Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements
Ethic Based Paper for Business ethics and law course.
Using the 8 step analysis and consequentialist, deontological and virtue of ethics approach.
ASSURANCE OF LEARNING – ETHICS
GREEN MOVE
Department of Business Law and Ethics
Your assignment
Write a seven to ten page double-spaced essay addressing the case below. Please do not
exceed ten pages.
Please DO NOT rewrite the questions or the facts of the case in your answer. Just answer
the question. Also please do not hand in notes. This assignment requires a written essay.
As you answer the questions, you must refer to your readings and class discussions.
This is not a group project. You may not discuss your answers with anyone.
THE COMPANY
Green Move is a startup company that focuses on environmentally friendly and
sustainable transportation products. Its three founders and current shareholders, Robert,
Lewis, and Viktor attended the same MBA program in Boston. Robert and Lewis were
high school friends from an affluent Boston suburb while Viktor grew up in Russia. The
three agreed that their collective mindset could best be described as “competitive with a
conscience.” They support the fundamentals of capitalism and agree that the free market
operates to the benefit of society. Robert serves as the CEO of Green Move and Viktor
serves as the Chief Technology Officer while Lewis has moved on to other opportunities.
All three serve on Green Move’s board of directors along with two other corporate
officers and two outside investors. The seven directors along with the other corporate
officers and several of Robert’s relatives who invested heavily in Green Move own all of
the stock. Much of the startup funding, however, was the result of a $15 million
government loan at zero percent interest as part of an Investing in Green Technology 2
initiative. Green Move is incorporated in Delaware and maintains a corporate office in
Boston.
The last year has been very exciting at Green Move and the perceived value of its
shares has increased steadily. In fact, there are rumors that that Green Move will soon go
public. This is due largely to the much anticipated launch of the Zero Pedal; a solar
powered bicycle that includes a small throttle and brake system. Green Move recently
received a patent on the technology enabling the use of a small solar panel that propels
the bike at speeds close to 15 m.p.h. The popularity of the Zero Pedal has been limited to
the northeastern part of the United States mostly due to “word of mouth” advertising
throughout area colleges and universities.
PART A – YOUR EMPLOYMENT AT GREEN MOVE
You graduated six months ago from a Boston MBA program. You earned your
degree part time in the evenings so that you could continue your work as an advertising
assistant at a prestigious Boston firm. You are thankful that your firm financed a large
portion of your degree and that you were able to support your spouse and young child
while attending classes.
Green Move was one of several marketing positions for which you interviewed.
You were attracted to Green Move because it struck you as “young and energetic” with
the potential for tremendous growth. The interview consisted of a single meeting with
the three founders who explained that your primary objective would be to expand the
sales of the Zero Pedal to the southwestern part of the United States. It was explained
that your success at Green Move would be measured exclusively on the expansion of the
Zero Pedal into this new market. Your modest salary would be supplemented with stock
options in Green Move in proportion to the product expansion.
You learned during the interview that Green Move was replacing a “bad fit”
employee whose departure was “mutually agreed upon” after only six months. You 3
gladly accepted the position with a handshake and agreed to complete the necessary tax
forms to begin work in two weeks. The only documentation you received was a stock
option agreement. You never received any employment training, instruction, or manuals.
Three months have passed since you started at Green Car and you have made
several friends including Doug, a product engineer on the development of the Zero Pedal.
Much to your surprise, Doug has explained in confidence his concern regarding the
operation of the Zero Pedal in warm climates. He claims that the bike accelerates
dangerously after the solar panels have been exposed to temperatures exceeding 100
degrees Fahrenheit for four consecutive hours. Apparently, his team had uncovered this
defect during the design of the Zero Pedal. He tells you that he planned a report outlining
the dangers of the acceleration and that he shared his findings with your predecessor and
that he was suspicious of his firing. Doug believes that your predecessor was fired
because he questioned management about this defect.
