Meeting High Ethical Standards

Meeting High Ethical Standards

The first assignment

June 12, 2011

Question: Consider the director of the safety. Did he, before the accident, fulfill his moral obligation to obey the manager? Why or why not? What might have been a more ethical course of action?

Answer: It is proper for the safety director to report the gas leak to his manager. However, the director should present the danger and the consequence if not fixing the problem right way as the manager may not be an exporter in that area. It is safety director's obligation to be responsible for the safety of the workers and to prevent any potential life threaten sources. What the safety director should do, in addition to report the gas leak to the manager, is to present the consequence and convince the manager that prompt action must be taken. If the manager still refuses to take any action to fix the problem, the director should report to the next authorized person up the line.

Question: Was the manager justified in firing the safety director for "blowing the whistle"? Was the manager responsible for the deaths of the three volunteers? Why or why not?

Answer: It was not justified for the manager to fire the safety director. The reason is that the safety director reported the potential danger of the gas leak in the mine before the incidence happened. The manger should be aware that it is his fault by not taking any actions to fix the leak. Trying to cover up the incidence is irresponsible to the people dead or alive. The manger is definitely responsible to the death of the three volunteers as he made wrong decision to use most dangerous rescue way after the incidence. No one know what was the real motivation for him to do so, we may fairly assume that he used the most dangerous way for the rescue was to cover his mistake and setup a good image of his. That might be the result if the safety direct did not blow the whistle.

Question: Where dose the manager's principal obligation lay? With the miners or with the stockholders? Who should make this decision and how?

Answer: The manager's principal obligation is great safety of the miners and the max investment return of the stockholders. If the two are in conflict, the former takes presidency.

Question: Where does the liability stop? If the manager is jailed for criminal negligence, should his superiors be sued or jailed? What about the board of trustees? What about the stockholders?

Answer: The manager should report to his superiors for the case that he cannot make a good judgment call. All other parties cannot be sued or jailed in this case as the manager did not report the gas leak to them.

Question: How morally ethical was it for the trapped miners to kill and eat their fellow miner? Could it be justified in lieu