Page 5 - Phissons Ethics Dilemma

Asthma is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Its diagnosis is usually based on the pattern of symptoms, response to therapy over

time and spirometry. It is clinically classified according to the frequency of symptoms,

forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow rate.

The occurrence of asthma has increased significantly since the 1970s. In 2011, 235-300

million people globally were diagnosed with asthma, and it caused 250,000 deaths

Michael Blackthorn

Michael Blackthorn, the CEO of Phissons, plc., has been confronted with a problem

which threatens the future of his company. He has little time to solve it and has asked

you to help him.

Reviewing the situation you write out your checklist of actions:

– Recognize the moral/ethical dilemma
– Get the facts
– Identify the options
– Test each option: Is it legal? Is it right? Is it beneficial?
– Decide which option to follow
– Double-check decision by asking “spotlight” questions:
• “How would I feel if my family found out about my
decision?”
• “How would I feel about this if my decision were in
the local news?”
– Take action

The first three actions were undertaken and you jot down the following notes, factors

and views elicited from interviews with the other board members. The fourth action is

more problematic but the board members generally expressed some opinion.