As a city works administrator for mid-town, I oversee various duties that include the expansion of industrial parks. So far, a dozen manufacturing companies have developed creating an impact on job generation for around 2000 residents. Among the companies, Woodbee Company hired around 200 workers. It deals with the business of making custom furniture for offices and hotels. It now wants to expand the business to include refinishing of antique furniture. This will create an estimated 200 more jobs for the residents. The job will involve the use of the same paints, stains, and finishes. However, the removal of the old furnishes from the furniture would involve the use of an industrial acid which is quite hazardous to the people’s health for both the workers and the residents. I am very proud to be playing a very important role in job creation, I am also for the idea of expansion of business industries, but I have concerns about the acid likely to be used to remove the furnishing.
The interested list in the Woodbee development plan is the people who are the residents who will be the major beneficiary of the jobs created by the company. This will boost their economic status and livelihood. However, the introduction of industrial acid will predispose them to heath hazards that have fatal effects on their health status. The employees will be the other party to this plan, they will have job security with the company due to the stability of the company, however, the industrial acid will affect them directly and this fall short of the code of ethics that protects against predisposition of workers to hazardous and dangerous substances. Public health officers are also interested list of people because they will be dealing with dangerous substances that have an effect on people’s health. Environmental bodies will also seek to know the regulatory measure being adhered to by the company in order to protect the environment that is very sensitive. The company itself in view of development wants to expand its business and make more money, but the use of industrial acid is likely to create more harm to the people and reduce its potential market that are its clients.
My duties involve both evaluation and action. Evaluation includes: highlighting the ethical principles that I have incorporated in the evaluation system and identifying the ethical tools available. This should answer questions such as; will the good brought about by the action of Woodbee Company outweigh the power to cause harm that could be done to any one? Will any of the harm be brought about by more than the moral agent? Will any person who can be termed as defenseless be harmed? “What alternatives exist based on Woodbee’s interests as by the ethical egoism” (Svara, 2007, p 108). Which alternatives exist and provide great benefits with the least amount of harm to the people and employees as by the utilitarianism principle.
Virtues that need to be applied in this scenario are fidelity based on the promise I made while taking over the office as an Administrator. I accepted to protect the people and serve their interests according to the law and protect them from any injustices. I have to show gratitude for the company’s efforts to develop and create jobs for the local residents. I have to ensure justice is maintained for the people I serve and protect in my office. Finally, I need to act with beneficence to the people who deserve my assistance.
Principles that majorly influence this story include The mills Harm principle that weighs the good to the harm created as a result of the good development. “The utilitarian principle, it seeks to find out the alternatives that will be of best interest to both parties” (Brooks and Dunn, 2009, p 423). The causal harm principle determines an exogenous factor that can cause harm other than the causal factor. Finally, the paternalism principle establishes whether somebody who is defenseless can be harmed by the factor.
As an administrator, I am responsible for providing the best services to the public and some are required specifically by law. Woodbee is responsible in case of a hazardous substance threat. The community also requests other services that will include; emergency medical care, ambulance transport, safety programs, Voluntary inspections, and general responses to those problems. My office of the state will be responsible for the evaluation of the policies of the company. The company is supposed to act in accordance with the stipulated rules and regulations.
I strongly recommend that Woodbee establishes a search for an alternative solution other than the strong industrial acid that has no effect at all on the workers and residents for the plan to have approval. Secondly, an overall assessment form can be used to evaluate any development plan that needs to be developed. They should also make follow-up studies to target the companies’ ethical decision-making to determine the differences and impact of the services and substances they use.
Reference List
Brooks, J. L and Dunn. P. (2009). Business and Professional Ethics for Directors, Executives and Accountants. 5Th Ed. Canada: Cengage Learning.
Svara, J. (2007). The Ethics Primer for Public Administrators in Government and Nonprofit Organizations. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.