Logan Rethmeier

Chapter 12 / Module 4

11/13/2023

Chapter 12 Case Study

The current situation at Carnival Cruise Lines involves recurring environmental

infractions, leading to legal consequences and damage to the company's reputation. The Court

Appointed Monitor (CAM) needs to assess the ethical challenges surrounding Carnival's

environmental practices and work towards a sustainable and responsible approach.

The current situation is problematic as it involves repeated violations of environmental

regulations, causing harm to ecosystems and resulting in substantial fines for Carnival.

Undesirable behaviors include illegal dumping, falsification of records, and inadequate reporting.

Carnival cares about this problem because it affects its reputation, incurs financial penalties, and

jeopardizes its relationship with key stakeholders, including customers and regulatory bodies.

The current problem at Carnival Cruise Lines is persistent environmental non-

compliance, leading to legal consequences and reputational damage. The desired state is a

commitment to sustainable and responsible environmental practices, aligning with ethical

standards and industry regulations.

Key stakeholders include customers, employees, regulatory bodies, and the communities

in which Carnival operates. Undesirable outcomes for stakeholders include damaged ecosystems,

loss of customer trust, legal consequences, and potential harm to the company's workforce.

Individual causes may include a lack of oversight by leadership, inadequate training, and

potentially unethical decisions made by employees or executives.

 Organizational causes within Carnival may involve insufficient environmental

compliance policies, lax enforcement of regulations, and a corporate culture that prioritizes profit

over sustainability. Industry wide causes may include inadequate industry standards and

insufficient regulatory oversight. Recommendations include strengthening environmental

compliance policies, enhancing employee training, and fostering a corporate culture that

prioritizes sustainability. The CAM should work closely with Carnival's leadership to implement

and enforce these changes.

Implementing these recommendations aligns with the principles of environmental

sustainability and ethical business practices, reflecting a utilitarian perspective that prioritizes the

well being of stakeholders and the environment. The desired effect is a shift towards sustainable

and responsible environmental practices, leading to improved relationships with stakeholders,

enhanced reputation, and reduced legal consequences in the long term.

Unintended consequences may include increased operational costs, resistance from

employees accustomed to previous practices, and potential short-term negative impacts on

financial performance. Implications may include positive effects on communities benefiting from

sustainable practices and potential negative impacts on suppliers or partners not aligned with the

proposed changes.

The proposed solutions aim to work in an ethical manner by addressing the root causes of

environmental non-compliance at both individual and organizational levels. Strengthening

policies, improving training, and fostering a sustainable corporate culture should reduce or

eliminate the identified causes, leading to the remedy of the ethical problem defined in

Dimension 1.
 References:

Fugate, C. (2022). Environmental Sustainability Issues at Home and Abroad. RedShelf.