Volkswagon Diesel Vehicle Pollution - Research Proposal Example

Name Instructor Course Date Volkswagon Diesel Vehicle Pollution Introduction The recent Research done by U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Volkswagen (VW) company with a researched notice of the company manufacturing auto-motives that are of violation of the Clean Air Act (CRS INSIGHT, P.1). Additionally, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) dispatched a research compliance letter indicating that VW company installed a defeat device, software, in almost a half a million of the company diesel vehicle (Office of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, P.1). The installed software is design to give fake results when the vehicle is tasted by producing emission controls, that are inoperative during the regular use of the vehicles (The New York Times, P.12) The VW Diesel vehicles produce Emissions that affect the public health & welfare. This has to do with high NOx emissions and particulate levels with the reduction proving to be challenging (Volkswagen, P.7). As such, a critical overview of Corporate Social responsibility is under critism (Karnani, P. 53) The CSR adjudicated the self assessment, ratings and awards to VW company. After analysis, CSR is seen as a dangerous tool since it induce weakness like allowing company to parade virtue and look impressive without assessment from external examiners while the company internal management is of cheating standards (Triple Pundit, P.1). In my opinion, the company has already tarnished the CSR approaches and it is going to be difficult worthy proving and believing and sustainability reports from VW and major VW competitors. Significance of the Study The findings from the conducted research study will highlights the impacts of Volkswagen diesel engine vehicle to the environment. As such, the study tends to make analysis of the level of health challenges and death fatalities from the NOx level emitted from the Volkswagen company. The pollution levels analysis need to be collected regarding the environment pollution either in acidification & europhication & determine the intensity of damages (Magnusson, P.33). The greater continual manufacturing of similar cars, the higher environmental pollution will be on record. As such, the situational challenges facing the VW company and other automotive competitors need a strategic approach on how to fix the problem as soon as possible. Through discovering the weakness structures of CSR towards sustainability, newly recommended approaches are to be in place to save the good reputation of CSR. Technological development is essential in this conducted research. As such, the manufacturing engineers need to be equipped with new recommended ideas & skills in the manufacturing of automotives. The essence is o improve the diesel vehicle pollution towards sustainability & green friendly in the environment. Additionally, for the researchers, the study might be helpful in discovering critical areas in car manufacturing & level of pollution that majority of the researcher were not able to explore, thus a new theory or technique in fixing automotives level of pollution. The study is yet to indentify if CSR system is worthy to be trusted in any international company. This is due to weak thresholds registered at VW company mainly from the CSR perspective towards the environment pollution sustainability. The outcome determines if the theoretical perspectives of CSR are worthy to be saved of if the companies will work without the system. Similarly, a different study is to determine if the awards distributed to VW different years are worthy or cheat records were used. Review of the literature Background knowledge Historically, Volkswagen company had impressive recognitions as a company committed towards delivering of its CSR in sustainable development (Volkswagen, P.2). The company was committed towards innovations with the intentions of making an effective and efficient sustainable mobility (Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, P.3). As such, the company was dedicated to develop vehicle technology engines that meet all the expected acts of the safety environmental act (GreenPeace, P. 10) The company is also on recognition by engaging in various activities around the world especially in social developments, education & cultural spearheads purposefully for the development of regional structures, supporting good health & nature conversation (CSR South Africa, P.9) The CSR of the company involves various approaches that were meant to favor all employees equally. Mostly the CSR activity included Work2Work approach, adjudicated to the identified employees with varied challenges to continue working in the assigned departments (Volkswagen AG, P.33). The employees are assigned in new departments depending on individual disabilities or qualification. The CSR also came up with The Think Blue Factory (Volkswagen Group of America Interim Report, P.9). The company come up with the program having the expectations of being more innovative to the manufactured products that are environmental friendly. As such, the program was initiated with specified goals regarding pollution. It is with the expectation by 2018, the Volkswagen manufactures plants are able to reduce the density of air consumption from a single automated machine by 25%, the amount of waste products reduction to 25%, the new emissions by 25%, and the designing of using less water to reduce CO2 released by 25% (Volkswagen, P.22). All plants from the company are chained to have a similar target by working together on a similar approach. From literature findings, the company made various achievements regarding CSR in environmental friendly responsibility. Among the achievements, VW company won the GreenTec Award (Green Tec Award, P.1). The Award was given due to the company coming up with the manufacturing approaches towards environmental friendly. The most recognized approach is the use of the geothermal energy among some of its manufacturing plants (Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Sustainability Report, P.86). Additionally, the Thin Blue Factory falls under the award, with the company ambitions by 2018, at least 25% of emissions, waste and the levels of water consumptions are easily achieved. Additionally, the company won PR Award in 2011 regarding CSR perspective (News Release, P.1). The Award attributes for VW company PR engaging in education, employment, sport and health in various countries. In 2014, the company received an Award of gold medal from the World Environmental Centre for the company performance towards commitments in environmental responsibilities and sustainability operations. Recently, the company received a similar Award of gold star in 2015 from Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) by