2021

Final Project “moral

responsibility & Blames”

BUSINESS ETHICS
SUBMITTED TO: MISS AMAL KHAN
Submitted by:
Anas Farhan Awan 190753
Abdul Qayyum 190725

BSAVM 4B | Final Group Project

Table of Contents
1. General Overview: .............................................................................................................................. 2
2. Alternative and Exceptional Realities ............................................................................................... 3
3. Heart Attack Grill: ............................................................................................................................. 3
3.1. History and Origin:......................................................................................................................... 4
3.2. Theme: ............................................................................................................................................. 5
3.3. Menu: ............................................................................................................................................... 5
3.4. Weird Things in the Restaurant: ................................................................................................... 6
4. Controversies, Vision and Marketing Strategy: ............................................................................... 6
5. Moral and Ethics: ............................................................................................................................... 7
6. Similar Examples of Companies working in Pakistan: ................................................................... 8
6.1. Pakistan Tobacco Company: ......................................................................................................... 8
6.2. Fizzy and Energy Drinks:............................................................................................................... 8
7. Conclusion: .......................................................................................................................................... 9

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 Moral Responsibility and Blames
1. General Overview:
In the world of every-growing businesses, emerging markets and innovating organizations,
reputation and long-term growth of the business is bonded to its moral and ethical values
1
Such moral and ethical characteristics are vital building blocks of the business in the market, and
thus, shape the future of its sustainability and potential growth. If such values are forgotten and
overlooked, most businesses end up getting defamed and ultimately bankrupted.

Moral responsibility refers to the

responsibility of a
business/organization to ensure the
implementation of its operations and
sell its products or services while
ensuring its moral and ethical values.
However, when such businesses fail
miserably to ensure its moral and
ethical values, these businesses
undergo chaotic mess of defame and
well-reputation. As a result, the
customers and other stakeholders have
right to “blame” (or sue in severe
cases) such organizations who fail to
achieve maximum customers
satisfaction and delivery of promising
product or service.
In the world where everyone is focusing or being forced to follow some code of conducts that are
accepted by the society, there is also the other way round. Some made the unethical activities as a
marketing advertisement and promoted the business and make it acceptable by the society. Here
is a story of The Heart Attack Grills

1
https://www.dreamstime.com/business-ethics-as-company-principles-moral-honesty-set-outline-diagram-
educational-labeled-scheme-morality-image213431410

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2. Alternative and Exceptional Realities
In the business world, nothing is above the law. Anything that is declared legal by law is acceptable
by the business world.
Such products or services are sold to the customers, despite the fact that such products or services
might have lethal or severe consequences if used at extreme level or for other harmful purposes or
reasons.
However, such businesses/organizations very own existences give rise to various questions, like;
• “Are they doing the right thing?”
• “Is that even legal by national and international laws?”
• “How are they not caught yet?”
• “Why is no one suing them yet?”

3. Heart Attack Grill:

Heart attack grill is a fast-food restaurant based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Tag line:
The Taste Worth Dying for;

The whole idea of the restaurant is to serve food and beverages that are extremely high in fat, sugar
and cholesterol, which when eaten on regularly basis increases the chance of obesity and
cardiogenic diseases, even end up at death. Hence, the name itself is literally inspired by actual
heart attack.
The restaurant has been placing of various controversies since its establishment. Despite such
controversies, the customer loyalty and customer satisfaction rates have been decreased.2

2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Attack_Grill

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 3.1. History and Origin:
Jon Basso is the founder of Heart Attack Grill. He came up with the idea during his marketing
thesis, which revolves around giving people a shock therapy of food for thought, that is,
“Fast food is bad for your health”.
The owner owned fitness clubs prior to opening this restaurant. Having lost a lawsuit cased against
his fitness clubs by some fast-food chain, he decided to change the industry to spread his shock
therapy awareness. Instead of giving healthy life he starting the fast-food chain with ultimate level
of calories even you can die while eating burger. Burgers varies from 9983 calories to 19000
calories; the lowest calories burger is nearly equal to 33 burgers.
According to his personal morals, he thinks that he is doing society a favor by making them realize
their genetic short-comings and health issues, in indirect and unique way. However, many people
are not buying his actions, and are firm in their own opinions that the restaurant indeed has many
ethical issues.
3

3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bigtbG2Pcmo

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 3.2. Theme:
The restaurant is themed in hospitalized-style, where waitresses wear nurse suits and owner
dressed up like doctor. During ordering, each customer is given a hospital gown to wear and a
wrist band to wear. You will be offered a wheel chair to go out of the grill house if you will be
unable to walk after having meal.
Terms and Conditions:
➢ If you are over 350 ponds, you are welcomed to have a free meal anytime.
➢ If you are unable to finish the meal you will be spanked.
➢ Children can only have meal if they are allowed by their parents.
➢ You have to wear patient dress before having meal.

