Research in medical sphere usually takes much time. There are a lot of different biopharmaceutical companies which work on medicines, their improvement, and further distribution. Competition is too high at the market of medicine, therefore, each of the companies wants to conduct a research faster and with the highest efficiency. Companies should also understand that the secrets of rivals may be useful for them, especially if a rival has already conducted a research and possesses necessary information. To be better than a competitor, a company should work hard to improve personal medicine and to understand how it affects people, how a particular component may either assist or prevent disease development.
There are a lot of aspects which are to be understood, and research works on new and already existing medicines do not stop. Unfortunately, there are companies which do not want to conduct fair research and try to get information by all means. In this case, the scientific world speaks about unethical business. There are a lot of different ways to act unethically. AstraZeneca’s Seroquel research director Wayne MacFadden confessed in sexual relations with competitors and those who could have useful information necessary for business development with the purposes to get to know the information which could increase the income of AstraZeneca (Edwards, 2008).
Wayne MacFadden confessed that he got numerous sexual relations the only purpose of which was to get necessary information. Sometimes Wayne MacFadden did not even refuse his desire to get information and for that information he offered romantic dinner followed by sex. Wayne MacFadden refused the fact that he had been convinced to do it. He also said that after the company got to know about his research information and the way how it was got they offered him to resign having threatened to fire him. Even though Wayne MacFadden did not hurry up to resign he understood that he would have to do it and eventually he resigned. Therefore, looking at the situation, it may be concluded that Wayne MacFadden used personal and even sexual relationships in getting strategically important information which was useful for the company. Additional, it should be stated that AstraZeneca was really interested in received data, but it should also be states that the way how it was received was unethical and even illegal (Edwards, 2009).
The parties of a conflict were the executives of the AstraZeneca research projects and US medical director Wayne MacFadden who wanted to get information about the research results on the stage of information consideration. Wayne MacFadden also wanted to get to know confidential information about a rival drug Abilify produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb. This information was also desired to be taken while sexual relationships with a woman who was involved in the research of that medicine. It should be stated that both parties might be considered as injured in that situation. On the one hand, the information was got and the aggrieved company suffered from information leakage. On the other hand, AstraZeneca suffered as it was taken to court and its reputation failed. Moreover, because of the court procedures the research program was closed that caused delays in research, production and delivery (Edwards, 2009).
The affect of unethical behavior on organization, individuals, and society was sufficient. The organization suffered great loses, both financial and in business ties. Individuals who were ethically and morally brought up had to refuse from the company products which affected the sales of the drugs. Some business partners refused to work with such irresponsible company, therefore, some distribution contracts and delivery of the products were spoiled. Individual attitude to the company as well as that of business companions could be difficult to restore. The whole society was given an opportunity to look inside the rivalry of biopharmaceutical companies. Such situation showed people that biopharmaceutical market was full of lie and injustice. Moreover, society saw that even such sphere of their life as healthcare was in danger.
Several strategies exist which could be used in order to avoid unethical behavior of a company representative. First of all, the company had to develop a strict act of ethics according to which sexual relationships were forbidden in the company. The company had also to insist on absence of any actions and behavior which could cause problems to the company image. The company had to conduct tests with the employees trying to understand whether they were ready to harm the company or not. Specific rules were to be developed with the statements how to behave with rivals. The company could also resolve the problem without turning the company to the court. If after getting to know about Wayne MacFadden’s actions AstraZeneca fired him, with public announcement of the problem and rejecting its involvement in the affair, the image of the company could be saved. However, the company preferred to give MacFadden an opportunity to resign. By this action the company showed its approval of his actions which was the greatest mistake.
Reference List
Edwards, J. (2009) AstraZeneca’s Seroquel Research Director Confessed to Sex-for-Studies Affairs. CBS. Web.