The final outcome shows that George had made the correct decision.
In order to inform my thinking, I used the ethical view of utilitarianism and the moral philosophy of Corporate Social Responsibility in terms of the economic dimension. Utilitarianism is a philosophy that favors an outcome that creates the most happiness for the most people involved in the decision (National American University, p. 34). Although job cuts are an unfortunate decision, doing nothing would be even worse. In the circumstances, timely disclosure of these plans is also optimal for those most severely affected by the decision. Although George incurred some damage in terms of the press and his car, his decision to disclose had the greatest benefit for most of the interested parties involved (Utilitarianism.org).
Early disclosure was also a good decision in terms of the economic dimension of Corporate Social Responsibility (National American University, p. 35). Global communication has made it impossible to keep any secrets for long, much less a prominent one such as layoffs. By disclosing his plans early, George has ensured an image of the company...
This would have severely harmed the image of the company and would have further damaged the company's business in the long-term as well. By his actions, George has ensured an image of a responsible, ethical company, even during times of crisis. This relates back to the utilitarian view, in which the decision was made for the best possible outcome for the most possible people. Early disclosure meant that the company maintained a good image, and that it was able to make a full recovery in the long-term.
References
Amelio, Gil. (1999, Spring). The Case of Bad News. Santa Clara University. Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/dialogue/candc/cases/badnews.html
National American University (2010). Business Ethics Instructional Materials: Lesson Plan 2.
Utilitarianism.org. (2010). Introduction to Utilitarianism. Retrieved from http://www.utilitarian.org/utility.html
