee-drinker who has specifically chosen her caffeine venue because of the Fair Trade designation.
What should a manager with a multinational corporation do when his employee confides that he may have accidentally killed someone? The plant where they work is located in Vietnam; the employee, a native, is hesitant to face the charges given his concerns about the fairness of the local legal system. He is seeking both advice and help. The B case (UV1170) updates the situation and provides additional fodder for discussion.
This case updates the situation outlined in the A case (UVA-E-0323), providing information that helps students to both evaluate the decision made in the A case and determine what to do next.
This case explores the larger context of competition among Internet companies for market share globally, especially in the emerging Chinese economy, as well as concerns about advancing the core values of the company including user privacy. Specifically, it concerns the decision facing Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang when he is confronted with a request by the Chinese government to release the name of one of its users for alleged violations of Chinese law.
Martin Field, the new controller for the automobile replacement-parts company Run, Inc., is not comfortable with a large write-off that the family-owned company plans to make in 2004. Fairly new to the position, Field had not prepared the financial information for the annual report and he hesitated to alert anyone about the balance between the receivables and inventory items. Although external auditors give Run, Inc.'s financials a clean bill of health, Field was still not comfortable and must decide what steps to take.
Presents the dilemma faced by Danville Airlines' management when one of its best pilots is found to have the inherited gene for Huntington's Disease. Although he inevitably will develop the physically and mentally debilitating disease, the pilot, who has yet to experience symptoms, does not want to step down from his position. Danville Airlines explores the complicated issues of employee rights versus public safety, employee rights to privacy, and genetic testing and its effects on employees and management.
This case presents the dilemma of a multinational oil and gas company, ExxonMobil, as it factors in the ethics issues related to the environment and cultural differences in deciding whether to proceed with building a pipeline in Chad and Cameroon, two of the poorest and most corrupt developing countries in West Africa. The many players in this project included the World Bank, which cofinanced the project and put restrictions into place that would hopefully prevent government corruption in both Chad and Cameroon and many environmental and human rights groups that warned of potential disaster. The case also covers the environmental and social analysis of the areas that would be affected by the pipeline.
This case details the rise of hard-disk storage manufacturer MiniScribe in the mid-1980s and the company's demise after executives manipulated the financial information.
This technical note defines some of the key vocabulary and theories used in ethical decisions and situations, providing a framework for the discussion of ethical issues in business. It builds on and further develops the already familiar ways in which we think and talk about ethics. It provides background, language, and concepts to identify and analyze managerial problems from an ethics perspective.
This case provides an ethical dilemma for a sales force. Do they look at competitive information provided by a customer under strange circumstances or not?