Boeing Ethics Case Study

“Ethics is an out dated idea that suppresses modern business and leads to unnecessary expense”

Ethics concerns an individual’s moral judgement about right and wrong. Business ethics is a form of applied ethics, that examines ethical principles and ethical problems that arise within the business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals, as well as the entire company. Decisions taken within a company may be made by individuals or groups, but whoever makes these decisions will be influenced by the culture of the company. I believe business ethics are not outdated but are an integral part of any company and are at the core of every good modern business.

The decision to behave ethically

In 1990, the company settled a lawsuit brought on behalf of 700 people who were hired by Boeing for jobs that involved exposure to electromagnetic pulse radiation and were monitored for health effects without their knowledge. Boeing admitted no wrong doing but offered to pay for medical expenses for the following ten years and agreed that the claimants could bring them back to court if they developed any adverse health issues.

Boeing was a major player in the commercial aircraft market, they were also at the centre of controversies regarding aircraft safety. After a Japanese airlines 747 crashed during a domestic flight killing 520 people. Boeing admitted that it performed faulty repairs on the planes rear safety

Boeing have reflected on their behaviour over the last two decades and have asked their CEO to resign and are now consciously making an effort to be more ethical in their approach, they are a prime example of how business ethics are not outdated and are essential to modern business. As proven by Boeing without ethic’s, decisions are made that abuse basic human rights, discount employment rights, infringe safely standards and damage a company’s reputation as well as result in paying heavy financial damages and