Doug tells you that your predecessor presented the cost per bike to fix the defect
to the board but that Robert claimed the report was incomplete without a comparison to
the costs of “not fixing” the bike. Robert also claimed that he could not imagine a
situation in which the bike would be exposed to those conditions. The two had a heated
discussion and two weeks later you responded to the job posting.
Doug further discloses that regulations under the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHSTA) that would otherwise limit the production of the Zero Pedal do
not apply because the bike is not “gas powered.” As a result, the production of the Zero
Pedal is entirely unregulated.
You are wondering about what to do about the product safety problem on your
return trip from Scottsdale, Arizona where you had met with several sporting goods
chains to discuss the roll out of the Zero Pedal. The buyers seemed impressed by the
Zero Pedal but you did have a curious encounter at your final stop. There, the buyer 4
causally mentioned that he would personally expect payment of a “special “$5,000
annual fee to place the product on its shelves.
Questions A
A.1 What will you do about the product defect information that you have learned about
from Doug? What are the relevant pressures? What questions or problem solving
models will you consider in making your decision? How would you apply the model to
arrive at a solution to the problem?
A.2 Will you pay or recommend that your company pay the special $5,000 fee to have
the Zero Pedal placed on the shelves of the sporting goods store? What are the relevant
considerations? Is it legal? Is it ethical? Both?
A3. While this problem is in the “latency stage” should Green Move apply the
cost/benefit analysis in analyzing safety concerns about the product? What are the risks?
PART B – SUPPLY CHAIN
Green Move’s recent success is due largely to its strategic relationship with one of
its suppliers, the Solar Group. The Solar Group manufactures the solar panels that are
critical in the Zero Pedal. The Solar Group is located in Bangladesh where it employs
over one hundred people, including many child laborers. Consistent with Robert’s
conscionable mindset, Green Move’s contract with the Solar Group specifies that “no
children shall be employed by the Solar Group and that all workers shall be treated
fairly.”
One evening Robert receives a telephone call from an online blogger who claims
that he obtained video footage within the Solar Group factory depicting a dimly lit and
poorly ventilated work environment. He also claims that the factory workers are paid less
than an adequate wage to live in dignity. He asks Robert to comment and tells him that he
will be posting a link in his blog to the video to show the public that Green Move is a
phony and that its relationship with Solar is being used to exploit foreign workers. 5
Ironically, at the same moment, Akash is returning from his long day of work at
the Solar Group factory. He is 23 years old and has been working intermittently in
various factories since he was thirteen. Most of his childhood friends do not have jobs
and those who do earn less than Akash. He has never left Bangladesh. Akash is tired but
he is thankful to have found a job at the Solar Group. He understands that the work is
dangerous but he hopes to move into a supervisory position within five years where he
will realize a modest increase to his hourly wage. As a result, he has avoided the recent
debate among his coworkers whether they should unionize and leverage their collective
weight to demand better working conditions.
Robert knows that the workers at the Solar Group factory are paid more than the
average wage in Bangladesh. However, he also knows that work environment is much
worse compared to the conditions in the United States and that these labor practices
which are legal in Bangladesh are illegal in the U.S.
Questions B
B.1 What should Robert do about the conditions at the Solar Group? Terminate the
agreement? Whose interests are at stake?
B.2 What is the appropriate standard he should apply when considering the working
conditions and wages in Bangladesh?
B 3. How might the blog impact Green Move’s brand?
PART C – FOREGIN EXPANSION
Green Move has a small technology team employed in the Boston office and
outsources the remainder of its technology needs. Viktor has long advocated the
substantial cost savings and better management if Green Move were to hire well educated
individuals from Eastern Europe at low wages. Privately, Viktor realizes that he would
also like to make a difference in Russia by helping the underemployed and unemployed.
