Module 06 Course Project - Whistleblower Hotline

 

Throughout the course, we have explored the legal and ethical factors that impact marketing decisions. Now, it's time to put that knowledge into practice!

 

1. Review each incident received from the Whistleblower Hotline document (below) and choose three (2-3 pages).
2. Answer the following questions for the incidents you chose.
3. What legal and ethical issues do you see in the scenario?
4. What do you think is the best course of action and why is it in the best interest of the company, the community and the environment?
5. How did you apply your personal code of ethics to this decision?
6. What guidance would you provide to someone in a similar situation in the future?
7. Use at least one credible source per incident (min 3 credible resources).

 

Whistleblower Hotline

 

Incident 1: Go Green Team

Hi. I'm so glad you setup this whistleblower hotline! I'm on the company's Green Team and we have been working to reduce the amount of waste we dispose of in the nearby lake. Our CEO reported in the last investor call that we are on target to meet the goals setup at the beginning of the year for the Green Team. However, I have firsthand knowledge that during the unexpected increase in demand and production, our manufacturing facilities waived thee "green" program requirements to make sure they could hit their production targets. This means that we dumped twice as much waste into the lake than we initially planned. Not only are investors expecting good news out of our green initiatives, but they're also expecting a positive report on the sustainable supplier initiative. Unfortunately, that was put completely on hold so that we could all focus our efforts on meeting the increased demand. Our CEO is due to update investors on the next call, and the rest of the Green Team wants to tell her that we're on track to make our targets for the year. They say that we can always issue a correction statement later, if the word gets out. How should I handle this?

Incident 2: Data Trails

Our digital marketing agency called my manager to share an idea that she said would boost our digital results five-fold. She said she had a way of getting consumer data at a more granular level with a recent update to the app they created for us. Additionally, she didn't think we would have to get consumers to opt-in because their company inserts an all-inclusive clause in the privacy notice that basically, as she put it, "makes consumers sign their lives away to use the system." From experience, we saw opt-outs increase dramatically when we started more aggressive targeting. Not to mention, the company wants to partner with another company so that we can "share" data and create a much larger base of potential customers. I'm unsettled about doing all of this data sharing and in-depth data tracking without consumers' even knowing, let alone having the chance to opt-out. Please help!

Incident 3: I'll Huff and I'll Puff

When I showed my VP the recent version of our re-designed packaging, he said, "looks great, but it needs something..." He then asked me to have the agency design a medal to include on the label that reads "consumer's top choice for 75 years." I run the sales data every week, so I know that - while we have an amazing product - we're ranked number three in the category. I questioned whether or not we should make such a claim and he said "Didn't they teach you anything in school? It's called 'puffery' and we've done it for years." I apologized and thanked him for the feedback. As I sheepishly returned to my cubical, it began to gnaw at me. What do I do?   

Incident 4: Contract Manufacturing Mayhem

I went overseas to visit with a contractor that manufacturers one of our product lines. When I arrived at the facility, I was surprised to see children operating dangerous equipment. When I asked my host about it, he smiled and said, "You must be new. Let's just say that we do things differently hear than you do in America." I took his word for it and continued my tour. I saw children sleeping in corners of the plant and many of them looked exhausted. I can still see some of their faces! As I prepared to leave, he said, "I can tell you need to adjust to the way we do things here. To help you with that adjustment period, I have something for you..." He handed me a folder that included schematics and drawings. Right away I knew they were designs for our competitors' new product scheduled to launch next month! I tried to return them, but he wouldn't take them back. When I got back to the states, I hurried into the office to alert my Operations Manager of my concerns. She smiled at me and said, "you know that is one of our oldest partners on the manufacturing side of things. They do high quality work for us, so we tend to not want to rock the boat." Then, she asked me for the schematics! I've decided to blow the whistle... for the children, and because it's the right thing to do!

Incident 5: Balancing Act 

At the end of the fiscal period, during the meeting between marketing and finance, we noticed that we had missed our budget targets for the year. Someone in the group remembered that the really big check hadn't gone out yet to the non-profit company we partnered with in our highly successful cause marketing campaign. "Why not hold off paying them until next year?" he said. We'd promised the agency that they would receive a check before year end and they're counting on it to fund their holiday charitable campaign. We also had it earmarked in the budget this year and the expectation was that it would be spent this year. The finance manager asks, is everyone on board with the decision to shift this line item to next year." I sat silently, with a lump in my throat - afraid to speak up because I was the newest person on the team. I figured I would anonymously report it to you... and keep my job.