The simple listing of "180 burn deaths & 180 serious burn injuries" (Hartman & DesJardins, 2008) does not capture the sheer human suffering that the expected rate of 2,100 accidents is sure to cause. Finally, the influence of my peers within the management structure of Ford would affect my decision significantly, because if I felt that advocating for a costly recall was undermining my status, it would admittedly be difficult to stand alone on the issue. 3.) What sort of financial impact will your decision have upon the company?

In the short-term the decision to recall all Ford Pintos would cost the company upwards of $72 million, in addition to any ancillary losses suffered from negative media publicity and public image. What Ford's executives failed to understand is that they are playing a long-term game, one in which a loss of $72 million pales in comparison to the diminished reputation and reduced market share that occurred once people began to crash, incinerate, and die in their faulty Pintos. By instituting a total recall immediately, the initial loss would...

As there are still countless Americans who refuse to purchase a Frd vehicle due to the Pinto scandal, it would appear that the $72 million saved in 1968 has been far outpaced by the losses incurred after Pintos began exploding across the nation.
4.) How do you account for the intrinsic and instrumental value of human life?

Human life should never be accounted for with the same sterilized standards used to guide financial policy, the intrinsic value of a person's existence is far more important than their instrumental use. The calculations described in the case study cannot begin to account for the tears that fell at funerals for those who perished in their Ford Pintos, nor can it quantify the mental anguish experienced by grieving families.

References

Hartman, L.P., & DesJardins, J.R. (2008). Business ethics: Decision-making for personal integrity & social responsibility.…