Wednesday, October 16, 2019
A recent roundup of commentary on ethical issues currently affecting organizations.
“145 businesses signed the gun control letter — but many more didn’t” (By Ben Popken for NBC News)
This one is about whether, and when, it is safe for a company to speak out on social issues. Read More >
“Is the Polaris RZR the New ‘Ford Pinto’?” (by Ethics Centre board member Chris MacDonald, for the Business Ethics Blog)
The Polaris RZR is an off-road recreational vehicle prone to catching fire. This case harkens back to the Ford Pinto, a subcompact car that faced similar issues back in the early 1970s. Read More >
“Boeing 737 Max Safety System Was Vetoed, Engineer Says” (NY Times)
This one is about how Boeing ignored an internal ethics complaint filed by a senior engineer about corners that had been cut on safety — corner-cutting that ultimately resulted in two planes crashing, and hundreds of deaths. Read More >
“Amazon Pushes Fast Shipping but Avoids Responsibility for the Human Cost” (NY Times)
This longer read from the NY Times explains the complex system that Amazon uses to deliver billions of packages a year — a system that has also proven effective in insulating the company for responsibility when delivery drivers cause injury or death. Read More >
The Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy looks forward to keeping in touch with electronic messages containing event invitations, newsletters and other information.