My Evolution to a Non-Consequential Attitude

My evolution to a non-consequential attitude

My focus of this essay will highlight my understanding of normative theories, their application to my case study involving Chiquita International and my own evolution from teleological to deontological theory from week three to the present day. I will also present what I believe to be an interesting point of parallel between myself and the decision-making of businesses; "less intention to behave unethically as the risk factors within a set of ethical scenarios increased in severity." (Fritzsche 1984) Or more simply, my uninformed and low risk summation of theories in week three exhibited consequential theories much like low risk business decisions and my more researched summary of my personal ethics coincided more with non-consequential theories mimicking that of riskier decisions made by businesses.

My case study I will be analysing is Chiquita International Inc., a producer and distributor of fruit. The ethical issue I will be focusing on is the payments to terrorist groups from 1994-1997 culminating in a civil lawsuit and intense media scrutiny in 2008/9. I will be superimposing this case study over my understanding of Kant's non-consequential ethical theories but focusing more on my own learning journey of Kant's theories.

In 1997, Carlos Castano, a representative of a far-right paramilitary group, Autodefensas Unidas Compesinas, indirectly made clear that "failure to make payments to the AUC in exchange for its protection could result in physical harm to Chiquita's personnel and property" (Ferrer 2009). Over the next 6 years, 1.7 million dollars was paid out to the AUC, this is a significant lapse in judgement considering that in 2001 the US Secretary of State designated the group a terrorist organisation. AUC wasn't in the business of issuing empty threats; they had "massacred hundreds of civilians, forced the displacement of entire villages and kidnapped many political figures". (Ferrer 2009)

These actions and their effects culminated in a civil action suit in 2007 by the 144 plaintiffs on behalf of 173 individuals killed with ongoing media scrutiny up until 2009, the suit alleges that "in order to maintain its profitable control of banana growing regions, Chiquita abetted the paramilitaries in the commission of numerous human rights abuses". (Simons 2011) The stakeholders affected were family members, community organisers, trade union leaders, employees and social activists.

To further understand this shift in ideals, it is necessary to reiterate Kant's normative theories with a particular reference to my initial opinion regarding how a business should conduct themselves and a more informed ethics analysis in reference to my particular case study. Consequential theories focus on the end rather than the means, such as Egoism; advocating future self-interest as a pillar of its principle and utilitarianism highlighting the effect on all parties and future circumstance. Kant's non-consequential theories can be divided into three broad areas, categorical imperative which focuses on a moral motivation and respect for persons, a duty of care and the virtue theory which emphasises the character of the individual alternating between duties and evaluating prima facie obligations. According to Kant the theory of virtue decrees that importance be assigned to "duty and motivation" noted by Shaw, Barry & Sansbury (2009, pp.87) this leads to an individual taking the initiative to separate themselves from a collective to exercise their own virtuous character. This point was particularly poignant in my learning journey as it demonstrated the need to act as an independent being rather than following others, which was emphasised in my initial essay by declaring that some professions are known for unethical behaviour.

The first pillar of Kant's theory is his ethics and his view that "moral principles do not rest on contingency" (Shaw, Barry & Sansbury 2009) rather they stand alone as actions that are inherently wrong or right. This has dramatically changed my understanding of how a business incorporates ethics. My week three assignment, when read back and further analysed through this assignment, had views that were characteristic of a consequential individual without having specifically referencing such a theory or specifying intent. Characteristics of this reflective writing essay which I believe to fit the description of a consequential theorist include an importance for a company's perception over their moral duty, an importance placed on the profit motive, an importance placed on ethical reputation. Businesses that focus on these consequences, such as my case study, fail to take into account the inherent unethical attitudes attached to an individual action and create an opportunity for hypothetical imperatives. Re-reading my initial reflective exercise I have realised it contains many hypothetical imperatives such as "but if others are doing it", My opinion of these imperatives have evolved over my learning journey, now that I recognise the loopholes a hypothetical imperative can create from a categorical one.

Hypothetical Imperatives were used extensively in the defence of Chiquita. Tsalikis, J, LaTour, M,S (1995) states "it seems impossible to develop a complete system of deontological rules that do not contain a potentially infinite number of exceptions" The justification that was made was that if they hadn't of paid the paramilitary groups they'd not have been able to protect their employees from danger. This acrimonious approach refuses to acknowledge the danger of funding a terrorist organisation would have on stakeholders further from the core of the business such as the wider community. Furthermore the importance Chiquita placed on their external environment and consequences created an atmosphere where decisions were made not from a moral obligation standpoint. This has demonstrated to me as part of my learning journey, that simple ethical theory lapses in a business can have devastating effects on your surrounding environment, and that in this particular case it just creates an argument for unethical behaviour.

Reading back my reflective summary, it is apparent the consequence focused attitude is concerned with outcome rather than the inherent character of the act itself. The former characteristics are demonstrated in my personal reflection through way of egoism in the line "an individual with sound ethical ideals would have a degree of difficulty with earning the industries mean salary" (in stereotypically unethical industries such as a stockbroker). This mindset promotes a focus on the end rather than the mean and dictates that such individuals on that basis contradict the concept of