Success and Ethics in Organizations: A Case Study of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family

This report examines the relationship between success and ethics in organizations, using Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family as a case study. It explores whether an organization can be considered successful if it is not ethical, and suggests measures that organizations can take to protect themselves from unethical behavior.

Museums and galleries supported
by the Sakler family

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Success is the state under which the customer makes potential effort for the self
development. The meaning of success differ from one entity to the other. Like, some may
perceive it in monetary terms or other may derive it in form of job satisfaction. Thus, it needs to
be derived out by use the ethical values or behaviour to retain the interest of employees and
customer. This report determine where an organisation can be considered as successful even if it
is not ethical. Along with that it include the measures which an organisation can take to protect
itself from the unethical behaviour.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
ANALYSIS......................................................................................................................................4
Aim of the report..........................................................................................................................4
Can an organization as successful if it is not ethical?..................................................................4
What the organization can do to protect itself from the unethical behaviour?............................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................8
REFRENCES...................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Success is the potential way that help to achieve the desired vision as well as planned
goals of an organisation. It reflect the social status in terms of wealthy and fame of the
prosperous person that is gained as a favourable outcome which is the result of hard work. In
context to the organisation which measure the success on the basis of their performance or the
amount of revenue which is generated by attaining the feasible target (Dyer, 2019). For the
Sackler family, revenue or wealth is the source of success as they had the knowledge that the
drugs are addictive still they didn't remove the product from the retailers shelf or bring
modification in the components. This determine that the ethics are the important component of
business so it play significant role while contributing for the success of an organisation. Thus,
ethical practices does not only helps the organisation to gain success but also retain the interest
of external and internal stakeholders such as customer and employees towards the company.
Sackler family was one of the most wealthy families of America who owned the
pharmaceutical company that is named as Purdue Pharma. The company sell pain killer called
OxyContin which was highly prescribed by the local doctors to overcome chronic diseases. The
main problem associated with this medicine is that its has the overdose of opioids which make it
addictive. This caused the death of 49,000 people within a year. This further leads to the huge
destruction and the company faced the crises and legal charges which dropped down their value
and success in the market. So the term success can be beneficial for one entity but at the same
time it need not ruin the interest or lives of the other person. The overall aim of this report is to
attain success but by indulging into the unethical practices.
ANALYSIS
Aim of the report
The aim of report is to identify the actual definition of success which is not only
associated with the monetary benefits or fame. It even includes the involvement of ethical
behavior that helps the firm to gain recognized image and maintain the interest of external party
as well.
Can an organization as successful if it is not ethical?
Success from the perspective of Purdue Pharma: Sackler Family is one of the famous
families of United States which is running a business named Purdue Pharma. The organization

manufactures a drug named OxyContin. In starting the enterprise has attained high level of
success because of effective results of its painkiller. After some time, it has started affecting
health of clients by making addicted to it. It has also resulted in deaths of patients who were
consuming it. All these activities of Purdue Pharma are considered as unethical because it was
causing deaths of individuals. It has affected market image of the company and also resulted in
decreased profits of it due to its unethical behaviour. The success of the entity was highly
affected due to its involvement in the such activities which are not performed in ethical manner.
In year 2010 the patent of the enterprise was expired and then company admitted that there is an
issue in the medication which is causing deaths and addiction among individuals. Afterwards,
Sackler family made some modifications in the medicine and launched it again in the market and
then the right for selling were patented to sell the painkiller. It has shown that the company is
putting profit before the life of people which is an unethical behaviour due to which most of the
persons were facing harmful problem to their life (Falk and Dierking, 2016). it has shown that
the success which was acquired by the company by selling effective painkiller gets affected due
to its unethical activities for generating profits.
Success from the perspective of public: Purdue Pharma is one of the largest sellers of
medications in United States which is selling highly effective painkillers to the individuals. All
of the were resulted in deaths and addiction among patients and due to this various lawsuit were
imposed on the organization by public as according to them the company is putting profit before
public. The company has never accepted that there is an issue in their medication but the Sackler
family said that it is not their problem of the way in which individuals are taking it. In order to
influence the customers, the company was spending a very high amount on advertising and
promotional activities (Fallows and Steven, 2013). All these processes were conducted for the
purpose of aggressive marketing. All the negative impacts of the business processes of the
organization has resulted in protests of public against it because the number of deaths in US was
continuously increasing due to overdose of opioid in OxyContin. Success of the organization was
affected due to its unethical behaviour and their life. Most of the doctors were recommending the
painkiller to the individuals in order to get quick relief from Chronic pain. It was mainly used by
them for the purpose of getting relief but it has resulted in addiction which caused end number of
deaths. All the unethical activities of Purdue Pharma has influenced people and they started to
using a medicine which was not safe and harmful for their health.

