Chapter 4, Problem 1CA

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether the wholesaler guilty of an ethical lapse?

Context: A home furniture product company uses a linseed oil-based finish, purchased from a local wholesaler to preserve the look and feel of wood. The workers apply the finish with rags and they are thrown away after each project. After a news report about spontaneous combustion of waste rags occurring in other furniture shops, the furniture manufacturer contacted the wholesaler to ask for verification of the product safety. The wholesaler knows that the manufacturer has been considering a nonflammable, water-based alternative from another source but tries to assure with the following message:

‘Seal the rags in an approved container and dispose of it according to local regulations. As you probably already know, county regulations require all commercial users of oil-based materials to dispose of leftover finishes at the county’s hazardous waste facility’.

As the manufacturer is still not satisfied with the above explanation, an executive visit the website of the oil’s manufacturer and finds the following cautionary statement about the product:

‘Finishes that contain linseed oil or tung oil require specific safety precautions to minimize the risk of fire. Oil-soaked rags and other materials such as steel wool must be sealed in water-filled metal containers and then disposed of in accordance with local waste management regulations. Failure to do so can lead to spontaneous combustion that results from the heat-producing chemical reaction that takes place as the finish dries. In particular, DO NOT leave wet, oil-soaked rags in a pile or discard them with other waste’.

Introduction:

Presenting accurate information and avoiding ethical problems in the message is really important in order to ensure the quality information presented. Messages are unethical if the important information is missing. The sender should ensure sufficient information is provided.

Answer to Problem 1CA

Solution:

To be ethical, a sender should provide key information as well as sufficient information to ensure the message is not misleading the receiver.

Explanation of Solution

Messages are unethical if the sender does not provide key information which is important to the receiver. In the above context, the wholesaler is guilty as he has not provided sufficient information when the furniture manufacturer asks the safety of the oil based product. The brief message provided by the wholesaler is misleading the manufacturer due to insufficient information provided. For example, the wholesaler has not mentioned that failure to dispose of the used rags properly can lead to spontaneous combustion that results from the heat-producing chemical reaction that takes place as the finish dries.