Sam Colt, a sales representative, is preparing a sales presentation for his firm, Midwest Hardware, which manufactures nuts and bolts. Colt hopes to obtain a large sale from a construction firm that is building a bridge across the Mississippi River near St. Louis. The bolts manufactured by Midwest Hardware have a 3% defect rate, which, although acceptable in the industry, makes them unsuitable for use in certain types of projects, such as those that may be subject to sudden, severe stress. The new bridge will be located near the New Madrid Fault line, the source of the United States’ greatest earthquake, in 1811. The epicenter of that earthquake, which caused extensive damage and altered the flow of the Mississippi, is less than two hundred miles from the new bridge site. Earthquake experts believe there is a 50% chance that an earthquake with a magnitude greater than 7 on the Richter scale will occur somewhere along the New Madrid Fault by the year 2020. Bridge construction in the area is not regulated by earthquake codes, however. If Colt wins the sale, he will earn a commission of $25,000 on top of his regular salary. But if he tells the contractor about the defect rate, Midwest may lose the sale to a competitor whose bolts are more reliable.
Thus, Colt’s ethical issue is whether to point out to the bridge contractor that, in the event of an earthquake, Midwest bolts could fail, possibly resulting in the collapse of the bridge and the death of anyone driving across it at the time.
Write a page paper, stating what Sam should do? Chapter 6 is on Moral Philosophy so here is what you need in your paper:
- What should Sam do?
- Who will benefit from Sam’s decision?
- Who will be harmed from Sam’s decision?
- Which Moral Philosophy did you base your decision of what Sam should do?
- Why do you think this is the best course of action for Sam?
Sample Solution