The article demonstrates an example of an unethical decision of the top management team of Rongping Chemical Company, which harmed the ecology and threatened the health of citizens. This situation seems especially tragic considering the collectivistic values of Chinese society. At the same time, it is important to remember that the team was under pressure from other stakeholders. I think that in this situation, I would sacrifice the financial success of the company and my position but would not consciously endanger the health of citizens. The health and well-being of citizens are one of the major values of the nation, which should be protected. Moreover, the reaction of the public to unethical decisions is another factor that may harm the reputation of the company and, consequently, lead to a decrease in sales. Therefore, I think that dumping chemicals into the water supply is inappropriate from the point of ethics, economics, and social risks.
When a group of people makes a decision, the responsibility for its consequences is usually divided between its members. When it comes to unethical actions, individuals are less likely to risk. Moreover, in the case of Rongping Chemical Company, members could feel responsible for the positions of their coworkers, which were under threat. Therefore, in team settings, reduced responsibility resulted in more decisive actions, even though their consequences were harmful to society.
Sustainability became one of the trends of modern business, and many companies try to prove their concern about the environment. Not all of them are honest enough about their way towards sustainability. H&M is one of the companies recently accused of greenwashing, which is a form of marketing deceptively persuading the public that the organization supports environmentally-friendly manufacturing. H&M team’s unethical decision was to launch a sustainability-oriented marketing campaign and consciously mislead the public to increase profits and attract potential clients. It was proved that H&M’s manufacturing does not follow environmentally-friendly standards. What is more, some of the products contain a large amount of unhealthy synthetic materials. As a result, the decision of the H&M management team attracted the attention of green activists and harmed the reputation of the company.