This essay seeks to analyze a critical way of handling ethical issues in any organization by using an example from General Motors. The methodology used herein is derived by Trevino and Nelson (2011). Steps of Handling Ethical Issues Now that ethical issues will always appear in a business organization, it is only obvious that every manager has the responsibility of handling the issues sensibly. This means they should be handled in a manner that compromises little but at the same time achieves a great deal for the business.
In that light, the eight step model developed by Trevino and Nelson (2011) seeks to ease the task of managers in ensuring that all the key players, who are; the customers, employees, shareholders and the community in which the business operates, are all at a satisfactory level. Step One: Gather the Facts According to Trevino and Nelson, this is quite a critical yet unpredictable part of addressing the ethical issue (2011). At this level, the management is required to collect the points of view of the customers, employees, shareholders and the community. . Step Two: Define the Ethical Issues This is an analysis of the results obtained in step one.
The management interprets the meaning of the facts gathered in relation to the organization. This identifies the genuine issues from the bluffs. For instance, a GM customer who claims that there is no customer help centre in South Africa is considered to be bluffing since there are a number of them. Step Three: Identify the Affected Parties The opinion or complaint of one party could be a whole network that affects more than just that one party. This step enlists all the parties affected by a single issue.
For instance, GM was considered to be a key pollutant in 1978 by producing 80 different toxic fumes. This not only affects the community around it but also the employees working in the factory. Step Four: Identify the Consequences These could be considered as either long-term or short-term effects of the particular issue highlighted by the preceding steps (Trevino and Nelson, 2011). This means that some effects are felt for a long period of time while others are only felt for a short time. These effects can also be viewed from the perspective of how much damage they cause to the stakeholders.
For example, the GM pollution of 1978 was said to cause adverse respiratory complications for the society around it, including school children. With this, the management is charged with the responsibility of providing actions that can solve the situation both in the long term and short term. Step Five: Identify Obligation for each Action Contemplated This means that the management is required to know if any of the actions contemplated in step four is implemented and the implications thereof to
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