Case Study

Subject: Business Ethics SECTARIAN CRUSADE The senior leaders of DM Bicycle Company filed into the conference room, their hands full of coffee containers, Black Berrys, and the agenda for that morning's meeting. With the end of the fiscal year in sight, the CEO, Gino Duncan, wanted to discuss sales projections for FY11, "Good morning, everyone," he said. "Thanks for coming in early. I know y'all can't wait to break down the budget, but before we get started, do you notice anything unusual outside?" He gestured at the window behind him. Carolyn Bridges, DMBC's HR director, peered down on what looked from the 1oth floor like a procession of shiny beetles scuttling down the Bicentennial Greenway. They were actually bikers wearing helmets that reflected the bright North Carolina sunlight. "Lots of cyclists out this morning," she said. Carolyn had ridden the Greenway many times since she joined the company, but she couldn't remember ever seeing so much traffic. "Bingo!" Gino said. "More and more people are biking to work, and that's good news for us." Gino had created DMBC, now a public company, out of his passion for the outdoors and his eye for unique bicycle designs. The company's 1,500 employees all worked at its headquarters and factory in Greensboro. The bikes were called "Greenies," as a tribute to their hometown. Everyone in the room knew that orders were coming in at a record rate. Carolyn relished the thought of finally being able to staff up for increased production. She hoped that the strong sales growth meant the company could reinstate the bonus pool that had been discontinued when the financial crisis struck. Bui her excitement was short-lived. Gino's face grew serious. "As most of you know," he said, his emotion neatly overcoming him, "about eight months ago my nine-year-old daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed with Batten disease." His listeners nodded sympathetically. Most of them could remember Nicole and her brothers riding their bikes around the office