Start writing about ford pinto case ethics utilitarianism with our best example essay. To summarize, fords design of the pintos fuel tank was defective, causing fires if the pinto was involved in even minor rearend collisions. Returning to the pinto case lets take another look at the ford pinto case now that we have the concepts from the stockholder and stakeholder views in mind. The case involves the production, safety concerns, and ethics surrounding the ford pinto vehicle. All parties that were involved in the ford pinto case chose to do what was best for the corporation, and ignored his or hers values and ethics. Taking an ethical approach to the ford pinto case makes accepting the riskbenefit analysis performed by the ford motor company difficult. The ford pinto case from a utilitarian and deontological. Ford motor company manages ethics and social responsibility introduction ford motor company, one of the big three automakers, was established in detroit, michigan, on june 16, 1903. On august 10, 1978, three teenage girls died horribly in an automobile accident. Between 1971 and 1978, approximately fifty lawsuits were brought against ford in connection with rearend accidents in the pinto. Act utilitarianism applied to the ford pinto release. The effectiveness of the hedonistic calculus is best demonstrated when used on a serious ethical issue, and the ford pinto dilemma is a perfect example for this. While ford was found not guilty in that one specific case where they were charged with criminal homicide, the fact that roughly 50 lawsuits were brought against ford. Ford pinto full details and analysis report with references.
Aug 31, 2016 this paper is based on the case of ford pinto, offering a summary of the case study. A script analysis of missed opportunities dennis a. Ford knew about the risk, yet it paid millions to settle damages suits out of court and spent millions more lobbying against safety standards. However, the case against the pinto was not so clearcut. The case of ford s pinto has been called a manifestation of broad legal, socialstructural, and ideological changes leading to an increasing intolerance of white collar crime. Ford decided, however, not to change the position of the gas tank primarily in order to reduce production costs. The evidence suggests that ford relied, at least in part, on costbenefit reasoning, which is an analysis in monetary terms of the expected costs and benefits of doing something. The model t, in particular, was the one turning point that put ford on the map. The ford pinto designs had the placement of the fuel tank behind the rear axle. The cases involving the explosion of ford pinto s due to a defective fuel system design led to the debate of many issues, most centering around the use by ford of a costbenefit analysis and the ethics surrounding its decision not to upgrade the fuel system based on this analysis.
Ford pinto case ethics education library center for the study of. The ford pinto case milton friedman believed a freemarket system, in which goods and services are exchanged and controlled by individuals and privatelyowned businesses without government authority, was the only way to achieve personal freedom. Ford pinto fires case study and executive summary john bonner, scotti greenleaf, rose scarbrough mgt216 university of phoenix october 18, 2010 sarah nelson ford pinto fires case study and executive summary introduction during the late 1960s the ford motor company was one of the leading auto manufactures in the united states. Ethical theories applicable to ford pinto case philosophy essay. Ford pinto fires case study and executive summary case. Costbenefit analysis puts a price on human life and compares it to the cost of a something else. How well the engineers in the pinto case met their obligation to hold paramount the safety, health, and. Ford met their obligation to shareholders by focussing only on financial variables, but failed in its responsibility to customers in two ways. First, i will validate why the stakeholder theory is the best theory to use when making business decisions, and why the liability should fall on the people regulating the market interactions, not the producer of. I worked on this animation project to visually explain the case of the infamous ford pinto. Jun 18, 2014 the case of fords pinto has been called a manifestation of broad legal, socialstructural, and ideological changes leading to an increasing intolerance of white collar crime. Ford s costbenefit analysis showed it was cheaper to endure lawsuits and settlements than to remedy the pinto design. Mounted in this position, the tank was punctured during tests by projecting bolts when hit from the rear at 20 niph.
May 20, 2011 the top automotive engineering failures. This article details the personal involvement of the author in the early stages of the infamous pinto fire case. Apply these theories to the analysis of some of the most eminent organizational scandals of the recent decades 3. Prior to the pinto disaster, ford had a remarkable reputation as a safety pioneer in automobile industry because it introduced safety belts. To monetize human life for the purpose of a costbenefits. Mar 12, 20 although ford did not break any of the existing nhtsa rules when releasing the pinto, they had been actively lobbying against new safety standards since the release of the pinto.
