Response to case study scenario 1

No action will be taken.

To recall 200 USB devices that have a 1.5% chance of failure when tested to their limit would be an ineffective use of the company's resources and would reflect badly on our reputation to an important customer, we are a business striving like any other to survive in a competative market in an unstable climate. Reputation by word of mouth is invaluable and if it were seen that this company had a poor testing and quality control element it would have a negative effect on business.

There is a 1.5% chance that if used to its limit the USB device has a fire hazard. This is unfortunate in terms of loss of data and possible damage to the hardware it may be connected to but 1.5% is a small probability and unlikely as the safety test limits are far beyond the actual power consumption. It is purely hypothetical that a fire started in a USB device would become life threatening. The cost of recalling, re testing and re issuing 200 USB devices is likely to be more expensive than replacing and rectifying issues caused by the possibility of 3 failing devices. Our client is far too influential to inconvienience in such a way.

As a reservations manager of a hotel chain it was my policy to overbook the hotel bedrooms, meaning that I would sell 110% of the bedrooms knowing that there was likely to be a 15% cancellation rate. This meant that my department would turnover maximum achieveable profit for the number of available bedrooms plus cancellation charges. This method may be deemed ethically as consequentialist by justifying my actions based soley on their consequences, which, I effectively managed. There was always a risk of not enough cancellations but as a manager I resolved these situations without detriment to our reputation and created maximum turnover.

I have highlighted the potential failure of the USB devices to the safety testing group manager and he has decided that no further action, simply managing the risk of failure and subsequent consequences is the most appropriate course of action. I fully support his decision through my above reasoning and I am satisfied ethically that I have highlighted the issues with respect to the Health and Safety of our clients as stated in The British Computer Society, The Public Interest and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers two of the codes of conduct we strive to adhere to.

In a business profit is a priority, it pays our salaries and often a well managed risk pays well.

http://www.seop.leeds.ac.uk/entries/consequentialism/
http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.6030
http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/iportals/aboutus/ethics/code.html