Business Ethics
Topic 1
Topic:
Not less than 1,000 words and must includeat least 2 separate verses from Scripture, quoted and applied as an integral part of the discussion, in the context of a
biblical worldview. Must also support assertions with at least 3 scholarly sources other than the textbook/course materials. Each source must be cited in current APA
format.
Thread Prompt:
Rarely does one individual’s decision or action create an ethical crisis entirely by itself. More often, someone’s unethical or illegal idea is adopted by other
members of the company, and the problem grows within the organization until it erupts in headlines, bad publicity, and sometimes criminal penalties. After the fact,
the questions always arise: How did that happen? Didn’t anyone know it was going on? Why didn’t someone stop it?
Recently, Volkswagen found itself in just such a position, when it was discovered that the software in the company’s diesel vehicles had been programmed to provide
false data to regulators regarding the level of emissions produced by the cars.
In his article “Volkswagen: Where Were the Lawyers?” Lippe (2015) questions the role that several groups within the company played in the scandal, most notably the
company’s lawyers and engineers. See http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/volkswagen_where_were_the_lawyers/.
Review this situation from legal, spiritual, and ethical perspectives. Fully explain the following:
As an employee or a manager in either the legal office or the engineering department, how would you have prevented this incident?
As the CEO of the diesel division of Volkswagen, how would you have responded when the situation became public? How would this response prevent future incidents?