May 12, 2014 ford pinto full details and analysis report with references 1. Utilitarianism and the ford pinto case researchomatic. While ford was found not guilty in that one specific case where they. In relations to ford pinto, the case study shows that is was about an accident which took place involving a ford pinto and a chevrolet van which hit the ford pinto from behind. The results of ford s costbenefit analysis of the pinto problem.
Although the pinto passed the nhtsa test, ford officials knew that the pinto was prone to catch fire when struck from the rear, even in lowspeed collisions, thus it was unsafe to drive the car without any technical improvements implemented. Ethics of the fords pinto and the value of life essay cram. According to the myth, however, businesses and people in business are not explicitly concerned with ethics. The ethical dilemma in the ford pinto case essay 1610 words. With those theories in mind, we should analyze what we know of the pinto case and try to determine what choices each of those theories would have recommended. Between 1971 and 1978 plaintiffs brought about 50 lawsuits against ford in connection with pinto rear end collisions. The ford pinto case suny series, case studies in applied. To summarize, ford s design of the pinto s fuel tank was defective, causing fires if the pinto was involved in even minor rearend collisions. In the early 1970s when competition from japans auto makers was heating up, gas prics were easing, the demands for energy conservation were just around the corner awaiting the arab oil boycotts that arrived first in 197374, ford motor company with lee iacocca as its president, introduced a new line of cars, the ford pinto. Oconnor american military universtiy busn623 the ford pinto case in 1978 a tragic car accident involving three teenager driving a ford pinto, model year 1973, caused their car to burst into flames hoffman, 1982.
Ford pinto fuel tanks top automotive engineering failures. The ford motor company used this data along with other statistical studies to determine the cost benefit of improving the safety of the ford pinto compared to the cost. Pdf case study ford pinto case jose calel academia. Answer the following question based off ford case study below. Ethical theories applicable to ford pinto case philosophy. Kramer the ford pinto ethical dilemma in this presentation, a very important case that transpired from 1971 to 1978 with the ford motor company, under the leadership of mr. In relating its consequential content to the ford pinto case, it would seem that the application of ethics had been dismissed in favour of profits, reputation and. In the article, the ford pinto moral issues in business, william h. Utilitarianism calls for the most good for the most people. How has ford made ethics an important part of its culture. The major blow to ford in the grimshaw case was the discovery that it knew of the potential vulnerability of the ford pinto design but.
The ford pinto case analysis the ford pinto case evaluating the ford pinto case by taking an ethical approach, makes judging the decisions made on a costbenefit analysis difficult. It is a perfect example of white collar crime where profit is prioritized over ethical concerns. The ford pinto is a subcompact car that was manufactured and marketed by ford motor company in north america, sold from the 1971 to the 1980 model years. Moreover, three key ethical issues presented in the case have been identified. The ford pinto case is a wellknown case that is often discussed in the context of business ethics.
So you see, this is a typical case of ethical blindness. The factors surrounding fords 1978 recall of the pinto. Ethics of the ford s pinto and the value of life ford did not approach the question of redesigning the gas tank to make the car safer versus waiting another year allowing the foreign market to dominate subcompacts. Taylor gray brenda greenwell christopher macintyre leanne marks university of phoenix mgt 216 march 17, 2010 table of contents introduction 3 recommended solutions and supporting information to the ford pinto case 3 traffic safety and accident data 4 ethical opinion 5 influences from external social pressures 5 case examined with the period eye 6. The ethical dilemma in the ford pinto case essay 1610. First, i will validate why the stakeholder theory is the best theory to use when making business decisions, and why the liability should fall on the people regulating the market interactions, not the producer of the products. The ford pinto ethical dilemma term paper warehouse. Read this free business coursework and other term papers, research papers and book reports. Encyclopedia of science, technology, and ethics dictionary. The evidence suggests that ford relied, at least in part, on costbenefit reasoning, which is an analysis in monetary terms of the. The cases involving the explosion of ford pintos due to a defective fuel. To earn a profit, a business produces goods or provides services and engages in buying and selling. Price organizational ethics and social responsibility 16 aug 2010 paul a.
