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What Is Carl Kotchian's Moral Dilemma?

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Kotchian’s Moral Dilemma Carl Kotchian, President of Lockheed Aircraft Corp., was put in a under of series of circumstances which consequently decided the success of his company. When the times seemed dire, Kotchian initially did what any other leader of a business would do, look to cut costs and reduce product failures. However, when this was not enough, Kotchian explored the negotiation of a contract with All Nippon Airlines, Japan’s leading airlines for. Little did Kotchian know, negotiation was much performed much differently in Japan than in the United States, therefore, Marubeni was hired as a representative of Lockheed to manage relations with the Prime Minister ‘s …show more content…

Those who inflicted the most damage had to be the Japanese official’s whose demands for bribes were perpetuated by Kotchian’s inability to deny their requests. By agreeing to pay the bribes, he was reinforcing their corrupted tendencies. Had he been combative of this injustice, Japanese’s tende may have been changed for future businessmen. Although the Japanese were harmed from a moral standpoint, they were not totally harmed by this transaction. Marubeni, for instance, was protected by Kotchian’s decisions. The unforeseen consequence of Kotchian neglecting the final payment would have resulted in a destroyed reputation. Not to mention, the inevitable destruction of his company. Furthermore, the middleman between Kotchian and Marubeni would have been in a conflict had he not correctly conveyed the appropriate demands of the Prime Minister. Thus, we begin to see that through the Utilitarian perspective, that the CEO’s actions were deemed morally permissible for many more than just Lockheed and Kotchian himself. From what has been previously discussed, there has not been a clear distinction of where utility was maximized in this situation. However, when the employees of Lockheed and its suppliers are taken into consideration, the pendulum swings directly in favor of Kotchian. Had he not participated in the bribes, first a deal would likely not have occurred, resulting in the financial crisis that would permanently cripple Lockheed.

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