A fresh engineering graduate gets a job in a prestigious chemical industry. She likes the work. The salary is also good. However, after a few months she accidentally discovers that a highly toxic waste is being secretly discharged into a river nearby. This is causing health problems to the villagers downstream who depend on the river for their water needs. She is perturbed and mentions her concern to her colleagues who have been with the company for longer periods. They advise her to keep quite as anyone who mentions the topic is summarily dismissed. She cannot risk losing her job as she is the sole bread-winner for her family and has to support her ailing parents and siblings. At first, she thinks that if her seniors are keeping quiet, why should she stick out her neck. But her conscience pricks her to do something to save the river and the people who depend upon it. At heart she feels that the advice of silence given by her friends is not correct though she cannot give reasons for it. She thinks you are a wise person and seeks your advice.

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “You are the General manager of a chemical company, XYZ, located in Panchnagar. Panchnagar is situated on the banks of the river Panch, which is a tributary of one of the major rivers of the country. XYZ was established in Panchnagar with active policy support from the government 20 years ago. XYZ is a major source of employment for the people of Panchnagar. XYZ is involved in various social activities. XYZ has built a primary hospital to attend to the health requirements of the people. It has also built a school in Panchnagar, and gives scholarships to the needy and meritorious children. Though XYZ is making a tremendous contribution to the social and economic growth of Panchnagar, your executive director is not happy with the profits incurred by XYZ in the last quarter. He has exhorted you to cut unnecessary costs and improve the revenue of the company. One day, you receive a letter from an NGO working for environment conservation. The NGO appreciates your company's work for the development of Panchnagar. However, the NGO has cautioned you about certain negative environmental and social impacts associated with the functioning of XYZ. The letter appraises you that a highly toxic chemical is being discharged into the Panch river by the XYZ. According to the studies conducted by the NGO, the toxic chemical may be carcinogenic and may adversely impact the health of people who depend on the river for their water needs. Further, the river is endemic to several endangered species. The release of the chemical waste into the Panch river may be a reason for the declining population of these species. The letter also informs you about a new filtration technology that has been effective in filtering out the toxic waste in question. The NGO's letter exhorts you to take corrective steps to rectify the issue by deploying the new filtration technology. After reading the letter you approach your executive director and brief him about the release of the possibly carcinogenic chemical into the Panch river. You also advise him to install the new filtration technology to ensure that toxic chemical is not discharged into the river. The executive director informs you that he is aware of the new technology which, in his opinion, is not only very expensive but also has a high recurring maintenance cost. The executive director tells you that XYZ is a law-abiding company and all its waste discharges are in compliance with relevant statutory and environmental guidelines. He further reminds you that XYZ is already contributing substantially to the socio-economic development of Panchnagar. Also, the executive director is of the view that the NGO is working in its own vested interests and should not be taken seriously. a) What arguments can you advance to show that doing nothing about the possibly carcinogenic chemical is not morally correct? b) What alternatives do you have in order to ameliorate the situation under the given circumstances?”

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

• Jyoti Gupta is the environmental compliance manager for a small plastics manufacturing company. She is currently faced with a dilemma on whether or not to spend money on a new technology that will reduce the level of a particular toxin in the wastewater that flows out from the back of the factory into a lake. The factory's emission levels are already within legal limits. However, Jyoti knows that environmental regulations for this particular toxin are lagging behind scientific evidence. In fact, a scientist from the university had been quoted in the newspaper recently, saying that if emission levels stayed at this level, the fish in the lake and rivers in the area might soon have to be declared unsafe for human consumption. Further, if companies in the region don't engage in some self-regulation on this issue, there is reason to fear that the government - backed by public opinion - may force companies to begin using the new technology, and may also begin requiring monthly emission level reports (which would be both expensive and time consuming). But the company's environmental compliance budget is tight. Asking for this new technology to be installed would put Jyoti's department over-budget, and could jeopardize the company's ability to show a profit this year. The following are some suggested options. Please evaluate the merits and demerits of each of the options: 1. Jyoti should focus on her company's financial performance and profits and forget the environmental issue as the compliance budget is already tight. 2. As the emission levels of the company are within legal limits, Jyoti should wait for new governmental regulations first and only after that should think about taking any action. 3. Jyoti should proactively report the matter to the higher management and ensure proper measures are taken but still profits of the company should receive the utmost priority. Also indicate (without necessarily restricting to the above options), what would you advise, giving proper reasons.1 answer
• Ramesh, a very hardworking person, is the sole bread earner in his family. He has worked with an oil company's local affiliate for several years, and has established a strong, trustworthy relationship with Suresh, manager of the local facility. Suresh has recently recommended Ramesh to be recruited as the corporate consulting engineer for the company, which would be a position of greater responsibility along with a stable income. During a casual conversation, Suresh mentions an incident in the 1960s wherein 10,000 gallons of a petrochemical was leaked into the local environment by the company due to negligence, though at the time no damage was found, and no mention of this leak was made to the press. When Ramesh mentions that the state law requires him to report all spills, Suresh reminds him that no harm had been done and reminds him that the company can't have a consulting engineer who does not value loyalty and respect confidentiality. (a) Identify the ethical issues involved in the given case. (b) What are the options available to Ramesh in this situation? Evaluate each of them. (c) Had you been at Ramesh's place, what would have been your course of action? Give reasons for the same.3 answers
• There was an incident at a company wherein a fire broke out and led to a number of casualties. During the preliminary inquiry, one of the employees and bystander witnesses, specified that the company had taken all the safety measures and the management was not at fault. During litigation, the same employee was identified as a witness and his deposition was to be taken. The issue is now in the court. You are a Senior Manager of the company and accompanying the said employee to the court for the deposition. On the way the employee tells you that he had lied during the inquiry; and that the truth was worse for the company than he had stated previously. (a) Identify the various ethical issues you would face in this situation. (b) What would you suggest the employee to do? Give reasons for your suggestions.5 answers