Analysis of Ethical Implications: GM Ignition Switch Design Recall

This report analyzes the ethical implications of a faulty ignition switch design, specifically focusing on the General Motors (GM) case. The memorandum highlights the design flaws, particularly in the ignition switches, which led to accidents and fatalities. It examines the role of design engineers, the lack of thorough testing, and the absence of a robust monitoring system to identify and address the issue promptly. The report emphasizes the importance of ethical practices in business, including the need for careful design, rigorous testing, and prompt responses to safety concerns. It underscores the significance of stakeholder theory in business, where the safety of the team members and service users must not be compromised. The report concludes by stressing the need for ethical considerations in design and the importance of addressing issues promptly to prevent future incidents. The report is a valuable resource for students studying business ethics and engineering ethics, offering insights into real-world ethical dilemmas and the consequences of unethical practices.

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Memorandum
Date: 8/12/18
To: Chief Engineer, General motors
From: Design engineer
Subject: Ethical implications demanding the recall of ignition switch design
Introduction
The faulty switch design leads to the defects in ignition switches of vehicles of our
company. The defect leads to several accidents and death and thus there is need to recall those
vehicle models. The memorandum will provide the analysis of the situation to the chief
engineer so that necessary steps can be taken. It will discuss the aspects which lead to the
errors and ethical implications related to it. The memorandum will also discuss the issues like
negligence of design engineers which caused fault and compromised safety standards and the
lack of quality assurance and monitoring team which caused number of deaths.
Faulty designs of ignition switches
The design engineers developed faulty switches which is the major cause for this
incident. If the ignition switches were associated with the operational scope of air-bags then it
was required for the engineers to conduct appropriate research before final designing so that
the fault could have removed. If they were not sure about this fault then they must have
informed this prior so that additional testing could have been used. It shows that either there
was lack of coordination between designing and testing team so that the fault was ignored or
responsible engineers did not pay attention to this necessary ethical perspective which can
affect the safety of target audience. If there were uncertainties regarding the design then there
must be discussion over it so that we could have find other design choice for the ignition
switch.
Lack of monitoring and business ethics
At first it was required that such faults must be identified at the designing or testing
stage. However, if it did not occur then there must be a suitable monitoring system. When the
complaints were received then they must be considered instead of waiting for several more
instances to occur. If the matter was resolved at the initial stages then, number of accident
related deaths could have been minimised. It is important to identify that why the issue or
fault was not detected during testing and when complains were received for the fault then
what necessary actions were taken. To sustain the trust of the customers it is important for
organisation to follow business and professional ethics. The safety of the team members as
well as service users is prime concern and this must not be compromised at any cost.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that ethical practices must be followed in the business
practices so that such painful and significant incidents can be avoided. The design engineers
were required to design with care and before bringing it to end users it must be tested. The
prior testing could have avoided the incident. It can also be concluded that when initial reports
were come into light regarding the incident then why the issues were not addressed as the

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ethical responsibilities. The timely addressing of the ethical perspective can be helpful to
avoid such incidents in the future.

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REFERENCE
Jeffrey,S., R.Edward,. F, & Monica,. C, 2015. Stakeholder Theory As an Ethical Approach to
Effective Management: applying the theory to multiple contexts [Online] Accessed
through <http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbgn/v17n55/1806-4892-rbgn-17-55-00858.pdf>