crowning the VW company as a leader in sustainability development in the auto motive & environmental sector (Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, P.1) Contrary to such performances, the conducted recent research indicates how VW company takes down Corporate social Responsibility and the environmental responsibility (Greer’s, P.12). The level of cheating scandals from VW critically questions the depth, breadth and sincerity of the CSR which is a voluntary effort is seen as a PR for ads rather than working as an environment protection by involving various programs (Automotive Environment, P.1). As such, the CSR giving the company the possibility of self- assessment reported data from the company themselves indicates why the company has been awarding themselves through DJSI with the intention of avoiding bringing the company manufacturing challenges especially in emissions (S&P Dow Jones Indices, P.1). From the recent Research, the CSR is viewed as a merely-dressed up Public relation hence performing as a nihil (Kaye, P. 1). Research Hypothesis With the information gathered from the literature and background knowledge, various hypothesis identified below will be put under examination. The first hypothesis is to test Volkswagen auto-motives with diesel engine impacts the environment negatively through pollution. Secondly, the emission from the VW diesel vehicles impacts the society negatively through health related issues. Thirdly, the diesel engine eradication of pollution level is proving challenging through trials of NOx & particulates emissions simultaneously. Fourthly, recent findings from VW company indicate poor functionality of CSR towards its regulated ethics. Additionally, recent findings have a negative outcome on the company brand image. Sixth, the company is likely to encounter huge losses through re-call of 11 millions diesel vehicles & fines charged by the jury (CNN Money, P.2) Methodology A number of countries among are the most purchasers of VW automotives will be selected to determine the number of vehicles purchased & the likelihood of the pollution level & damages to be expected. A website of data collection will be designed for the respondents across the globe. It is easier to use website to collect intended data due to a multitude of population targeted (Tesch, P.22) Mixed method sampling will be used to determine customers reactions from previous findings & recent findings from the VW company. An additional self-administered questionnaire will be distributed across the streets for VW client’s responses. Use of qualitative method approach is considered purposeful for retails purchasing high volumes of VW automotives (Seymour, P. 10) Theoretical and Managerial implication Based on extensive collected then the findings from sources are expected to be to realize more functionality improvement of the company through the implementation of sound strategy cascading (Becker, P.12). Additionally, the VW company capabilities of realizing the improvements require an aligned context and leadership style from the company. Additionally the managerial implication is expected to align the company into a coherent style purposeful for the realization of company context, leadership style & the cascading quality (Tichy, P.4). To determine the kind of managerial implication, an assessment of leadership questionnaire is required (Anil, P.9). If the company managerial is of weak standards, the possibilities of the company diverting from its routine functionality is high similar to VW company. As such, the manager of VW Company has since resigned after the revealed cheating incidence in the company (The New York Times, P. 2). Implementing the best theoretical aspects from various research and having the best managerial technique determines the prosperity of the company (Schlickel, P. 2) Work Cited Anil, Marther. Managerial Motivation & the Determinants of Their Performances 2013. A Case Study of American Global Organizations Automotive Environment. VW Mocking Corporate social responsibility 2015. Diesel Gate Outs Sustainable Business Sham. Becker, Brian. High Performance Work Systems & Firm Performance 2013. Synthesis of Research and Managerial Implications. CNN Money. Volkswagen Scandal Widens 2015. CRS INSIGHT. EPA’s In-Use Emission Testing and Volkswagen’s 2015. CSR South Africa. Volkswagen of South Africa 2014. An Engine Driving Economic and Social Development. Greer’s, Linda. Volkswagen Takes Down Corporate Social Responsibility in its Plunge to the Bottom of the sea 2015. GreenPeace. The Dark Side of Volkswagen 2013. Green Tec Award. Think Blue Factory 2014. Volkswagen Offering a Management Method for Continual Implementation of Sustainability Goal. Karnani, Andrew. The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility. MIT Sloan Management Review 2015. Kaye, Leon. VW Scandal a Jolt to CSR that Reaches Far Beyond the Auto Industry 2015. The Bridge Towards Sustainable Brands. Magnusson, Thomas. Reducing Automotive Emissions- The Potentials of Combustion Engines Technologies and power Policy News Release. 2011, Volkswagen Jetta and Touareg Win Prestigious Ajac & PR Awards 2013. Office of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. United States Environmental Protection Agency 2015. Washington, D.C. Seymour, Wilson. Exploring qualitative research methodologies 2014. Qualitative Research Schlickel, Maik. Theoretical and Managerial Implications 2013. Strategy Demployment in Business Units. S & P Dow Jones Indices. Volkswagen AG to be Removed from the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2015. Tesch, Raymond. Qualitative Research in Analysis Types and Softwares 2013. New York, Falmer The New York Times. Volkswagen C.E.O. Martin Winterkorn Resigns Amid Emissions Scandal. The New York Times. Volkswagen & the Era of Cheating Software 2015. Tichy, Devanna. Journal of the Transformational Leader 2013. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Triple Pundit. CSR After the Volkswagen Scandals 2015. Volkswagen. Corporate Social Responsibility & Ethics at Volkswagen 2013. Volkswagen. Taking Responsibility, Volkswagen & CO2 2015. Volkswagen AG. Corporate Social Responsibility at Volkswagen 2014. Combining Value with Values. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. Long Tradition of Sustainability and Environmental Protection 2014. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. Volkswagen becomes Worlds Most Sustainable Automotive Group 2013. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Sustainability Report. Strategy, Economy, People, Environment & Indicators 2013. Volkswagen. Environmental Report on Mobility & Sustainability 2014. Volkswagen Group of America Interim Report. Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2015. At Home in America. Read More