The case discusses the fatalities that had occurred due to the fault in the fuel tank of ford pinto. Corporate mission and ethics ford motor company has made many improvements in the quality of its products over time since the seventies which is the. Business ethics course the ford pinto designs had the placement of the fuel tank behind the rear axle the fuel tank position has allowed the projecting bolts to puncture the tank when the vehicle was struck from the rear. Dec 22, 2010 utilitarianism, business ethics and the ford pinto case present a dilemma, as the theory appears to be one of moral strength and a good guideline for ethical business choice. The ford pinto case analysis essay 1553 words 7 pages. Unit ii assignment case analysis the ford pinto case is a wellknown case that is often discussed in the context of business ethics. Further evaluation of the analysis indicated if the.
Introduction and situational analysis in the case of the ford pinto we are going to explore what values and ethical dilemmas the hierarchy of the ford motor company violated in order to reap substantial monetary profits at the expense of the customer. An illustrationanimation project about the case of the infamous ford pinto in 1970s. The ethical dilemma in the ford pinto case on august 10, 1978 three young girls died in a 1973 ford pinto after being stuck from the rear by a driver in a van. This paper is based on the case of ford pinto, offering a summary of the case study. For seven years the ford motor company sold cars in which it knew hundreds of people would needlessly burn to death.
The pinto was being driven by an 18 years old judy ann. Introduction and situational analysis the ford motor company faced a number of ethical dilemmas during the production of the ford pinto. The ford pinto was rushed into production in august of 1970 by ford s new president, lee iacocca, insisting that without a suitable alternative to the vw beetle the japanese would capture the entire american subcompact market. Although the pinto passed the nhtsa test, ford officials knew that the. Founder henry ford converted an old wagon factory to house his new inventions. In designing its 1971 pinto, the ford motor company decided to place the gas tank behind the rear axle.
The ford pinto ethical dilemma written by learning team b. The ford pinto case is mentioned in most business ethics texts as an example of costbenefit analysis, yet in those formats any appreciation of the complexity surrounding the issues of such decisions is overly simplified. The ford pinto case is mentioned in most business ethics texts as an example of costbenefit analysis, yet in those formats any appreciation of the complexity. The ford pinto case is today considered a classic example of corporate wrongdoing and is a mainstay of courses in engineering ethics, business ethics, philosophy, and the sociology of white. The paper first presents an insider account of the context and decision environment within which he failed to initiate. This is a case involving the explosion of ford pinto s due to a defective fuel system design, the issue of questionable design and the use by ford of a costbenefit analysis to support their decision not to upgrade the fuel systems or recall the product. M2a1 the ford pinto case analysis 2nd submission the ford.
The ford pinto was completely engulfed in flames and the accident resulted in the death of the three young girls. In the pinto case, the ford motor corporate heads and engineers were responsible for producing a vehicle known to cause deaths and disfigurements. The use of an 8step model of ethical decision making in pinto fires case study will assist in deciding whether the vehicles should be recalled or not loe et al. As a thorough study, this book provides material that enriches the entire idea of. With those theories in mind, we should analyze what we know of the pinto case and try to determine what choices each. Dec 10, 2017 an illustrationanimation project about the case of the infamous ford pinto in 1970s. The purpose of this paper is to look at three different types of ethical theories and they are applicable to ford pinto case. There were various ways of making the pinto s gas tank safer. Ford motor company manages ethics and social responsibility.
What happened to the value system i carried with me into ford. Utilitarianism and the ford pinto case introduction business is concerned primarily with profit. Ford s management decisions regarding the pinto do not seem to hold up well to ethical analysis especially rights or duty ethics but, there does seem to be potential for justification when a utilitarian ethics analysis is applied. Business ethics course the ford pinto designs had the placement of the fuel tank behind the rear axle. First their goal to maximize profits was their only priority. In a lot of the material i read though, many people wanted to place the blame only on the president of the company, mr. Ford pinto full details and analysis report with references 1. Ford pinto case ethical issues on august 10, 1978 three young girls died in a 1973 ford pinto after being stuck from the rear by a driver in a van. In an effort to produce a stylish but affordable subcompact automobile with a low operating cost, ford motor company management made a questionable decision regarding the positioning of and protection for the fuel tank. Ethical considerations of ford engineers working on the pinto project. Ford motor company responds to ethical challenges ford motor company was founded by henry ford, an inventor and entrepreneur, on june 16, 1903, in. Ethics is a general term which involves the aspects of rights and wrongs which determines the way in which humans live together in harmony in any given society. The fuel tank position has allowed the projecting bolts to puncture the tank when the vehicle was struck from the rear.
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