DoesthisMilkshakeTasteFunny?

MajorIssuesandPlayers

ThemajorplayersinthiscasestudyareGeorgeSteinandPaulBurnhamwithregardstotheir employmentatEasternDairy.Themajorissuesatplayrelatetopoorbusinessplanning, impropermanagement,lackofethics(decisionsmadebyGeorgeandPaul)andsocial responsibility(thepossiblehealthissuesofrelatedtothecontaminatedproducts).

AnalysisoftheIssuesandPlayers

Inthiscase,thereareseveralinstancesofpoormanagementincludingbutnotlimitedto:lack ofpropertraining,accountabilityandadherencetomanufacturingindustrystandards,etc.A companyaslargeasEasterndairyshouldhaveamanageronsiteandmorethan4employees forthenightshift,especiallygivenhowcriticalthenightshiftisinmeetingproduction needs.Thesocalledleaderofthegroup,Paulisworriedaboutgoinghomeearlyandthe costimpacttothecompanyifproductneedsarenotmetforonenight.Paulsdecisionto ignoretheissueputsGeorgeinanextremelydifficultsituation. Anotherproblemtonoteisthemanagementinmanycorporationstoday.Alltoooften, employeeshaveselfservingmotivesandconflictsofinterestthatessentiallystemsfrom cultureoftheorganizationandhowitoperates.WhenGeorgeinitiallybringstheissuetoPaul, welearnquicklyfromPaulsdemeanorthathehadencounteredtheprobleminthepastand hadseenthemaggotsseveraltimes.Paulisessentiallyimmunetothestomachinknots feelingthatGeorgeexperiencedashewasheadedhome.Thelackofethicalculturethatwas instilledbyEasternDairysmanagementissuchthattheemployeesjustcareaboutclockingin andoutanddonottakeprideintheirwork.ThefactthatPaulisinapositiontooverseethe nightshiftinandofitselfisasignificantissue.Furthermore,thecompanyculturedidnotinstill

theethicalvaluesthatarerequiredtobestserveitscustomers.Iftheydid,peoplelikePaul wouldnotbeinapositiontomakedecisionsthatadverselyimpactthecompanysqualityof workandreputation. Thethirdissueinthiscaseinvolvesethicalawarenessandhowtoinstillthatawarenessinthe workplace.Itstartswithstrongleadershipandacommitmenttoexcellencebyservingthebest interestsofyourcustomers.Itisatopdownsystemthatcannotbeunderstated.Most successfulorganizationshaveastrongethicalleadershipteamwhomemployeeslookuptofor guidanceanddirection.

ApplicationofWeeklyReading&Recommendations

Thefirststeptosoundbusinessethicsandsocialresponsibilityistorecognizeethicalissues whentheyoccur.ThecaseendsjustaswereachtheclimaxofGeorgesdecisionpointsoitis notknownwhathappensnextbuttoGeorgescredit,thefactthatheisthinkingaboutthe ramificationsofhispotentialactionsshowsthathehastakenthefirststeptosound ethics.GeorgeshouldnotyieldtoPaulsrecommendationsifhefeelsthattheyarenot ethicallysound.HeneedstovoicehisopinionanddisagreementwithPaulsdirectivesevenif itmeansthatthenormalproductionprocessforthatnightisdelayed,the500gallonvatislost andtargetsarenotmet.Thesituationcouldhavebeenimprovedoravoidedaltogetherby havingamanagerwithstrongethicsinplacetoensurequalityproceduresareinplaceatthe factory,especiallyduringthenightshift.Becausethereisnoleader,complacencysetsin amongthestaffandtheydoastheyplease. Educatingemployeeseffectivelyaboutsocialresponsibilityisimportantinavoidingsituations anddilemmasshowninthiscase.EasternDairyhastheresponsibilitytoeducateandtrainits workersaboutthepossiblesituationsthatmayarisewhenworkinginfactoriesliketheirsin ordertomakethedifficultbutcorrectdecisions.