Abstract
Ethics is an integral part of a corporation’s effort to ensure all its services are accomplished with an act of good faith and acceptable to all the parties. In as much as ethics can be described as an individual’s personal judgment on the right course of action when presented with a specific situation, it is important that we evaluate the effect of every activity we do on others. The convergence of different forms of technological inventions has transformed the world. Sikorsky Aviation Company is evaluated with respect to the effect of their operations and strategies to the public and the extent of accomplishment of their social obligations. It is a logical fact that different companies perform differently when evaluated with respect to ethics in business. As a matter of fact, different companies exhibit different levels of unethical activities like bribery, fraud, nepotism, and improper disposal of wastes. These are all aspects that shape the image of a company both at the market level and the societal level. Every company is ranked with respect to the moral and ethical accomplishments it has achieved in the society.
The code of ethics is a clause incorporated in every company’s information booklet to display their commitment to the production and distribution of services within moral and ethical ways acceptable to the society. Every company is expected by every party, directly or indirectly, related to its’ organizational structure to act within moral limits in the process of service provision. Every government globally emphasizes the importance of ethics in every entity irrespective of the objectified aims set up by the company (Boldrin & Levine, 2008). Ethics is virtually a guiding factor of morality that ensures everyone takes great care of the adjacent neighbor in every undertaking. There have been thousands of cases relating to companies who not only violate the global and natural code of ethics common to every corporation, but move as far as developing strategies to ensure the follow up of these cases are diminished.
For the establishment of a substantial conclusion in how ethical and moral a specific company operates, it is necessary to analyze all the company’s undertakings in a hierarchical front to determine the level and type of unethical processes that are practiced. In fact, different approaches have failed, as the organizational structures of some companies do not allow scrutiny. Sikorsky Aviation Company is one particular corporation, respectable as a result of its vastness and renowned operations in the provision of air transport services, to and fro, the busiest states. The company is aware that their performance is directly proportional to the ethical and moral background of their services and operations (Dobson, 1997). Ethics in business should be manifested in pricing, delivery of services, promotion, and rewarding of personnel, environmental effects of the business, virtually every aspect of life and environment that can be associated with the business.
Sikorsky Aviation Company, like every company out there, has specific responsibilities that display their ethical and social commitment in serving the society in a truthful and non-exploitative manner. The company follows a specific code of ethics affiliated to United Technologies, an organizational figure that brings companies together to guide, analyze, and evaluate them with respect to predetermined ethical protocols, virtually a document that acts as their point of reference. It stipulates all the areas that the company is expected to perform within ethical principles like quality and safety, marketing and selling, protection of company assets, accuracy of records, employee privacy, community support and more others (Duska, 2007). In this context, the company has a specific moral obligation that guides the manner in which its production and service provision processes are undertaken.
For instance, in regard to quality and safety, it is expected of the corporation to produce standard products, tested and approved to serve their customers to the intended extent and with paramount consideration of both the customer and the employee delegated to make the product. Additionally, given that the company operates on the market structure where stiff competition exists, it is expected of the firm to device moral and ethical strategies in the establishment of a competitive position at the expense of other competing firms.
Sikorsky as a company has had a score of ethically related issues within its boundaries of operation, given its vastness, an evaluation based on ethics should cover virtually a large front. For instance, the airport manager was recently fired in a case relating to scandals that depict immoral and unethical abuse of power within the company. As a result of the company’s strict focus on ethics and the image the company portrays to its global customers, it found that it was paramount to display its commitment in the valuation of its code of ethics by punishing the airport manager.
The airport manager is reported to have used his position in Sikorsky’s organizational structure, to help a friend secure a contract with the company and ultimately plant it under the airport’s property. Additionally, it is reported that the airport manager misused federal funds in the process of securing this deal. This case presents a situation in which the employee violated part of the ethical prospect that postulate how an employee is expected to act in the process of delivering its duties. Ethics discourages manipulation or misuse of power.
As described by the case above, it was an ethical offense for the manager to strike a deal with the simple reason that the party involved was a friend. As a matter of fact, ethical provisions dictate that social relationships should not get in the way of professional decisions. This is simply because social attachments impair the course of professional judgment. It can be postulated that, the manager’s decision with respect to the provision of the deal was not done with respect to his friend’s official qualification for that position but as a result of their social affiliation as friends.
