In October, 2015, Tyson Foods, Inc., the largest U.S. chicken processor, fired two of its employees...

   

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In October, 2015, Tyson Foods, Inc., the largest U.S. chicken processor, fired two of its employees at a Mississippi meatpacking plant. The firing occurred after an animal rights group, Mercy for Animals, released an undercover 2 1/2-minute video that showed the workers mistreating the birds at the slaughterhouse. Mercy for Animals accused the firm of cruelty to chickens. As a result of this disclosure, six Tyson employees and the company faced possible criminal charges of animal cruelty. A spokesman for Tyson said that the firm does not believe the behavior shown in the video represents the thousands of workers it employs across the country. Mercy for Animals secretly recorded employees tossing, punching, throwing, and dismembering birds that had been improperly shackled and missed the blade designed to slaughter them. The investigation at Tyson's plant was the fourth such probe by Mercy for Animals and the group was calling for Tyson to implement "meaningful animal welfare requirements" at its farms and plants. The practice of exposing animal cruelty by way of undercover videos has become a controversial issue and some states ban the practice that some opponents call "ag-gag laws." The animal rights groups say that these videos are the only way to expose wrongdoing. Opponents of the practice say that the filmmakers get their jobs under false pretenses and that the videos misrepresent the meatpacking industry. Are chickens stakeholders? Are animal rights groups stakeholders? If so what is the nature of their stake? Do they have legitimacy as stakeholders? If not, what is the nature of their stake? 2. What are the stakes of the company and employ ees in this type of situation? Are their stakes more important than those of the special interest groups? 3. Is it ethical for special interest groups to use unde cover video techniques such as this? 4. What responsibilities does the company ha toward its employees in this situation? To its chic ens and special interest groups? 5. What strategies or actions should Tyson take address the stakeholders in this case? In October, 2015, Tyson Foods, Inc., the largest U.S. chicken processor, fired two of its employees at a Mississippi meatpacking plant. The firing occurred after an animal rights group, Mercy for Animals, released an undercover 2 1/2-minute video that showed the workers mistreating the birds at the slaughterhouse. Mercy for Animals accused the firm of cruelty to chickens. As a result of this disclosure, six Tyson employees and the company faced possible criminal charges of animal cruelty. A spokesman for Tyson said that the firm does not believe the behavior shown in the video represents the thousands of workers it employs across the country. Mercy for Animals secretly recorded employees tossing, punching, throwing, and dismembering birds that had been improperly shackled and missed the blade designed to slaughter them. The investigation at Tyson's plant was the fourth such probe by Mercy for Animals and the group was calling for Tyson to implement "meaningful animal welfare requirements" at its farms and plants. The practice of exposing animal cruelty by way of undercover videos has become a controversial issue and some states ban the practice that some opponents call "ag-gag laws." The animal rights groups say that these videos are the only way to expose wrongdoing. Opponents of the practice say that the filmmakers get their jobs under false pretenses and that the videos misrepresent the meatpacking industry. Are chickens stakeholders? Are animal rights groups stakeholders? If so what is the nature of their stake? Do they have legitimacy as stakeholders? If not, what is the nature of their stake? 2. What are the stakes of the company and employ ees in this type of situation? Are their stakes more important than those of the special interest groups? 3. Is it ethical for special interest groups to use unde cover video techniques such as this? 4. What responsibilities does the company ha toward its employees in this situation? To its chic ens and special interest groups? 5. What strategies or actions should Tyson take address the stakeholders in this case?