Analysis of Genetic Screening - Assignment Example

? Case Analysis of Genetic Screening Table of Contents Question 3 (A) 3 (B) 3 (C) 4 Question 2 4 (A) 4 (B) 4 (C) 5 Question 3 5 Question 4 6 References 7 Question 1 This question will give a brief explanation to all the three statements. (A) It is clear from the case study that certain employees became ill due to haemolytic anaemia. This disease dissolves the walls of red blood cells. It decreases the ability of cells to circulate necessary oxygen throughout the human body. As a result, the employees were transferred to other part of the Israeli dynamite factory. However, the management came to know that G-6-PD deficiency is the major reason behind this illness. Excessive use of chemicals caused this haemolytic anaemia. On the other hand, the cost of health insurance was also increasing. Therefore, the employees were demanding to avail a smoke-free workplace environment. Looking into this matter, the employers tried to provide routine medical screening, drug testing and smoke-free environment facilities. (B) Several critics of DuPont stated that the genetic testing allowed the organisation to transfer the workers, but it was necessary to clean up the workplace environment. It is the major solution to the problems. Nobody can work at zero emission. The organisation had to ensure the health and safety workplace aspect. However, it is not right to relocate the employees. The organization should take care of all the employees and should provide routine medical check-up to all the employees. (C) The organisation did not take any initiative to clean up the workplace environment. Moreover, it was relocating its affected employees to the smoke-free areas. First and foremost, the organisation had to solve the basic problem. Then they had to think about the good health of the employees. The organisation did nothing regarding these two aspects. Therefore, development of law was required in order to restrict it. Question 2 This question will discuss some moral aspects. (A) It is the duty of the management of the organisation to maintain organisational values and principles. First of all, the organisation had to ensure environment-friendly working conditions. Excessive utilisation of chemicals and zero maintenance cause deadly diseases. Moreover, the leaders or the managers should take care of the health and safety of employees. It is their basic right (Cherrie, Howie & Semple 2011, p.51). It is the right of the employees to file legal complaints against the management of the organisation. (B) The outcome is quite serious or critical. The employees were suffering from haemolytic anaemia. According to utilitarianism theory, the organisations should provide a hazard-free working environment to the employees (Collins & Schneid 2010, p. 39). The management of the organisation needed to review the safety aspect of the workplace environment right after the incident, but they relocated their affected employees. (C) The organisation did not take care of all the employees. It has proposed genetic screening but not for all the employees. It is illegal. Attaining a safe workplace environment is the basic right of the employees. Moreover, the organisation did not compensate the affected employees or rectify the basic workplace challenges or issues (Spellman & Bieber 2011, p.87). There is a possibility for the organisation to face legal challenges based on unethical business operations. Question 3 There are specific moral obligations for the employer that DuPont needs to assume in this case. The operation of various chemical factories such as the dynamite factory involves the emission of chemicals in the environment where the workers work in the hours of operation. Apart from the motives of earning revenues from the business, the employers also have the moral responsibility of safeguarding the health of their workers engaged in the operational work. These are business ethics and social responsibilities of the employer that fulfils the moral obligations involved in the course of work. Apart from paying monthly wages to the workers, DuPont needs to assume specific moral obligations of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the workers and their families. In order to do this, it must be assessed whether there are any adverse effects of the chemicals transmitted during the operations in the factory. For this, the employer should conduct a genetic screening that helps the employer to understand which employees are vulnerable to the chemicals transmitted during the operation of the dynamite factory. By identifying the workers who are vulnerable to the ill effects of the chemicals produced, the employer could consider shifting them into areas where they are not exposed to such chemicals. This would not only fulfil the moral obligations of the employer in the course of its operation but would also bring down the cost of medical insurance. On the ethical ground, the employer also has a moral obligation to arrange for a periodic health check-up of its employees in order to maintain a healthy working environment (Gossling 2011, p. 38). Question 4 Ethical decision making in business is extremely crucial in order to strike a balance between the economic objectives and responsibilities of an organisation as a social citizen. Business without ethics could not be run with people who are certainly not machines. The wellbeing of the employees and their families should be of a prime concern to the employers. Protecting the health of the employees from the possible hazards in the workplace would not only aim at welfare of the employees but would also help the employer to maintain a productive and sustainable workforce. In the specific context of this case, the workers were affected due to the exposure of chemicals because of having G-6-PD deficiency. The genetic screening process has been helpful in identifying the workers who are susceptible to the exposure of chemicals and in shifting them to different areas of operation. This is equivalent to a system of belief in ethical relativism. The process of genetic screening is applied by workers in pre-employment stages as well, which is a strategic move to employ the workforce that is suitable for the operations and the people whom the employer could take care of (Schwartz 2011, p. 57). This creates a system of mutual beliefs between the employer and the workers, which is strengthened by the ethical considerations and the fulfilment of moral obligations of the employer. References Cherries, J, Howie, R & Semple, S 2011, Monitoring for health hazards at work, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey. Collins, L & Schneid, T 2010, Physical hazards of the workplace, CRC Press, New York. Spellman, F & Bieber, R 2011, Physical hazard control, Government Institutes, New York. Gossling, T 2011, Corporate social responsibility and business performance, Edward Elgar Publishing ltd, UK. Schwartz, M 2011, Corporate social responsibility, an ethical approach, Broadview Press, UK. Read More