Additionally, the fact that he misused funds belonging to the federal government exposed his financial dealings to scrutiny by the FBI, a move to unveil how moral and ethical he was when in office and the manner in which he used federal funds. It is agreeable that the company’s decision was driven by ethical concerns on not only as a result of the missing funds, but also on the image such a case would portray of the company. As the company follows a specific code of ethics, it expects every employee to comply with every aspect of the moral protocol displayed in that document. This is the sole way that the company ensures it operates on moral grounds. As this case involved a high ranked figure in their organizational structure, it can only be assumed that cases that develop at lower stages in the organizational hierarchy are treated with the same measures to ensure that all the processes conform on an ethical front (Jones & Parker, 2005).
The role of ethics in the success of a company can only be viewed in a multi-dimensional front. Sikorsky Aviation Company has earned the privilege it enjoys as a large-scale company through ethical provision of services. The best way to prove how important ethics is to businesses can be properly highlighted if a comparative analysis is done involving Sikorsky Aviation Company and another corporation that has fallen or excelled as a result of ethical issues. The performance of the company is largely dependent on the social responsibilities it has, hence moral obligations delegated to its presence.
As a matter of fact, when ethics is viewed with respect to what the company offers to the society, it can be concluded that the ethical significance of a company is directly related to its affiliation and social responsibilities (O'neill, 1998). In this context, Sikorsky Aviation Company has the obligation of ensuring that its customers travel safely from one destination to the other. How the company accomplishes this is the main idea of ethical scrutiny. For instance, the when customer travels from one destination to the other, he or she has to make arrangements through the company’s service providers in payment and booking.
When a customer books a seat or a flight prior to the date of travelling and then comes only to find the seat occupied by another passenger, it can be classified as an ethical issue given the possible reasons that can be attached to the situation. This literarily means that the passenger could have bribed the officers at the booking station, or it could be an oversight by the team. Additionally, a clearance for errors can be ethically allowed, however, how the company officials and service providers treat such issues dictate a lot about their moral viability. People are naturally error prone and a mistake during service provision can be understood or ranked as either an accident or intentional depending on how the personnel corrects that case.
The company operates on a wide regional market characterized with different levels of competition as well as people from divergent cultures. Therefore, the company has to formulate strategies that put it ahead in the competitive front. Every company needs a striking factor that gives it a competitive advantage over other companies. The nature of the market puts such companies at the verge of sacrificing some of its resources in order to maintain its sales or its customers. As a matter of fact, the introduction of a new company offering the same services or availing the same products pushes the company onto the drafting table.
Sikorsky Aviation Company has regional dealers who face competition from other international companies; this has made them integrate their services with more advanced elements as well as new technology to arrest the demand in the market. This means that, the company has to device additive solutions that confer with the ethical viability of the corporation. As a matter of fact, the company’s affiliation with UTC ensures that every activity accomplished within the organization hierarchy of production processes are properly scrutinized with respect to ethics.
The honesty of transactions between the company and its customers creates great customer-trader relations. A customer develops trust in a specific product with respect to how honest the producers are as well as the terms of service. As a matter of fact, Sikorsky Aviation Company deals with sophisticated aviation material that cost large amounts of money. Therefore, the moment a customer realizes that any of the parts of the machines sold to them are not genuine, they air complains that are used by other competing firms for criticism. In this context, there might be also customers who might not be fully aware of how genuine specific parts are. Owing to this, some companies violate ethical provisions by exploiting customers as a result of their naivety with respect to the products. Fortunately, Sikorsky Aviation Company has its products checked for quality and cohesion, a move that guarantees its customers quality in their products.
How a company treats its employees is a very crucial matter as far as ethics is concerned. There had been cases in which sections of workers in Sikorsky Aviation Company were exploited through low employment terms and working conditions, a factor that was solved (Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., 2014). The moral judgment about a company cannot be established if the working and employment terms in the company are not evaluated. The probability of producing quality products is dependent on the motivational aspects of the employer running the machine. In fact, an employee can only be motivated if the company he or she works for operates within ethical significance. Therefore, the code of ethics states that the company and its employees should always display loyalty in all operations regarding the implementation of organizational objectives.