3.3. Menu:
Why can’t you have heart attack if you are allowed?
If you are feeling hungry and suicidal the heart attack grill is for you.
Caution: Meal is highly addictive.
➢ Menu consists of hamburgers (ranges from single bypass to quadruple bypass)
➢ 9983 to 19000 calories burger
➢ Fries (cooked din pure lard),
➢ Butterfat milkshakes,
➢ Sugar-full alcoholic beverages,
➢ Cigarettes etc.
➢ Menu doesn’t have any Vegetarian or Vegan items.

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4

3.4. Weird Things in the Restaurant:

• Waiters are girls in the dress of Nurses and owner himself dressed up like a doctor
• Customers who don’t finish their meals gets spanked (are warned before ordering their
respective meals)
• Customers weighting 350 pounds (160 kilograms) eat for free.
•

4. Controversies, Vision and Marketing Strategy:

Despite the fact most survived, the spokesmen of the restaurant didn’t make it out alive. Selection
of spokesperson is based on how fat is he!
The owner of Heart Attack Grill Jon Basso proudly speaks about his dead spokesperson who died
due to heart attack because of his burgers. These types of controversies boost up the market and
the ones who are fond of adventures.
The major deaths included;

4
https://teakdoor.com/the-teakdoor-lounge/88009-heart-attack-grill-575-pound-spokesman.html#post1697143

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• Blair River (died on March of 2011, aged 29, from complications of pneumonia)
• John Alleman (died on February of 2013, aged 52, from apparent heart attack)

Weird part of these deaths is, such situations has been used as marketing tools. These deaths have
made it to the national news, where the restaurant’s name spread like wild fire.
Despite such situations, the restaurant grew exponentially according to the owner himself. As a
matter of fact, deaths had no effect on the customers as they remained loyal and were satisfied
with the restaurant’s products and services.
However, according to the words of Jon Basso, he said in interview that two out of three victims
of heart attack survived, and they started taking good care of their health onwards.

5. Moral and Ethics:

The owner of Heart attack grills Jon Basso said in an interview (summary of interview) that he
personally thought that it is not good to serve the unhealthy meal to others which indicates his
moral values but the society or the customers of heart attack grills consider it is ethical to have
adventure. They turn the unethical term to ethical as they wished to eat mighty burger which I
think not bad.
Everyone knows that burgers are full of calories and other servings as well. No one has
complained us or no one wants to change our menu. Our taste is so good that it makes you
adductive of it, our spokespersons died because of it.
I proudly said that they were our loyal customers lied their lives for our advertisement. Which
give us media hype and everyone came to know about us.

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Its our ethical duty to inform the customers about our burgers which they know very well. No
one is force to eat burgers of Heart Attack Grills.

6. Similar Examples of Companies working in Pakistan:

There are many companies which are working in Pakistan on the similar business model of Heart
Attack grills, they have informed about everything bad related to their product but people are
buying their product on huge scale.

6.1. Pakistan Tobacco Company:

Similar to Heart Attack Grills Pakistan Tobacco Company is working on the grey line of right or
wrong. It is clearly mentioned on the packet of
cigarette that it is injurious to health but everyone
is willing to pay for its death cause.
In the given picture of the Smoking brand Gold
Leaf it is clearly mentioned,
“Smoking is injurious to health, smoking cause:
mouth cancer”
(Ministry of Health)

There are thousands of people dying on daily bases

but no one is ready to quit smoking.

6.2. Fizzy and Energy Drinks:

Fizzy and Energy Drinks contain coffins, artificial flavors and stimulators which relaxed the
body or stimulate accordingly. Some people drink after meals as a habit they think they are
unable to digest without drinks.
Everyone is aware of side effects of drinks it may damage stomach, kidney, livers and may cause
ulcer but still consumes on regular bases. Company has provided the information of every side
effect on ethical ground but now it depends on consumers how one reacts towards it.

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7. Conclusion:
Sometimes it is very difficult to give a decision based on Yes or No, Right or Wrong here comes
ethics and blame. Who is standing on ethical grounds and who is just blaming, the responsibility
of company is to provide the information related to product but its consumers choice to go with
what he feels right?
Only the company is not responsible for the ethical actions there are some responsibilities also
applied to the consumers. Company is working for profit; the ultimate goal of the company is to
maximize the profit either it is ethical or put a grey line between right and wrong to maximize
the profit.

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Ponder Questions:
To whom should we blame?
Who is Right or Wrong?

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