Ford Pinto Ethics
Business Ethics
Ford Motor Company In the simplest form of utilitarianism, promoting the greatest pleasure for the greatest number of people; is a popular ethical business practice. Sometimes this utilitarian theory is considered a controversial theory of morality especially when linked to the cost-benefit analysis versus the risk-benefit analysis, ultimately eliminating the human quality of making business decisions. Ford Motor Company, Ford Pinto Case, is one of the most debatable utilitarian cases; when discussing business ethics. In this paper I will analyze Ford Motor Company’s decision making process related to the Ford Pinto; using the utilitarian analysis. Ford Motor Company, which is an American based company, were amongst the leaders of the automotive industry. Their American rivalries General Motors and Chrysler were already enough …show more content…
The Pinto weighed far less than the standard car making it more fuel efficient; and it cost less than $2000 which made it economically affordable. This compact car possessed characteristics that consumers wanted, and Ford felt the need to get this product to them as soon as possible. Production time from start to completion usually took 43 months, but in order to meet the market’s high demand the Pinto’s production was cut down to 25 months. Engineers were able to complete the Pinto’s production, abiding by all safety regulations that were in place; making production history. After further testing of these vehicles they came across a design flaw that raised safety concerns. The design of the car placed the fuel tank such that if the car was hit from the rear at a speed above 20 miles per hour, it would be punctured by a bolt from the bumper and could possibly burst into flames (DeGeorge 298). This left Ford Motor Company in a bad situation, how were they going to address this problem; to fix or not to
Ford Motor Company In the simplest form of utilitarianism, promoting the greatest pleasure for the greatest number of people; is a popular ethical business practice. Sometimes this utilitarian theory is considered a controversial theory of morality especially when linked to the cost-benefit analysis versus the risk-benefit analysis, ultimately eliminating the human quality of making business decisions. Ford Motor Company, Ford Pinto Case, is one of the most debatable utilitarian cases; when discussing business ethics. In this paper I will analyze Ford Motor Company’s decision making process related to the Ford Pinto; using the utilitarian analysis. Ford Motor Company, which is an American based company, were amongst the leaders of the automotive industry. Their American rivalries General Motors and Chrysler were already enough …show more content…
The Pinto weighed far less than the standard car making it more fuel efficient; and it cost less than $2000 which made it economically affordable. This compact car possessed characteristics that consumers wanted, and Ford felt the need to get this product to them as soon as possible. Production time from start to completion usually took 43 months, but in order to meet the market’s high demand the Pinto’s production was cut down to 25 months. Engineers were able to complete the Pinto’s production, abiding by all safety regulations that were in place; making production history. After further testing of these vehicles they came across a design flaw that raised safety concerns. The design of the car placed the fuel tank such that if the car was hit from the rear at a speed above 20 miles per hour, it would be punctured by a bolt from the bumper and could possibly burst into flames (DeGeorge 298). This left Ford Motor Company in a bad situation, how were they going to address this problem; to fix or not to