Ethical Dilemma: You were recently hired as a manager for international operations of Despoyle Chemical Corporation, a major manufacturer of dyes, fertilizers, and other industrial chemicals.

Despoyle has chemical production plants in 28 countries, including many developing economies.

It has a decentralized organizational structure, and managers in individual countries operate their plants independently of headquarters. After visiting various Despoyle plants, you find the firm follows local environmental protection standards in different countries. In India, Despoyle allows pollutants to flow freely into local rivers. In Mexico, it generates pollution in local landfills and production sites. In Nigeria, Despoyle’s factory emits air pollution that exceeds levels acceptable in more advanced countries. As a new manager, you are surprised by the firm’s lax environmental practices around the world.

What should you do? Do you complain to senior management and risk angering your superiors? Do you try to modify Despoyle’s environmental standards in different countries? What solution, if any, do you propose to address Despoyle’s practices?

Use the ethical framework in Chapter 4 to formulate your answer. lo1