Exploiting Factory Workers to ensure Profitability – At what cost? Jane was recently promoted to a managerial position a

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Exploiting Factory Workers to ensure Profitability – At what
cost?
Jane was recently promoted to a managerial position at the
industrial engineering company Pollax Limited based in Povania*. In
this new position, she is now responsible for overseeing the
company’s production factory, meaning approximately 100 factory
workers now report to her directly. Even if Jane previously worked
as an engineer and does not have any experience running a factory,
she is excited to begin her new position. She is young and
ambitious and believe that Pollax Limited will continue to offer
her opportunities to grow professionally. Furthermore, she is very
proud to have been the only woman promoted in the company over the
past five years to such an important position. In the engineering
field this is quite an accomplishment. Her friends and family
sometimes had doubts about her career choices as they found her too
soft-spoken and kind to be in such a male-dominated profession.
However, Jane always worked hard, believed in herself and treated
others with respect. She was convinced that these were important
values that would ensure a successful and happy work and personal
life.
However, at the end of her first day in her new position, Jane
is really confused to see the factory workers under her command
continue working well past the end of their eight-hour shift. She
then goes to the factory supervisor Peter (who reports to her) to
express concern because the factory does not have the budget to pay
so many workers overtime. Peter smiles at Jane and explains that
over the past five years the factory meets production goals by
making the factory workers work until the very last daily
production quotas have been reached. The workers are well aware of
this expectation and went along with it in order to keep their jobs
as it was quite challenging to find a relatively decent job in
Povania.
Peter also informed Jane that since he has been in his
supervisory position, there was only one case of a factory worker
complaining formally and actually attempting to lay charges against
Pollax Limited. In the end the factory worker abandoned the case as
she could no longer afford her lawyer. She was a single mother with
two young children who only saw her once a week for a few hours on
Sundays when she visited them at their grandmother’s house in
another town. While this lady worked very hard, she still did not
earn enough to pay someone to look after the children at home while
she was at work.
Jane was quite distressed to find out that she was actually
working for a company that was exploiting some of its workers. She
was also quite surprised that the Povanian government was not more
pro-active in in protecting the rights of its citizens. Why did the
company get away with this unethical behaviour? She was also
interested to know what the non-governmental organizations were
doing about this very uncomfortable and unfortunate situation. She
decided to investigate the local news online as soon as she got
home that night to find out more about the position of the Povanian
government and other key stakeholders.
But what really disappointed Jane even more was to learn that
this illegal practice had become part of the company culture as
no-one openly questions the exploitation of factory workers at
Pollax Limited. Apparently Pollax Limited’s CEO Joe Baxter, who is
obviously Jane’s boss, initiated this so-called strategy when he
replaced the former CEO five years ago. Jane only communicated
directly with Mr. Baxter a few times over the past few years. He is
often not available as he travels a lot and lets the Vice-President
deal Page: 2/4 with most of the issues raised by employees. Jane
knows that Pollax Limited’s shareholders and most clients generally
have a lot of respect for Mr. Baxter. However, she wonders if they
are aware of the fact that the company exploits some of its most
vulnerable employees. What should or could Jane do as she feels
really uncomfortable in this situation?
* Fictional Country
Question 1 -
Please define what a moral dilemma is and then identify the
ethical dilemma Jane is facing.
Question 2 -
If Jane were to base her decision on utilitarianism, what would
be the outcome? Please start by explaining what utilitarianism
is.
Question 3 -
Which other ethical theory could be applied here? Please include
a definition of the theory you are proposing and justify your
answer. Please choose only ONE theory.
Question 4 -
Please identify four stakeholders or stakeholder groups directly
affected by the issue of worker exploitation at Pollax Limited.
Please identify two stakes for each of the stakeholders and explain
the stakes based on the problem of worker exploitation.