The proposed solution for PPI is that its leaders should continue the safety policies in spite of the criticism expressed by the lawyers. At present, the PPI’s ethical framework represents a harmonious combination of different ethical approaches such as teleological ethics and the ethics of care. From the standpoint of teleological ethics, the company is focused on the desired outcomes (i.e. safe workplace) overlooking the fact that the existing reality fails to meet the target standards.
From this perspective, the external audits they initiate represent an attempt to meet the target outcomes. From the standpoint of the ethics of care, the company prioritizes practical solutions as opposed to generalized moral and ethical values. Thus, it fixes the problems identified in the course of external audits in a step-by-step manner tolerating the imperfection of the existing state of things. Research shows that combined ethical frameworks – those frameworks that use the principles of two or more ethical approaches – are a widely used strategy to which most trustworthy companies adhere (Hoover & Pepper, 2015).
Another argument why the safety practices should not be changed is that they are supported by PPI’s employees. Their support reflects the effectiveness of the ethical leadership approach established in the company. Thus, practice shows that employee support corporate strategies only in those situations when they have a clear understanding of the relevant ethical framework. According to Lawton and Páez (2015), understanding this framework means understanding its three constituents: the virtues underpinning the framework, the purposes, and the practices used to meet these purposes. The practices are commonly the most problematic element for many leaders fail to develop the solutions compliant with the defined aims. This is not relevant to PPI’s case, however, for, as the case study shows, the strategy is supported by the employees what means that they can see how its aims are aligned to the practical actions.
- Hoover, K., & Pepper, M. (2015). How did they say that? Ethics statements and normative frameworks at best companies to work for. Journal of Business Ethics, 131(3), 605–617. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2255-z
