In my capacity as Manager of Operations at Caribbean Energy, I’ve determined that the decision of

the General Manager to exclude our competitor from our training, regarding new procedures for
affixing fuel lines at the collection point to our high capacity storage tanks as unethical. Our
competitor operates in the same external environment and would be adversely affected if any
accidents occurred at Caribbean Energy and vice versa. Our company did not uphold our Corporate
Social Responsibility with stakeholders.

The term ethics refers to the principles, values and beliefs that define what is right and wrong
behavior (Robbins et al, 2012, p.180). It was morally wrong to give more consideration towards the
cost of overall training than towards the safety of employees and persons in our immediate
environment, the preservation of the environment and other stakeholder expectations. The General
Manager was mindful of the lack of accidents during the company’s ten years of existence and put
his confidence in the good track record, however he failed to understand that the business
environment is dynamic and for our company to survive we must conform to necessary changes. The
General Manager even ignored the issues debated by the Safety Officer, which potentially put
himself at risk of committing a possible criminal act. Without question workers have a right to be
protected against workplace hazards that can cause injury, illness and even death. (Boatright, 2007,
p.304). The Paria diving tragedy that happened in Trinidad & Tobago on February 25, 2022 is a good
eg. of the importance of ethical leadership.

The Planning and Operations departments deferred the training until next year since the war
between Ukraine and Russia placed demands of higher productivity on these departments. If an
accident were to occur, one measure that the training would have mitigated against for each
department in this circumstance is:

a) for the Planning Department, the delays of all expected outcomes (goals) because focus
would now be placed on the emergency situation. The department would either be focusing
on Contingency plans if there are any or reviewing their current plans in order to prevent
another accident.
b) for the Operations Department, the halting of operations. Employees cannot continue to
work in an environment that is unsafe. The environment would be transformed temporarily
by clean up, salvaging and rescue efforts. Employees would also not be allowed back to work
unless safety checks are completed.

A written document enables an organization to clarify standards that may otherwise be vague
expectations left to individual interpretation (Boatright, 2007, p.396). A Code of Ethics may not
prevent every problem but can enhance one’s own moral values, thereby allowing better decisions
to be made to foster sustainable development for the company.