Speaking about ethics with authority (Thoughts from the Cadillac Public Library)
✍ Scribed by Leonard J. Weber
- Book ID
- 104625027
- Publisher
- Springer
- Year
- 1992
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 285 KB
- Volume
- 4
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0956-2737
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
It was a very cold March afternoon in Cadillac, Michigan. I had some time before an evening ethics committee meeting at Mercy Hospital.
Often, when I have extra time in Cadillac, I go for a hike on a favorite nature trail. This time, however, I was conscious of some preparation that I needed to do for a lecture so I headed .o another of my favorite Cadillac spots, the lakefront public library.
I had been working for about an hour when I gave in to the temptation to browse among the current periodicals; I only got as far as the letter "C". I was soon back in my chair, with three selections: Business Week, Common Cause, and Commonweal. One article in each of the three publications had attracted my attention and, as I read the articles, I began to formulate some thoughts on the credibility and authority of those who speak about ethics.
The Business Week story was about Dow Corning and the fact that Dow Corning's ambitious ethics program apparently did not have any impact on decisions about the marketing of silicone gel breast implants. Dow Corning's systematic effort to address ethical issues during the last fifteen years has been described in the business ethics literature and is sometimes discussed in MBA programs. Dow Coming has a code of business conduct which is communicated to employees and has, as well, a Business Conduct Committee that regularly visits each location. The Business Conduct Committee monitors compliance with ethical standards and meets with employees to discuss ethics-related questions.
None of the ethics audits at the Dow Coming facility that makes silicone implants identified any safety issues. Despite the fact that other records show that Dow Corning personnel were aware for years of problems associated with the silicone implants, it apparently did not receive any attention in the work of the committee responsible for monitoring ethical standards.
The questions being asked by Business Week: What is wrong with Dow Corning's ethics program? Why did it not tip off the company of