Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Henry Powell, Inc Case
The danger presented by the batteries to the users of the lawn mowers creates a need for the company to be responsible for the situation. The main responsibility that Henry Powell, Inc. bears is to investigate the cause of the explosions for the markets in the southern states. The fact that the explosions are happening in one region only shows that the company should investigate before admitting responsibility for faulty batteries. According to Jones and Parker (2005), a company has ethical responsibility of both the direct users of its products and the indirect user, even the general public. Therefore Henry Powell, Inc. has the responsibility to explain to the situation to the unaffected lawn mower manufactures.
The offices of Henry Powell, Inc. should not try to shift the blame to the lawn mower manufactures. The situation favors the company to shift the blame because there is an indication that the problem is not with the battery but with the brand of lawn mower. Despite the indication, the company should join hands with the manufactures of the lawn mower brand to investigate and find a proof of the cause of the problem. This is because internal investigations of the company are not conclusive about the problem (Jackson, 2008).
The stakeholders affected by the issue are; the customers of the lawn mowers, the manufactures of the lawn mowers, the company, Henry Powell, Inc. and the general public. The main ethical considerations facing the company are; admission of fault or shifting of the blame. If the company shifts the blame, it could be blamed for irresponsibility and unethical decisions. However, it the company takes responsibility, it will be inappropriate because it may admit unethical practices it was not supposed to. Therefore, the management should find a balance in a conclusive investigation.
References
Jackson, S., Sawyers, R., & Jenkins, G. (2008). Managerial Accounting: A Focus on Ethical Decision Making. Stamford: Cengage Learning
Jones, C., & Parker, M. (2005). For Business Ethics: A Critical Text. London: Routledge