In the 1980s Beechnut, the second-largest producer of baby food in the United States, was found knowingly to have sold adulterated apple juice it advertised as 100 percent pure.31 The company had been losing money, and using concentrate with artificial ingredients saved millions of dollars. Beechnut officials argued that other companies were also selling fake juice and that it was perfectly safe.
Assume you are a Beechnut executive who strongly disagrees with the action the rest of the Beechnut officials seem determined to take. You’ve mentioned your disagreement a couple of times and have been getting both subtle and not-so-subtle pressure to keep quiet. Members have said things to you like, “We’ve been over this and over this. You keep bringing this up after we’ve decided.” You’re marketing the juice as “100 percent pure,” which isn’t accurate. But on the other hand, no one is claiming that the impure juice is unsafe. Is that really so bad, when it’s saving money and jobs for the company?
Groups can be vicious to members who are deviant, and you are definitely a deviant in this group.
1. What do you say to the other members?
2. How can you withstand the pressure the others are placing on you? Should you withstand it?
3. For what reasons would you go along with the other members?
4. For what reasons would you resist?
5. What would you do?