Success from Success from the perspective of medical staff: Medical staffs or the
professional are one that has the authority to prescribe the medicines to the patients. So it is their
responsibility to promote the suitable media that can cure the specific problem. In this medical
industry entertaining the gifts from the supplier are widely seen that leads to the unethical
practices. As to gain the success medical staff prescribes those medicines within which they can
perceive high margin or benefit. In context to the case study Purdue Pharma aggressively
marketed their OxyCotinn which had the overdose of opioids. This was the unethical practice
that was adopted by company even after knowing its side effects. The company intensively
promoted this brand in comparison to the other for which it even invited doctor as well as
professional from the different parts of US and conducted conference in resorts. It especially
includes those doctors that highly prescribe Oxycotin to chronic pain sufferer. Thus, this process
helped the medical staff to gain huge success and recognition. But when people and other
institution realized the unethical practices leads to the imposition of various cases that leads to
downfall and deteriorate the image of company within public.
Success from the perspective of patients: Patients are the consumers of OxyCotin who
took these medicines to get the instant relief but they had no idea that constant consumption can
landed up causing the death. Along with that the company claimed that each drug is coated with
the slow release of outer shell to overcome the pain for which one can have 2 tables within 24
hours. Even after the strong claim of company on products, many people became addictive of
these medicines and lead to sever deaths (Frost, 2012). Moreover, with the motive to generate the
probability for company befouled the patients and medical professional that took so many lives
of the local resident of US. Further, even after adoption of such unethical practices for success
the company claimed that patients had the sole responsibility like they should not increase the
consumption limit. Along with that the company does not find it as a mistake of manufacturing
process. This clearly stated that to gain high position and more wealth via unethical practices
leads to nothing such as Sackler family would have controlled the component of opioids and
aggressive promotion by arranging the conferences with the doctors. Therefore, all this leads to
the negative result like various law suits and allegations are imposed against the company that
deteriorated its image and success motive.

What the organization can do to protect itself from the unethical behaviour?
In the above case study, Sackler family that owned the Purdue Pharma adopted the
unethical practices like increased component of opioid in the OxyCotin brand that made it highly
addictive drug which caused various death. Thus it is vital for the company to overcome the
unethical practices. There are various ways to avoid such practices like they can discontinue the
use of OxyCotin to further safeguard the lives of people. For this they can remove all the
prevailing products from the retailer’s shelf as well as from the Purdue Pharma itself. The other
way is to bring modification in the existing product so that the consumer won’t get addicted
taking such medicines. Along with that while advertisement the company can intimate regarding
its usage vividly to patients as well as medical staff. Such as consumption of more than two
drugs in not preferable for them. Thus, like this they can rebuild its image in the society
(Steinbach, 2014).
Based on the analysis, it is vital for the Sackler family to protect themselves from the unethical
behaviour otherwise it may lead to the shutdown of business. In addition to it there are various
organizations that have imposed legal charges on company which can either leads to the
obligation of high fines, suing the license of company and imprisonment. Therefore to avoid
these practices it is necessary for Purdue Pharma to bring transition and improve the business
practices significantly.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that ethics and values are the basic part of an
organization which need to be inculcated by all the type of business irrespective of their sizes
and scope. Along with that success is a relief to an individual or an organization that is gained
after putting in the progressive efforts. So it is vital that the entity need to focus on the ethical
behavior in order to gain success which is beneficial for them as well as other people. In the case
of Sackler family they only focused on their success in terms of wealth and fame due to which
even after knowing that increase ratio of opioids can lead to the addiction. Still they aggressively
promoted the product amongst customer as well as medical staff. Therefore, such loophole to
gain the success ultimately affects the profitability of company especially in long term.

RECOMMENDATION
From the above case study there are various recommendations to promote the ethical
practices within Sacker family. Some of that are stated that are stated below:
 Before introducing any product the Purdue pharma should well verse with its use
amongst the public so that cases like death can be controlled. Sackler family knew the
consequences to have OxyCotin that leads to addiction as consumption of more than two
tablets within 24 hours can leads to sever issues. But the company focused on aggressive
advertisements and gain success so that they can bring alterations in the widely
recommended medicine. Like, they should decrease the component of opoids and
communication all the vital details to prescriber as well as user. Additionally, it should
clearly mention the direction to consume the medicine and its side effects for not
following the guidelines. This can perhaps control excess dependency on the particular
medicine.
 The manager of company should come forward and organize the conference where they
can face to face answer the public questions. Based on this the company can accept its
mistakes and try to gain the trust over customers. Thus, it is the platform which can even
assist company to overcome unethical practices.
 All the existing product which are still in the market should be removed by company to
control the further chances of accident or such incidences.
 Although the Sackler family cannot compensate the lives of the 49,000 people who died.
But they should make efforts to hiring the professional that can help company to gain
success only by opting ethical behaviour.

REFRENCES
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