Additionally, there have been cases of false advertisement by companies trying to allure students into buying their products or using their services. As much as this has not been experienced by customers in the markets served by Sikorsky Aviation Company, it is an ethical issue that affects the honesty of very many companies in the market. For instance, if Sikorsky Aviation Company announces a new product that uses a new concept in technological advancement, yet after the product is launched, analysts realize that the product is a manipulation of technology already used by a different company. Additionally, the company might spy on competing firms to ensure they leak their strategies in the market. The relationship the company develops with competing firms, its customers, and the public dictates a lot about the ethical viability of the company.
In alignment to UTC legitimate rights; it is not within their acceptable courses of practice for the company to leak any information that does not belong to them. This literarily includes employees’ personal information, credentials belonging to any sections of another company as well as private dealings that involve other companies who prefer secrecy. With respect to this Sikorsky Aviation Company is tied within ethical grounds not to disclose any information that does not belong to them or violates the rights of other members of the society. Logically, the company gets its resources for the production and sales processes from varying dealers, ethical prospects require the company to always act within the agreements of their deals in all fronts including financial and informative settlements.
Additionally, there have been cases in court of customers who feel unsatisfied of their products. The contemporary world presents numerous challenges as far as suing a company as big as Sikorsky Aviation Company simply as a result of their financial significance and economies of scale. When judgment is not impaired as a result of such unethical terms, the company displays a good relationship and perfect performance as far as its responsibilities in the society are concerned. Moreover, every company should be mutually responsible with the environment it operates on. Proper methods of waste disposal, treating of sewerage at production points and other sources of pollution are major areas that every company must major on. Ethics relates to how the company gives out to the community.
Improper disposal of waste from the production of aviation materials would automatically endanger the lives of those living around the company. Furthermore, the society should directly or indirectly benefit from the presence of Sikorsky Aviation Company in their vicinity. Offering jobs to the eligible without favor, bribery or nepotism are the most ethical and approved ways of giving back to the society. Sikorsky Aviation Company’s performance, in these contexts, is commendable as their affluent are well treated before disposal.
In conclusion, Sikorsky Aviation Company has been ranked as one of the best aviation service providers in the world. Their use of technology in the production processes shows how creative and science oriented their production processes are. However, the morality of a company and honesty to its customers can only be evaluated with respect to ethical concerns about its operations. It is encouraging that very few complaints have been aired displaying unethical transactions about the company. Its involvement with UTC as well increases their ethical viability as it tracks the morality of its services. The few cases presented relating to breaking of ethical laws by or within the company, have been dealt with in a free, fair, and transparent manner. Moreover, the company is transparent in their market structures and methodology of operations that give its potential customers and competitors a chance to build honest relationships with the company.
Ethics in business is a striking factor that affects the performance of very many organizations in the contemporary business society, the competitive nature of these businesses, have put other at the front in the use of unethical and immoral strategies to outshine others. It is important for each business to develop moral standards and a code of ethics as developed by Sikorsky Aviation Company. Emulating their strategy in maintaining healthy relations with its customers as well as ensuring their responsibilities in the social arena are well accomplished would be the most fundamental way of ensuring ethical routine in production.
References
Boldrin, M., & Levine, D. (2008). Against Intellectual Monopoly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dobson, J. (1997). Finance Ethics: The Rationality of Virtue. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Duska, R. (2007). Contemporary Reflections on Business Ethics. Boston: Springer.
Jones, C., & Parker, M. (2005). For Business Ethics: A Critical Text. London: Routledge.
O'neill, J. (1998). The Market: Ethics, Knowledge and Politics. London: Routledge.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. (2014, 02 27). Summit Aviation Named Customer Support Center for Sikorsky S-76® Legacy Helicopters . Retrieved 03 3, 2014, from Aviation pros: http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/11319452/summit-aviation-named-customer support-center-for-sikorsky-s-76r-legacy-helicopters
