You work as a supply chain manager for TU Electric $($TUE$),$ located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. TUE isdeveloping a new product that has an outer chrome plated steel shell. Marketing$$s timeline is to havethe new product in production in $3$ months and to coordinate its product launch with a Chicago IndustryTrade Show, which is used by TUE to showcase new products and drive excitement $($and sales$)$ of theirproduct portfolio.Your Director has identified a potential supplier in Kansas which manufactures and chrome plates metalcomponents. He has asked you and Tom, the project manager for developing this new product, to tourand evaluate the supplier. Tom leads the cross functional Marketing, Engineering, and Supply Chainteam responsible to launch the product before the trade show. Tom is hyper focused to meet thetimeline set for the product introduction.The tour is going very well$$the supplier has a large facility, and, likely, it will meet your company$$squality standards. However, when you see the company$$s chrome plating facility, you realize that theyare using a hexavalent chrome process, without any safety equipment $($gloves and face masks$).$ Thehexavalent chrome process emits gases which can irritate the nose, throat and lungs. Repeatedexposure can result in ulcers. Also, if the chrome wastewater is not disposed of correctly, it can leachinto the ground and potentially contaminate water supplies, which can lead to multiple forms of cancerand potential DNA damage. When you ask the factory manager about these issues, he dismisses yourconcerns without any supporting information, and states $$Don$$t worry about it$.$ Note that a trivalentchrome process exists which eliminates the above issues. However, this process is more time$-$consuming, requires a higher level of plating expertise and is a higher cost.On your return trip to TUE, you mention this hexavalent issue to Tom and his response is that it will taketoo much time to understand if the company$$s wastewater treatment process is adequate$$you need tofind a supplier quickly. Besides from a customer perspective, no one will know if the process ishexavalent or trivalent $($which is a true statement$$if both plating processes are completed correctly,both chromes are aesthetically the same$).$ Otherwise, the potential supplier has good quality processesand the right prices$-$ why are you so concerned? Tom$$s final comment is that this supplier is a thousandmiles from TUE... who cares how they manage their wastewater and treat their employees?$1.$ Evaluate this ethical dilemma using the first $4$ steps of the Framework for Ethical Decisiondiscussed in week $1.$ Be complete in your answer, as details are important in this analysis.