Ethics

On March 6, 2010, I participated in the Ethics Game Simulation as part of the course requirement. Admittedly, I was not very excited about doing this simulation, but after I began the simulation, I found myself not wanting it to end.  This ethics simulation has taught me the value of personal values and morals in the workplace.  I learned that profit is not always the main goal in order for a company to thrive and be successful.  Most importantly, I learned that personal integrity is the top priority of every person no matter what type of business or company they represent.
   
The ethics simulation game consisted of two scenarios related to the business position of a quality control officer (QCO) within an international company.  The first scenario involved the QCO receiving several company emails concerning important and urgent matters pertaining to one of the manufactured products.  The product apparently had contaminant levels that were higher than the company standard allowed, but the levels were still under what the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permitted.  The issue presented to the QCO centered on what should be done with regard to the discovered information and how it related to the consumer.  The second scenario involved the manufacturing and distribution of the contaminated product to international consumers whereby the laws were more lenient concerning safety standards and regulations.  Out of a possible score of 12,000, I managed to score a 6150.  Apparently making money was more of a priority than protecting the consumer (Shaw, 2010).
   
In the first scenario, I chose to perform a total recall of all contaminated products. While I was awarded a letter of appreciation by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), my decision was viewed as too costly and thought to raise public panic where there was no need.  I stand by this decision because the contaminated product was proven to cause problems if the consumer had an autoimmune disorder.  The company has no way of screening customers for diseases, therefore it would have benefited the company by doing a total recall than to wait it out and risk the possibility of numerous liability lawsuits.  The law now provides that a consumer only needs to prove that there was an injury sustained from the product or because of the product being defective thereby establishing liability.  It is now easier for a consumer to sue a company and win under the law of strict liability.
 
In the second scenario, I chose to allow the marketing of the product in foreign countries that have lower safety standards.  I stand by this decision because it is not my discretion that set the rules or made the laws in foreign countries.  Those decisions are solely up to that countrys government, however I did recommend informing the consumer of the high levels of contaminant on the labeling.  The latter part of my decision was not rewarded as it again proved to incite panic where there quite possibly was none.  It is my ethical belief that a company should not take advantage of an unknowing consumer for a mere profit.  Citizens of other countries may not have the collective education or intelligence to understand the risks involved from ingesting the product.  Nevertheless, the company should still bear the responsibility of informing its consumers in any country of the possible risks.
   
Concepts of virtue are the ethics of a situation.  Values are a personal system of beliefs held by an individual, and morals are a system of beliefs that society deems to be politically correct.  In the healthcare profession, concepts of virtue and ethics are ever-present.  I work in a hospital, and medical ethics become an adopted frame of thinking.  Certain topics are allowed to be discussed with other colleagues and patients, while some topics are strictly taboo.  Patient confidentiality is the most critical ethical violation that could happen.  The federal HIPPA law has made it more difficult for family to gain information of a loved one via the telephone due to the concepts of virtue enacted.  My personal value system tells me to inform the concerned loved one, but needing a paycheck takes precedence by way of medical ethics.  Another ethical violation that occurs in the medical field concerns a patient or patients family member asking a nurse a question relating to the diagnosis or condition of the patient.  A nurse is not a doctor, thereby not allowed to speculate or offer any information even if the chart is right in front of them.  A doctor is the only one allowed to diagnose or answer questions pertaining to a patients diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis.  Any nurse who acts outside of this realm of protocol is in direct violation of the medical code of ethics. This is not to say that it does not happen, but it is by the concept of virtue that nurses are trusted to uphold the policy.
   
The ethics game simulation was a very informative exercise.  I learned that decisions should be made by considering those directly and indirectly affected.  I also learned that there are rights and responsibilities and reputation lenses that provide a deeper look into a situation before rendering a final decision.  I found that there are four major core values that must be taken into account when making decisions that affect a company or the consumer at large.  Personal integrity and moral courage should be characteristic of someone in a position that requires a superior decision-making ability.  I would recommend this exercise to anyone and everyone in the workforce today, as it teaches how to make important decisions as well as teaching everyone how to take everything into consideration.  This small game simulation could benefit any business and build company morale.  It could also benefit a company by accumulating the results and developing a program to provide further or necessary education in regards to ethics in the workplace.