The board met and agreed that Green Move should consider this as a long-term strategy
and that Viktor should investigate a remote technology base in Russia. Viktor spoke to 6
his friends and believes that he has found the perfect location to lease. The governmentowned
property is large, well lit and its urban location will attract many workers.
Viktor has traveled to Russia to visit his family and to meet with the property
manager. The two discuss the rich history in the area and Viktor is under the impression
that the property is available. It is not until the end of the meeting that the manager
informs Viktor that there will be a competitive bid for the lease of the property. He
instructs Viktor to send him his best offer by the end of the week and hands him two
envelopes; one addressed to a government office labeled “property lease bid” and the
second addressed to the property manager labeled “facilitation.” He explains that
whatever he places in the second envelope will “keep the process moving” and the he
would hate to see him miss out. Viktor takes both envelopes.
Question C
C.1 – Should Viktor provide a bid on the property lease? Should he include both
envelopes? Why or why not? What are the legal and ethical considerations?
C.2 Should Green Move expand its operations in Russia?
PART D – THE BOARD AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
In addition to the previous facts, assume the following has occurred:
You have continued to market the Zero Pedal in the Southeast and persuaded the
company to pay the special $5,000 fee.
Robert has done nothing about the working conditions at the Solar Group.
Viktor has leased the space in Russia and included a $2,000 payment in the
“facilitation” envelope.
Question D
D.1 What are the organizational issues that may have led to ethical and legal breaches
at Green Move? 7
D.2 Are there any residual risks (ie; civil or criminal liability) to Green Move as a result
of any legal and ethical breaches?
D.3 What short and long term steps should the board of directors take to “fix” Green
Move?
D.4 What is the role and responsibility of the government to “fix” these issues?
Our Service Charter
-
Excellent Quality / 100% Plagiarism-Free
We employ a number of measures to ensure top quality essays. The papers go through a system of quality control prior to delivery. We run plagiarism checks on each paper to ensure that they will be 100% plagiarism-free. So, only clean copies hit customers’ emails. We also never resell the papers completed by our writers. So, once it is checked using a plagiarism checker, the paper will be unique. Speaking of the academic writing standards, we will stick to the assignment brief given by the customer and assign the perfect writer. By saying “the perfect writer” we mean the one having an academic degree in the customer’s study field and positive feedback from other customers. -
Free Revisions
We keep the quality bar of all papers high. But in case you need some extra brilliance to the paper, here’s what to do. First of all, you can choose a top writer. It means that we will assign an expert with a degree in your subject. And secondly, you can rely on our editing services. Our editors will revise your papers, checking whether or not they comply with high standards of academic writing. In addition, editing entails adjusting content if it’s off the topic, adding more sources, refining the language style, and making sure the referencing style is followed. -
Confidentiality / 100% No Disclosure
We make sure that clients’ personal data remains confidential and is not exploited for any purposes beyond those related to our services. We only ask you to provide us with the information that is required to produce the paper according to your writing needs. Please note that the payment info is protected as well. Feel free to refer to the support team for more information about our payment methods. The fact that you used our service is kept secret due to the advanced security standards. So, you can be sure that no one will find out that you got a paper from our writing service. -
Money Back Guarantee
If the writer doesn’t address all the questions on your assignment brief or the delivered paper appears to be off the topic, you can ask for a refund. Or, if it is applicable, you can opt in for free revision within 14-30 days, depending on your paper’s length. The revision or refund request should be sent within 14 days after delivery. The customer gets 100% money-back in case they haven't downloaded the paper. All approved refunds will be returned to the customer’s credit card or Bonus Balance in a form of store credit. Take a note that we will send an extra compensation if the customers goes with a store credit. -
24/7 Customer Support
We have a support team working 24/7 ready to give your issue concerning the order their immediate attention. If you have any questions about the ordering process, communication with the writer, payment options, feel free to join live chat. Be sure to get a fast response. They can also give you the exact price quote, taking into account the timing, desired academic level of the paper, and the number of pages.