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Case Report - Daft - Should We Go Beyond The Law
Case Report - Daft - Should We Go Beyond The Law
Case Report - Daft - Should We Go Beyond The Law
Introduction
Ethics is a code of moral values that governs what is right and wrong in the
when a person or an organization has to choose between good and bad. An ethical issue
arises when an action to be taken will bring in harm or benefit to others (Jones, 1991).
In the case “Should We Go Beyond the Law” (Daft, 2014), Nathan Rosillo is a
distress. Mr. Rosillo is put into a situation at work where his new lubricant product will
affect the Dutch Valley River by disposing waste in there. He believes that this decision
is unethical, his supervisor ignores his opinion because, technically, the company is not
breaking any law. Mr. Rosillo is thinking about other ways to address the matter: (1)
is both ethically wrong and irresponsible, (2) by remaining silent because he may be
the reason for the company’s failure, or (3) by calling a local environment advocacy
to pursue his project to save the failing economic situation of the company his working
for, even if it involves dumping waste materials in the river near the office.
If Mr. Rosillo keeps silent and let Chem-Tech Corporation pursue with the
decision of dumping their wastes in the river, the company will be efficient in saving
from their operational expenses, thus will increase the company’s profit. This profit
may also mean that the employment of the workers will remain. Moreover, there will
not be any tension between Mr. Rosillo and his other colleagues.
However, the cons will most likely make the company hit rock bottom should
they proceed on the said disposal. The company will be violating the utilitarian ethics
of decision-making because they did not expect to consider the effects of the decision
for the greater good (Daft, 2014); they just thought of making the profit. The
fundamental rights of the community near the river will also be violated because the
supervisor pursues the disposal of wastes. It is important to note that the management
should not interfere moral rights of the other groups or communities (Daft, 2014). In
this case, Chem-Tech obstructed the fundamental rights of the community to live a less-
It is recommended that the best alternative for Mr. Rosillo is to endorse the
concern to the vice president. For the vice president to agree not to dump the waste in
the river, he should be able to highlight the management’s responsibility to create and
It will be more effective if both pros and cons are presented to the vice president
so she can better empathize where Mr. Rosillo is coming from. While it is true that they
meet the government’s regulations on the waste management protocols and will be able
to see the profit from its cost-savings, Chem-Tech is needed to play a more vital role
in the society. They need to come up a better way to dispose their wastes so as not to
meet ethical issues that may arise such as pollution, and obstruction of the fundamental
rights of the community near the river, and the other people that may be affected it.
than dumping the waste in the river, the alternative may still provide them chances in
staying in the industry. In fact, Mr. Rosillo can back up a suggestion of initiating a
Corporate Social Responsibility, and make it as their marketing strategy as partners for
entity, and promote responsible waste management through CSR projects like
recycling something out of their wastes. Although it is a lot of work for the company,
and will not guarantee for them to stay relevant in their industry, it will be more worth
Gellerman, S. W. (1989). Managing ethics from the top down. Sloan Management Review, 30(2),
73-78.