MGMT 330 Week 2 Assignment

MGMT 330 Week 2 Assignment | Devry University

Week 2: Case Study—Missing Safety Warning

1.    Read and review the Case Study analysis questions listed at the bottom of this page.

2.    Write your response to the analysis questions contained at the end of the case in an MS Word document.

3.    Refer to the weekly reading, introduction, and lesson pages for additional information when responding to the case study and analysis questions.

4.    List any references used.

5.    Your submission should be a minimum of two pages, double spaced.

6.    Include the questions in your response.

7.    Submit your response in an MS Word document.

NOTE: Wikipedia and unauthored websites are not acceptable sources. Use of such sites will result in a reduction of points.

Ethics Detective

Solving the Case of the Missing Safety Warning

Your company, Furniture Formations, creates a variety of home furniture products with extensive use of fine woods. To preserve the look and feel of the wood, your craftspeople use a linseed oil-based finish that you purchase from a local wholesaler. The workers apply the finish with rags, which are thrown away after each project. After a news report about spontaneous combustion of waste rags occurring in other furniture shops, you grow concerned enough to contact the wholesaler and ask for verification of the product's safety. The wholesaler knows you've been considering a nonflammable, water-based alternative from another source but tries to assure you with the following message.

Seal the rags in an approved container and dispose of it according to local regulations. As you probably already know, county regulations require all commercial users of oil-based materials to dispose of leftover finishes at the county's hazardous waste facility.

You're still not satisfied. You visit the website of the oil's manufacturer and find the following cautionary statement about the product you're currently using.

Finishes that contain linseed oil or tung oil require specific safety precautions to minimize the risk of fire. Oil-soaked rags and other materials, such as steel wool, must be sealed in water-filled metal containers and then disposed of in accordance with local waste management regulations. Failure to do so can lead to spontaneous combustion that results from the heat-producing chemical reaction that takes place as the finish dries. In particular, DO NOT leave wet, oil-soaked rags in a pile or discard them with other waste.

Bovée, C. L., & Thill, J. V. (2018). Ethics Detective Solving the Case of the Missing Safety Warning, Ch. 4 (p. 104). Business Communication Today (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Analysis Questions

1.    Was the wholesaler guilty of an ethical lapse in this case? If yes, explain what you think the lapse is and why you believe it is unethical. If no, explain why you think the statement qualifies as ethical.

2.    How will the information learned be helpful to you in your personal or professional life?