Analyzing Ethical Decisions: The Ford Pinto Case Study

This essay delves into the ethical implications of the Ford Pinto case, examining whether meeting safety standards is a sufficient goal for ethical companies. It analyzes Dennis Gioia's decision-making process, particularly his use of script schemas, and questions the justifiability of his actions. The essay explores how organizational context influences decisions and what alternative actions could have been taken. Furthermore, it outlines the four key decision-making lessons identified by Gioia for new decision-makers and how these lessons can be applied in one's own career. The analysis incorporates ethical principles such as Universalism and considers the importance of upholding ethical values within an organizational setting. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for ethical support and critical understanding in professional roles.

Running Head: BUSINESS ETHICS
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Business Ethics
The Ford Pinto met federal safety standards, yet it had a design flaw that resulted in
serious injuries and deaths. Is simply meeting safety standards a sufficient product design
goal of ethical companies? (Weiss, 2014, pp.150).
The Universalism (duty) principle considers that the moral influence is ascertained
through the degree where the intent of an action treats all individuals with reverence. This
comprises the need for everybody to act this manner that is similar situations. In the case of
Pinto’s fire situation, if the damages along with deaths are overlooked, the overall loss would be
apparent because the threat of unprincipled integrity will surface because of injuries along with
deaths and all persons comprising Fords would be impacted if the choice to disregard these
dreadful events is considered. This implies that it is not adequate for ethical firms to fulfill safety
values and not considering ethical aspects of their acts (Weiss, 2014).
Gioia uses the notion of script schemas to help explain why he voted to not initiate a recall
of the Ford Pinto. In your opinion, is this a justifiable explanation? (Weiss, 2014, pp.150)
Gioia is an activist dissenting the social injustice plus inconsistency for issue within the
company. Nonetheless, 2 years working in Ford, Gioia tend to disregard the apparent allegation
in which his morals were not actually powerfully maintained and overlooked his values in the
significance of Ford. This is the point Gioia is utilizing script schemas terms in which he was
conscious of the actual predicament concerning the Pinto’s primary design flow, but rather he
choices to take the script schemas just since he is demoralized into making most excellent

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decisions in the significance of the firm (Dyck & Neubert, 2010). Thus, his explanation was not
justifiable because his abandoned his values only to be loyal to the company.
How can organizational context influence the decisions made by organizational members?
(Weiss, 2014, pp.150)
The organizational context is primarily founded on the good along with the benefit
towards the organizational self. Accordingly, the context should be submitting to the principal
vision, as well as mission of a specific firm. Ultimately, the organizational associates would offer
their most excellent based on the organizational context in which the members would be inclined
to make choices, which benefits the organization. This is since the members would be likely to
contain script schemas they produce to group benefit and the good of the organization (Michalos
& Poff, 2013).
If you had been in Dennis Gioia’s position, what would you have done? Why? (Weiss, 2014,
pp.150)
If I was in the position of Gioia, rather than choosing to abandon the ethical values,
which he had maintained prior to this plus walk away from Ford, I would decide to remain at the
firm and would be accountable to the wrong act, which I have been practices whilst working at
Ford. I will make sure that I will take an action, which supposedly be taken at first instance
rather than only having an excellent intent to the entire thing (Beauchamp & Childress, 2002).
Describe the four key decision making lessons that Dennis Gioia identifies for neophyte
decision makers. Discuss how you expect or intend to use these four lessons in your own
career (Weiss, 2014, pp.150).

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One of the decision-making lessons is to build up our ethical support value in this
specific time as many individuals are taking this matter flippantly as they are not attaching
serious thought to evaluating plus expressing own values. The second lesson was the need to
recognize ourselves and other as unsuspecting casualty of his or her mental thinking. The third
lesson is to understand our roles and the organizational culture that affect the way people
develop the scripts that guide us. The last lesson was that we should be prepared to face critical
responsibilities despite the age. I will use these decision-making lessons to develop critical
understanding on my roles and stick to my values in the workplace regardless of circumstances
(Weiss, 2014).

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References
Beauchamp, T. & Childress, J. (2002). Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 5th ed. Oxford
University Press.
Dyck, B., & Neubert, M. J. (2010). Management: Current practices and new directions. Boston,
MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Michalos, A.C. & Poff, C.D. (2013). Citation classics from the Journal of business ethics:
celebrating the first thirty years of publication. Dordrecht ; New York : Springer.
Weiss, J. W. (2014). Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach, sixth
edition. San Francisco, Calif. : Berrett-Koehler Publishers, pp. 146-150.