You work as a supply chain manager for TU Electric $($TUE$),$ located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. TUE is developing a new product that has an outer chrome plated steel shell. Marketing's timeline is to have the new product in production in $3$ months and to coordinate its product launch with a Chicago Industry Trade Show, which is used by TUE to showcase new products and drive excitement $($and sales$)$ of their product portfolio.

Your Director has identified a potential supplier in Kansas which manufactures and chrome plates metal components. He has asked you and Tom, the project manager for developing this new product, to tour and evaluate the supplier. Tom leads the cross functional Marketing, Engineering, and Supply Chain team responsible to launch the product before the trade show. Tom is hyper focused to meet the timeline set for the product introduction.

The tour is going very well$-$the supplier has a large facility, and, likely, it will meet your company's quality standards. However, when you see the company's chrome plating facility, you realize that they are using a hexavalent chrome process, without any safety equipment $($gloves and face masks$).$ The hexavalent chrome process emits gases which can irritate the nose, throat and lungs. Repeated exposure can result in ulcers. Also, if the chrome wastewater is not disposed of correctly, it can leach into the ground and potentially contaminate water supplies, which can lead to multiple forms of cancer and potential DNA damage. When you ask the factory manager about these issues, he dismisses your concerns without any supporting information, and states "Don't worry about it$".$ Note that a trivalent chrome process exists which eliminates the above issues. However, this process is more timeconsuming, requires a higher level of plating expertise and is a higher cost.

On your return trip to TUE, you mention this hexavalent issue to Tom and his response is that it will take too much time to understand if the company's wastewater treatment process is adequate$-$you need to find a supplier quickly. Besides from a customer perspective, no one will know if the process is hexavalent or trivalent $($which is a true statement $-$ if both plating processes are completed correctly, both chromes are aesthetically the same$).$ Otherwise, the potential supplier has good quality processes and the right prices$-$ why are you so concerned? Tom's final comment is that this supplier is a thousand miles from TUE... who cares how they manage their wastewater and treat their employees?

Evaluate this ethical dilemma using the first $4$ steps of the Framework for Ethical Decision discussed in week $1.$ Be complete in your answer, as details are important in this analysis.