Question:
Even famous and iconic Fortune 100 companies sometimes manufacture defective products that end up on the shelves of thousands of retailers. This is what happened to Johnson & Johnson, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of patent medicines. In 2009, J&J withdrew from retailer shelves significant quantities of some of its best-known and successful products such as Motrin, Tylenol, Benadryl, Rolaids, St. Joseph aspirin and others. Consumers complained about a musty, mildew-like odor that could cause nausea, stomach pain or diarrhea. Given that even the largest and most highly respected companies such as J&J can, at times, produce defective products that make their way through retail channels all the way to the consumer, should channel members view such incidents as inevitable? Discuss.